Punto de Teno – Tenerife For 91 Days

Tenerife’s westernmost spot is the Punto de Teno, defined by a candy-cane patterned lighthouse that looks out towards the nearby island of Gomera. A harsh terrain with scant vegetation, high winds, and wide open views, it’s a strikingly beautiful place, but not the kind of park you’d want to spend all day at.

We had some trouble reaching the Punta de Teno on our first attempt. This is a protected area, which has been forced to severely limit the number of people who can visit. It’s completely understandable, given how crowded Tenerife can get in the summer, but also frustrating if (like us) you didn’t know about the limits before setting out. The barrier is a 30 minute drive from the nearest city, Garachico and in the winter, the park closes to private traffic at 10am. In the summer, it’s 9am. From the parking lot, a bus will take you the rest of the way.

Not knowing this, we arrived way too late. Rather than wait an uncertain amount of time for the bus, we decided to return early the next day — the weather was supposed to be better, anyway. It was a good decision, because we found ourselves almost completely alone — the only other vehicles in the park belonged to local fishermen, and a group of hippies who had apparently been camping there for days. Also, we were able to stop along the road for pictures of the Macizo de Teno, raising up behind us.

The original lighthouse on the Punta del Teno was erected in 1897, but the more modern version dates from the 1970s. It’s not possible to visit, but the lighthouse makes for some great photography. Please enjoy our pictures of Tenerife’s most western point!