The National Park "El Teide"

This National Park offers a fascinating landscape, created by the elemantar forces of the volcano Teide. Christopher Columbus observed its last great eruption in 1492 from the nearby island Gomera, just before continueing his discovery travel to America. In 1798 there was another smaller eruption. The Teide has piled up some 12 million cubic meters of volcanic material at its sides, those formations being popularly called the noses of Teide.

With a height of 3.718 metern the Teide is not only the highest mountain of Spain, but as well the highest elevation in all the Atlantic Ocean. A cableway takes visitors up to 3.600 meters. From there you may climb the peak by foot.

On clear days you have a fantastic view. But at least equally impressive is the volcano's immense crater, with a circumference of approximately 80 kilometers. After previous agreement with the park's administration you may participate (by free!) at a visit. You will then enter the crater, first with a cross-country car, then by foot, until you arrive to volcanically still active parts.

Around the Teide there are several smaller volcanos more, as Mount Rajada (2.509 m) and Mount Chahorra (2.995 m).

At the side of Teide there is a large flat country called Cañadas, having been used by the island's original poulation, the Guanches, as pastureland. Today it is covered with petrified lava having very bizarre forms, as the Roques de García, and several caves, as Cueva del Hielo or Cueva de los Cazadores.

In this area exist some extremely rare species of plants, as the Guanche Rose, of which are known only some 50 exemplares worldwide, the Teide Violet and animals, in particular lizards.