Teide with Five Hours in the Park: Roques de García

Eight hours in total, of which about five are spent inside the park. That ratio is the number worth knowing, because a good many Teide trips are mostly driving. Pick-up is from Puerto de la Cruz, or from Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Candelaria, chosen when you book. The road up goes through Canary pine forest and traditional villages before the ground turns to desert and ravines. What the lava left is the reason to spend those five hours: the Roques de García, the Árbol de Piedra, and the valleys cut by old flows. Later in the day the mountain throws its own conical shadow, which is worth waiting around for. Pick-up, drop-off and the guide are included. Food and drink are not.