Cycling up Teide: new rules, roads, bike transport and hire
If you come to the Canary Islands in winter to train or to ride, Teide is the biggest challenge: according to the Tenerife tourist board, its routes take you above 2000 metres in the national park, and up to around 2300 metres near Izaña. In the national park you can ride on the tarmac of the TF-21, the TF-24 and the TF-38, where the park's management plan allows cycling.
Two things changed in autumn 2026, though. Since 1 October, the reform of Spain's traffic regulations (Reglamento General de Circulación) has been in force: outside built-up areas every cyclist must wear a helmet, the previous exemptions are gone, and anyone overtaking a cyclist must leave at least 1.5 metres to the side and, outside built-up areas, slow down to at least 20 km/h below the speed limit. And in Teide National Park, a new management plan has applied since December 2025, under which cycling in the park is only allowed on tarmac.
In this article we go through the roads, the rules, the weather at altitude, and how to bring your bike by plane, ferry and bus. If you would rather walk up to the summit, see our article Teide summit: permit and cable car, and we have gathered the outdoor training spots in our calisthenics article.
Three roads up Teide
The Tenerife tourist board (Turismo de Tenerife) offers eight worked-out road cycling routes, and several of them take you up Teide. Two examples, with the board's own figures:
From the north, on the TF-21 and the TF-24. Route 2 starts from the upper part of La Orotava, on the TF-21 towards Las Cañadas. You enter the national park at kilometre 26, and the long, winding climb, with an average gradient of nearly 6 percent, ends at El Portillo, at 2030 metres. There is a bar-restaurant and a visitor centre here. From here you turn onto the TF-24 towards La Esperanza, and reach the highest point around Izaña, at around 2300 metres. Then comes a long descent through the forest, with the La Tarta viewpoint, and further down the Ayosa and Ortuño viewpoints. The loop is 98 kilometres, with 2727 metres of climbing, and the board rates it as hard.
From the south, on the TF-38 and the TF-21. Route 7 starts from Costa Adeje, turns onto the TF-38 after Guía de Isora, and from there comes a 24 kilometre climb, with an average gradient of 5.6 percent and sections of 10 percent. At the Boca Tauce junction you turn onto the TF-21 towards Vilaflor, and from there the road is downhill all the way, at 11 percent in places. On the way, at Vilaflor, you can stop to see the Pino Gordo giant pine. The loop is 101 kilometres, with 3841 metres of climbing, and its highest point is 2360 metres.
You will find the full list of routes on the Turismo de Tenerife cycling page. We have gathered the park's walking routes on our Teide National Park page.
The pros know these roads too. In 2018, the Tenerife tourist board wrote that champions such as Chris Froome and Alberto Contador choose the island for training. In February 2021, the Canary Islands public radio and television broadcaster (RTVC) reported that the Astana professional team had been preparing for the season at the Parador Nacional del Teide hotel from 25 January. The report also tells of the winter risk: with the roads closed by snow, the Cabildo had to bring the team down with a snowplough and escort cars.
Spain's new traffic rules, since 1 October 2026
Real Decreto 518/2026 is about protecting vulnerable road users, and it came into force on 1 October 2026. According to the summary by the Spanish traffic authority (DGT) and the text in the official gazette (BOE), this is what you need to know:
A helmet for everyone outside built-up areas. On roads outside towns (vías interurbanas), a fastened, approved helmet is compulsory, and for riders under 16 on every road. According to the preamble of the decree, the previous exemptions were removed because they made no sense. If you remember exemptions from before, they no longer apply.
Drivers must slow down when they overtake. When overtaking a cyclist, at least 1.5 metres of lateral distance is required, moving partly or entirely into the adjacent lane. If the road has more than one lane in each direction, a full lane change is compulsory. And outside built-up areas, before and during overtaking, drivers must slow down to at least 20 km/h below the speed limit. According to the preamble, the idea until now was that overtaking should be as short as possible, but now the protection of the weaker party calls for slowing down. This is good to know even if you hire a car: the same applies to you.
A group counts as one unit. If you ride in a group, the rules treat you as a single moving unit.
Riding two abreast is allowed. You can ride two abreast on the hard shoulder or, if there is none or it cannot be used, on the necessary part of the carriageway. You have to ride in single file on stretches with poor visibility if you are holding up traffic, in the dark, and when the weather seriously reduces visibility.
On descents you can move into the lane. On long, winding descents, if it is safe, you can leave the hard shoulder and use the right-hand side of the carriageway.
Lights in tunnels and in the dark. Between sunset and sunrise, and in tunnels and underpasses whatever the time of day, every vehicle must use its lights. In the dark or in poor visibility on roads outside towns, a cyclist must also wear at least one lit or reflective item that is visible from 150 metres.
You can read the full text of the rules in the BOE's consolidated version of the traffic regulations, and a summary of the changes in the DGT press release.
In the national park: tarmac only
The Canary Islands Government approved Teide National Park's new management plan (PRUG) in December 2025. It is clear about cycling: in the park you may only ride on tarmac roads, not on dirt tracks (pistas), hiking trails or anywhere else in the park. It names three exceptions where you may also ride a bike: the Arico El Viejo dirt track and its branch towards Fasnia, the dirt track between Corral del Niño and Montaña del Limón, and the Montaña del Alto or Guamaso dirt track. According to the plan, the park management will assess the impact on these from time to time, and may restrict them. For road cyclists, this means the three tarmac roads are yours, but leave the off-road terrain to the hikers. We have written about the marked footpaths in our article on waymarked trails.
According to the plan, sports competitions in the park are not compatible with its conservation aims, but by way of exception the Tour of Tenerife cycle race (Vuelta ciclista isla de Tenerife) and the passage of the Vuelta a España, among others, can be authorised. Anyone who wants to lead guided tours in the park also needs a guide accreditation specific to the park.
Two recent changes also affect the TF-21. In May 2026, the Cabildo de Tenerife (the island government) announced that the stretch of the TF-21 between El Portillo and Boca Tauce is no longer an island road, but the protected area's own road. In the same announcement it said that by the end of 2026 it will introduce an access control system at the park's main entrances (from La Esperanza, La Orotava and Vilaflor-Chío). The announcement says nothing about cyclists, so before you set off, check the Cabildo's announcement and the Cabildo's latest news.
Altitude and weather
Up there the weather is quite different from the coast. According to the 1981-2010 normals for the Izaña station of AEMET (the Spanish state weather service), the average daily maximum is 11.1 degrees in November and 8.8 degrees in December. At the same station, from November to February there are on average 9-11 foggy days a month, but there is plenty of sunshine too: in these months 218-226 hours of sunshine are recorded each month. You can look up the normals on the AEMET website. In other words, you need an extra layer for the descent, and in fog your lights are not just a rule but a lifesaver.
After snowfall, the Cabildo may regulate traffic. In December 2025, for example, you could only go up the TF-21 from La Orotava, and down on the TF-24. At the time, the network of cycling and horse riding routes stayed open, except for those marked as closed on the platform called Tenerife ON. Which part of the island has which weather, we cover in our microclimates article.
Your bike on the plane
Every airline applies its own rules, and with all of them sports equipment is a separate item. We do not give prices, because they change, but here is the gist:
Binter. According to the airline, all sports equipment depends on free space in the hold. The bike must be checked in folded, with the handlebars fixed to its side, the pedals removed and the tyres deflated, in a box or bag designed for transport, up to 23 kilos. On flights outside the archipelago, the bike is not included in the baggage allowance. Details: Binter, baggage.
Wizz Air. One item of sports equipment can be taken for a fee, up to 32 kilos. It must be added when booking or at least three hours before departure, and it is limited per flight, so the airline recommends adding it when you book. The bike must be packed in a bike case, without wheels and pedals, with the handlebars turned parallel, or in a cardboard box with the tyres deflated. Details: Wizz Air, special baggage.
easyJet. Only in a bike box or bag, one bike per box, and nothing else (clothes, for example) can go in with it. The handlebars in line with the frame, the pedals removed or turned in towards the frame. Electric bikes cannot be carried. Details: easyJet, sports equipment.
With other airlines, check the official website before you book, because the size, the weight limit and the packing rules may also differ.
On the ferry and the bus
If you want to change islands, according to its official information Fred. Olsen Express calculates the fare by vehicle type, and the bicycle is listed separately among the vehicle categories, as a non-motorised two-wheeler. Details in Fred. Olsen's frequently asked questions. We have gathered the Tenerife ferry offices on our ferry pages.
You can also take it on local buses (guagua), with rules:
Tenerife, TITSA. Both folding and standard bikes go in the luggage hold. On buses without a luggage hold, only folding bikes can travel, in the wheelchair space, respecting wheelchair priority, secured with a strap. How many fit depends on the securing system. Details: TITSA, frequently asked questions.
Gran Canaria, Global. According to its rules, the bike goes folded into the luggage compartment, if there is space. It must not be secured in the compartment, and the company asks you to keep an eye on it at stops so that nobody takes it. Since the rule refers to folded bikes, ask before you travel if you have a standard road bike.
For bus travel in general, see our article on getting around without a car.
Hire
We do not have a bike rental listing yet, so for hiring it is best to rely on the tourist boards. The Tenerife board writes that beginners and pros alike will find a huge number of routes and services tailored to their needs, and the Lanzarote sports tourism site lists the cycling providers operating on the island by name.
If you want an experience rather than road training, Teno Activo runs private e-MTB tours from Santiago del Teide to the Chinyero volcano. Details on its listing page.
On Gran Canaria and Lanzarote
Gran Canaria. According to the island's tourist board, many routes await cyclists, for mountain biking and for long distances too. The board's brochure calls the climb to Pico de las Nieves the island's queen stage: from Ingenio via La Pasadilla and Cazadores, 23 kilometres to the summit. From La Pasadilla come ramps of up to 23 percent over 8 kilometres, and the brochure warns that there is nowhere to buy a drink between Ingenio and the summit, except a small shop at Cazadores, turning off to the right. So take enough water. You will find the viewpoint next to the summit on our Pico de las Nieves page, and the board's cycling page here.
Lanzarote. According to the Lanzarote tourist board's sports site, road cycling takes you past the salt pans of Salinas de Janubio, the Fire Mountains (Montañas del Fuego) of Timanfaya, Caleta de Famara, La Geria and the Mirador del Río. You will find the route map and the providers on the Lanzarote Sports Destination website.
In short
In the Teide park you can ride on the tarmac of the TF-21, the TF-24 and the TF-38.
Since 1 October 2026, every cyclist must wear a helmet outside built-up areas, without exception.
Drivers overtake with at least 1.5 metres, and outside built-up areas at least 20 km/h below the speed limit.
Riding two abreast is allowed; in single file on stretches with poor visibility, if you are holding up traffic, in the dark and in fog.
In the national park, tarmac only, except for three designated dirt tracks.
Always use lights in tunnels, and in the dark and in fog wear a reflective or lit item visible from 150 metres.
On planes, sports equipment is a separate item: book it early, and pack it according to the airline's rules.
On the bus, the bike goes in the luggage hold, folded on Gran Canaria.
Sources: BOE, Reglamento General de Circulación (consolidated text, update of 26 June 2026) and Real Decreto 518/2026; DGT, press release (30 September 2026); Boletín Oficial de Canarias, Decreto 182/2025 (Teide National Park management plan); Cabildo de Tenerife, announcements (15 December 2025, 7 May 2026); Turismo de Tenerife, cycling routes and blog (2018); RTVC (5 February 2021); AEMET, climate normals 1981-2010 (Izaña); Binter; Wizz Air; easyJet; Fred. Olsen Express; TITSA; Global; Turismo de Gran Canaria; Lanzarote Sports Destination (Turismo Lanzarote).
Cover photo (cropped): a road cyclist beneath the road cutting at Corral del Niño, on the TF-24, in Teide National Park. Gerd Eichmann, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
