Teide from La Orotava: 27 km at 6% to 2,030 m

The climb from La Orotava to El Portillo is the northern way into Teide National Park, and it is a very long climb: from the edge of a town in the green north of Tenerife to more than 2,000 m on the rim of the park, without a single real descent. Tenerife's tourist board measures it at 27 km to El Portillo at close to 6%. It is not steep. It is long, and it ends in thin air. Here is how it is built, how to pace a two-hour effort, and how to ride it on your trainer first.

The climb, in three parts

Tenerife's tourist board starts its route at a roundabout in the upper part of La Orotava, where the TF-21 meets the TF-324, and gives three checkpoints on the way up: the La Piedra lookout at km 17.5, the national park boundary at km 26, and El Portillo at km 27 and 2,030 m, where the TF-21 meets the TF-24.

One thing to know about the track on this page: it leaves La Orotava by a shorter, much steeper line. After 3 km it climbs three kilometres at 15–18% before settling onto the main road, which is why the route card shows a total of 22.9 km and a steepest kilometre of 18.6%. If you ride the classic road from the roundabout instead, you get the same finish without that wall, over a few more kilometres.

• The lower slopes. Above the town the road climbs steadily away from the coast. The tourist board's average for the whole climb is close to 6%, and that is roughly what the road holds almost all day, so the only question here is restraint.
• The long middle. From about 6 km on our track the climb is remarkably even: kilometre after kilometre between 5.6% and 6.5%, with one easier kilometre at 4.6%. The La Piedra lookout, with its view of Teide, is a good place to check your pacing and eat.
• Into the park. The national park boundary comes at km 26 on the tourist board's route and El Portillo a kilometre later. Above 2,000 m you will feel the altitude on your breathing even at a gradient you would barely notice at home.

How to pace a two-hour climb

Most riders take between an hour and three quarters and three hours from La Orotava to El Portillo. That makes this an endurance effort with a long tail, not a threshold one.

• Ride the first hour at 75–80% of FTP. At a constant 6% it is tempting to ride harder, and you will pay for it after 20 km. Our guide to pacing a climb with power explains why the even effort wins on a climb this long.
• Expect fewer watts at the top. The same effort gives less power above 2,000 m. Ride the park section by breathing and feel, not by the number. Altitude training for amateurs covers what thin air does to you.
• Gearing. On the main road a compact with a 30 or 32 is plenty. If you follow our track's steep start, you will want your lowest gear for those three kilometres. See gearing for climbing.
• Eat from the start. Two hours or more of climbing needs 60–90 g of carbohydrate an hour, begun early. The bar and restaurant at El Portillo are the first sure place to refill at the top. Fuelling long rides has the numbers.

Why the pros come here

The road leads into Teide National Park, declared in 1954 and listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2007. It covers more than 189 km² around the volcano, which at 3,715 m is the highest peak in Spain, according to the Canary Islands Government.

That altitude is why professional teams come. The Canary Islands tourism board points out that riders can train above 2,000 m in Teide National Park even in winter, and names Jumbo-Visma, Bahrain McLaren, Astana and INEOS Grenadiers among the teams that have used it, with Chris Froome and Tadej Pogačar among the riders who have prepared there. Jumbo-Visma alone came three times in 2020.

When to go, and what to watch for

• Season. The Canary Islands tourism board pitches Tenerife for winter training, when colder conditions elsewhere make riding difficult. Our guide to cycling in Tenerife covers bases and when to go.
• Pack for two climates. You start in a town and finish above 2,000 m, so the top can be much colder than the start. Take a gilet and long gloves for the descent.
• Make it a loop. The tourist board's route 2 carries on from El Portillo along the TF-24 over the Izaña area, its high point at about 2,300 m, and down towards La Esperanza: 98 km and 2,727 m of climbing in all, rated high difficulty.
• El Portillo. As well as the bar and restaurant there is a park visitor centre, a good reason to stop before the descent.

Ride it in Moveee Indoor

The route on this page is the real road from La Orotava to El Portillo, with its height at every point. In Moveee Indoor your smart trainer reproduces that gradient as you ride, and the world around you is built from map data of the real place. What a climb like this teaches you indoors is patience: two hours at a steady 6% is a skill, and it is far cheaper to learn it on your trainer than 20 km from the top.

Ride it once early in your winter build and again before you fly. If your second ride is faster at the same heart rate, you are ready for the real thing. Prefer your own device? Download the GPX above and load it into any app that rides GPX files.

The short version

27 km at close to 6% on the tourist board's route, from upper La Orotava to El Portillo at 2,030 m on the edge of Teide National Park. Start gently, eat early, and expect less power in the park. Our track's start is much steeper than the main road, so choose your line before you go, and ride it on the trainer first.