Mount Teide National Park

Teide National Park

Teide National Park or Parque Nacional de las Cañadas del Teide to give it its official title consist of an area of Tenerife that is roughly 130 square km. The area was given its national park status in January 1954, and is the most visited attractions in the Canary Islands and the most visited national park in the whole of Spain.

Originally formed by extreme volcanic activity in the latter part of the 18th century, the main attraction of the park is the famous Mount Teide which itself rises out of a massive crater in excess of 40km around its outermost edge.

With its summit height of some 3718 metres, Mount Teide towers majestically not only over Tenerife and the rest of the Canary Islands, but also over all the other Spanish mountains. As the highest mountain in Spain Mount Teide is truly the King of Mountains in its own domain.

Teide National Park lies at an elevation of approximately 2000 metres and as you would expect the weather at this height can be quite diverse.

During the summer months you can find yourself looking at the surrounding landscape through a shimmering heat haze as temperatures can exceed 40c whilst in the cooler months the area is subject to snow and gale force winds which can lead to road closures for safety reasons.

Whilst the Mount Teide volcano is considered dormant there is still volcanic activity deep beneath this region which you may notice from the smell of the sulphuric fumes wafting from the mouth of the volcano.

To get to the summit of Mount Teide most people will hitch a ride on the cable car but you can walk if you are feeling particularly fit. The cable car will take you to around 200 metres from the summit from which on a clear day you will have an awe inspiring panoramic view of the entire Canary Islands archipelago.

If you do visit Mount Teide during the summer months ensure you are adequately protected against the sun and bring plenty of water with you to avoid dehydration.

Also if you are planning to hire a car to visit this region of Tenerife it would be recommended to obtain one with a higher than 1200cc rating as the roads around Mount Teide can be quite steep.

Places to visit in Tenerife    Canary Islands