Tenerife - Canary Islands

Island of Eternal Springtime
Tenerife is the largest island of the archipelago. There are varied landscapes: a mountain range with the mighty volcanic crater Cañadas del Teide, with a diameter of 20 kilometers, and the 3.718 meters high Teide in its center; extremely fertile valleys with important cultures of bananas and tomatoes; and a seaside offering beautiful steep coasts and wide beaches of fine sand.

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 continuing his discovery of 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 meters the Teide is not only the highest mountain of Spain, but also 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. With previous agreement from the park's administration you may visit the crater. You will then enter the crater, first by cross-country car, then by foot, until you arrive to see the crater which is still volcanically active.