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Roques de García
3 experiences and tours
Tenerife: Above the Clouds — A Morning Experience on Teide
5hMeal includedFree cancellation
Tenerife: Masca, Teide National Park & Sunset - Small group
6hFree cancellation
Tenerife: Private Teide National Park & Masca Tour
6hFree cancellation
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The Roques de García are a line of tall volcanic rocks in the middle of Teide National Park, with Mount Teide straight behind them. The best known is Roque Cinchado, a stone pillar that is narrow at the base and wide at the top. It is one of the most photographed views on Tenerife, and it once appeared on the Spanish 1,000-peseta banknote, with Teide behind it.
The tours here stop at the Roques de García as part of a day in the national park. Some go up in the morning, some stay for the sunset, and some add the village of Masca. Each card shows the pickup area, the length of the tour and what is included.
About Roques de García
The Roques de García stand on the edge of Las Cañadas, the huge crater that surrounds Mount Teide, at a height of about 2,100 metres. They are what is left of an old wall inside the crater. Wind, rain and ice wore away the softer rock over a very long time, and the harder rock stayed as towers and pillars.
Roque Cinchado is about 27 metres high. It is made mostly of layers of volcanic sediment. Near the top, two layers of hard lava cut through the softer rock and protect it. That is why the base wears away faster and the top stays wide. Other rocks in the group have names too, such as La Catedral, a tall dark tower, El Torrotito, El Burro and Roques Blancos.
Below the rocks lies the Llano de Ucanca, a wide, flat plain of fine sediment. On the other side, old lava flows of many colours spread across the ground. Plants such as Teide broom grow between the rocks, and in late spring some of them flower.
What to expect on a Roques de García experience
Tours usually stop at the Mirador de La Ruleta, the viewpoint in front of the rocks, next to the Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide, the national park hotel, which has a café. You get time to walk to the edge, take photos of Roque Cinchado with Teide behind it, and look across the Ucanca plain.
A marked trail of about 3.5 km goes all around the rocks. It starts and ends at La Ruleta and takes about two hours on foot. Tour stops are shorter, so most guests walk only the first part, which is wide and easy.
The rest of the day depends on the tour. Morning trips cross the national park while the air is clear. Full-day trips add Masca, a mountain village in the north-west, and some stay in the park for the sunset above the clouds.
Best time to visit
You can visit the Roques de García all year. Morning light is clear and the viewpoint is quieter. In the late afternoon the low sun turns the rocks red and gold, which is why many sunset tours stop here. By evening, most day visitors have left and the viewpoint is quieter.
The rocks are at more than 2,000 metres, so it is much colder than on the coast, above all in winter and after sunset. In winter, snow and ice sometimes close the roads into the park for a short time.
Getting around
The Roques de García are in the centre of Teide National Park, about an hour's drive from the resorts in the south of the island. The viewpoint has a car park, but it gets very full in the middle of the day, so drivers should arrive early.
Most visitors join a tour with pickup in the south, so the guide drives the mountain roads and knows the best stops. Check each card for the pickup areas.