The climb to Mirador de Masca is a short and steep ascent that begins in the village of Masca in the Teno Natural Park. It follows the TF-436 in the direction of Santiago del Teide. The Mirador, at the top of the climb, is situated about 1km before Santiago.
Mirador de Masca is only short, but is fully deserving of a ***** rating. The scenery is really spectacular throughout the climb, with beautiful views throughout the winding descent.
It shares some similarities with another one of Spain's great island climbs - Sa Calobra - but Mirador de Masca is, if anything, even more visually stunning.
Masca was a village originally founded by pirates as a place completely hidden within an inaccessible mountain range, which they used to hide their treasure. Even today, despite the recently paved road, Masca feels remote and like it is a different world to anywhere else on the island.
The climb is open throughout the year.
There are fantastic views throughout the climb
Roads & Traffic
The road is mostly in good condition. There are some sections where the surface has been re-laid in patches which is slightly bumpy, but not really a problem.
The road is not too busy, but expect to see a few cars (mostly tourist traffic) at the more popular times of the year. These generally drive slowly and
are not a problem for cyclists. Pay special attention to the occasional bus on the route; they need the full width of the hairpin bends to turn, so give way to them!
The road inches upwards via a series of tight switchbacks
Alternative Routes
Mirador de Masca can also be reached from the town of Santiago del Teide. From this side the climb is 1.3km at an average gradient of just under 10%.
Spain
