Minas de San José is an open stretch of volcanic ground in Las Cañadas del Teide, the high crater floor of Teide National Park on Tenerife, within the municipality of La Orotava. Pumice in shades of cream and straw covers the ground in soft drifts, dark lava flows and loose blocks lie across it, and the summit of Teide rises behind. The name recalls the pumice once dug here. Car parks and a bus stop sit beside the road at the site.
Minas de San Jose
Plain of pale pumice crossed by black lava flows, below Teide in the Las Cañadas crater
- Entrance
- Free; there is no ticket.
- Accessibility
- The car parks are about 40 m away. Beyond them the ground is loose sand and pumice, heavy going for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
- Parking
- Two free car parks about 40 m from the site.
- Difficulty
- Hardly any approach: park about 40 m away and walk straight out onto the sand and pumice.
- Transport
- Bus stop Minas de San José, beside the road at the site.
- Advance booking
- Not needed.
- Hours
- Open ground beside the road with no gate; accessible at any time.
- Address
- Mines of San Jose, 38300, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
What makes it special
The ground is the whole story. Pale pumice lies in drifts the colour of cream and straw, and black lava cuts across it in hard, broken tongues, with only the odd low shrub growing where the two meet. Above it all stands Teide.
Walk a little way from the road and the traffic drops out. What is left is the crunch of pumice underfoot and a view in which almost nothing is green. The place suits a slow walk in silence, and the colours shift as the sun moves: warm and soft early and late, flat and bright at noon.
Good to know
- Leave nothing in the car. Cars at the viewpoints along this road get broken into, locked or not, boot included. Take valuables with you.
- It is colder up here. The site sits higher than the coast and the air is cooler than in town, so bring a warm layer.
- No toilets and no drinking water at the site or nearby. Fill your bottles before you drive up.
- No shade. The ground is open pumice and lava, and the pale surface throws the sun back at you.
Getting there
You arrive on the road that crosses Las Cañadas, and there is almost nothing left to walk. Two car parks sit about 40 m from the site, and the Minas de San José bus stop stands right by the road. An information board marks the northern side and a map panel the southern one, a good point to get your bearings before you step out onto the pumice. From there you are on the sand straight away.
Best time to visit
Best: early morning or late afternoon.
Avoid: the middle of a summer day, and the high road after winter snow.
Low sun rakes across the pumice and picks out every ripple and lava edge, while at noon the bare ground has no shade, and in winter snow and ice can reach the road through the crater.
Access & restrictions
Minas de San José lies inside Teide National Park. Keep to the marked paths and off the lava and pumice beyond them, leave every stone and piece of pumice where it lies, and keep vehicles on the road and in the car parks.
Sun & daylight
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Frequently asked questions
Is there parking at Minas de San José?
Yes. Two car parks sit about 40 m from the site, beside the road.Can I get to Minas de San José by bus?
A bus stop named Minas de San José stands beside the road at the site.Is it safe to leave things in the car?
No. Cars at the viewpoints along this road get broken into, even locked ones with bags hidden in the boot. Take anything of value with you.Are there toilets or water at Minas de San José?
No toilets and no drinking water at the site or nearby. Bring water with you.Is it cold at Minas de San José?
It is higher than the coast and colder than in town. Bring a warm layer.