Pico del Ingles Viewpoint

In the morning the whole of Anaga lies open below the deck: ridge after ridge of green forest folding down to the Atlantic, and the line where the sea meets the sky. Later in the day cloud moves in over the hills and closes much of the view. Even then the stop repays the drive.

The road up is half the reason to come. It winds through laurel forest, the branches twisted and heavy with green moss, and the light under them stays dim and damp. A guidepost stands at the viewpoint, and waymarked paths lead off from the area into the park.

• Marked parking spaces are few for the number of visitors, and cars line the road verges even outside the summer season. Arrive early.
• If you plan to walk, start early: parking gets harder as the day goes on.
• There are no toilets at the viewpoint, and none nearby.
• The viewpoint is not wheelchair accessible.
• Bring a warm layer: the summit sits in the cloud, and it turns cool and damp once the cloud arrives.

By car, the last stretch is a winding road through moss-hung laurel forest. A car park sits right by the viewpoint, about 15 m from the deck, and there is a second one about 490 m away. Spaces run out fast, and many drivers leave their cars along the roadside; finding a spot can take patience.

By bus, there is a stop right beside the viewpoint (stop 2233), and the El Monte stop is about 230 m away.

A guidepost stands at the viewpoint itself, and another for the waymarked PR-TF 2 path is about 700 m away in a straight line.

Best: early morning. Avoid: later in the day.

Cloud moves in over the hills as the day goes on and closes much of the view, and the roadside fills with parked cars, so an early start wins on both counts.