Teide National Park, Tenerife Parque Nacional del Teide

Almost everywhere on Tenerife the Pico de Teide dominates the horizon, provided always that it is not shrouded in cloud. The north side of Teide falls steeply down to the coast; on the southwestern and eastern slopes are two outlying spurs - to the southwest the Pico Viejo (3,135m/10,286ft), to the east the Montaña Blanca, so called from its covering of light-colored lapilli. The last volcanic eruption in this area was in 1798. Teide is now in the solfatara stage, with only residual volcanic activity in the form of the sulfurous vapors at a temperature of 86°C/189°F which issue from various vents. There are four good roads leading to the cableway station at the foot of Teide. It takes eight minutes to reach the Rambleta, an old crater at a height of 3,555m/11,664ft, from which it is a 25 min walk to the summit. It is also possible, even for those without mountaineering experience, to ascend Teide on foot from the Montaña Blanca, where a large plan is displayed showing the route to the summit. The climb can be made in one day, but it is possible to spend the night in the Altavista hut.

The Caldera de las Cañadas has a diameter of 16km/10mi and a circumference of around 45km/28mi. It is bounded on the north by Teide and on the east, south and west by high rock walls rising to a height of 500m/1,650ft above the plain. Within the crater are great expanses of scoriae, and other masses of scoriae rear up over smaller volcanoes and overlie earlier lava flows. The rocks show a wide range of coloring, from almost black to shades of red. Bizarre rock formations like Los Roques give this grandiose landscape an almost unreal character.