Tenerife, Spain · from El Médano via Granadilla and Vilaflor
El Teide from El Médano
Starting on the beach at El Médano, the TF-64 and TF-21 climb for over 50 km through Granadilla, past Vilaflor at just under 1,500 m and into the Teide caldera at Las Cañadas. Tenerife is one of very few places in Europe where a rider can go from the sea to well over 2,000 m in one continuous effort, and this is the route that does it.
Summit elevation: 2356 m
How fast would you climb El Teide from El Médano?
Enter your power and weight. A physics engine calculates your estimated time against the gradient profile.
Predict your
performance.
See how power and weight affect your time on a real climb.
*Demo simulation uses standard road bike physics (CdA 0.32, Crr 0.004).
El Teide from El Médano and the Tour
The Vilaflor road is the spine of every WorldTour altitude camp on the island: teams ride up from the coast and stay at the Parador inside the caldera. The lower half is a traffic-heavy warm-up; the climb only becomes a mountain above Granadilla, where the pine forest starts and the gradient settles into the 6-7% that continues to the park boundary.
No Grand Tour has ever raced up Teide, so the reference times here come from training camps rather than races. The best known of them, Remco Evenepoel's 56:25, was set on the shorter Chío side and does not apply to this route.
Riding it yourself
When to go
Year-round, but the temperature drop is the thing to plan for: it can be 25°C at El Médano and under 10°C on the plateau, with wind on the exposed middle section. Winter and spring are the busiest camp months.
Base & logistics
El Médano is ten minutes from Tenerife South airport, which makes this the natural sea-to-summit day for a short trip. Water and food at Granadilla and Vilaflor, then nothing at all for the last 25 km inside the national park.
FAQ
How long is the El Teide from El Médano climb?
From El Médano via Granadilla and Vilaflor, the climb is about 53.9 km with roughly 2696 m of elevation gain at 5% average gradient (based on the simplified profile used by this simulator; published figures vary slightly by source).
How long does it take to cycle up El Teide from El Médano?
It depends almost entirely on your power-to-weight ratio. Use the simulator on this page: enter your FTP and weight, and a physics model (air resistance, rolling resistance, gravity) estimates your time on the gradient profile.
How accurate is the time simulation?
The simulator uses a simplified segment profile and standard road bike assumptions (CdA 0.32, Crr 0.004, 8 kg bike). It does not model wind, drafting, altitude, surface or pacing errors, so treat the result as a realistic estimate, not a guarantee.
How should I train for El Teide from El Médano?
Sustained climbs reward steady threshold and sweet spot work plus a power-to-weight improvement over weeks, not days. TrainCraft builds structured cycling training plans and adapts them when you miss sessions, using fatigue science (CTL/ATL/TSB).
More famous climbs
Preparing for this climb?
A climb like this is won weeks in advance. TrainCraft builds a structured plan around your FTP and available hours, and adapts it when you miss a workout.
Start Training FreeThe profile is simplified into 185 segments for simulation; real gradients vary metre by metre. Stats shown are derived from this simulated profile and closely match commonly published figures. Time estimates assume standard road bike physics and no wind.
Training for a climb like this?
TrainCraft builds structured training plans and adapts them when life gets in the way — real fatigue science (CTL/ATL/TSB), visual workout builder, Strava & Garmin sync. Free to start.