Steep elevations, cinematic hikes, and starry nights converge inside Tenerife’s Teide National Park.
There ’s a reason so many westerly Europeans viewthe Canary Islandsas a affectionate weather condition Eden . Betweenblack sand beaches , lively resort town , and proliferation of historic architectural gems , the Spanish territory off the coast ofNorth Africahas a lot to bid the horde of holidaying Germans , English , Italians , and mainland Spaniards that batch there year - round .
But it ’s not allswim - up legal community , banana daiquiris , and whale - watching hostile expedition — though , those should decidedly be include , too . Tenerife , the largest and most populous Canary Island , is also home to an unbelievable range of flora and zoology . Here , lifelike attractions execute the gamut from meticulously stocked botanic gardens toTeide National Park , a Brobdingnagian protected area situated at the inmost full stop of the triangular land mass . delegate aUNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 , the park ’s 47,000 - Akko rocky surface area nerve centre around its eponymic volcano , a stunningly craggy colossus that rises some 24,600 feet above the ocean floor . Spain ’s highest peak and the third - bombastic volcanic social organization in the worldly concern , Mount Teide is a sight to behold — even if your eyes are a bit fatigued from the dark before .
“ Just bet around , and you ’ll see the most famous and most coloured pumice stone stone in Tenerife , ” proclaimedDarío López , a bear - and - raised Canarian and my chemical group ’s dedicated duty tour guide on a recent tripper to Tenerife . He stood at the front of the charabanc , mike in hand , eyes bushel on the dozen or so sleepy-eyed faces stare back at him while he waxed poetical about the otherworldly terrain unfurling outside our window . It was a little after 9:30 am on a Sunday in February , and the majority of us visitors had spend the previous night inhabit it up on the street of majuscule city Santa Cruz de Tenerife as a part ofthe yearly Carnival celebration . Glitter still fleck our forehead as we turned to face at the hillside streaming past .
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“ Look there , all that xanthous George Sand is pumice Harlan Stone , ” he continued , his hangover - free interpreter din over the speakers like an enthusiastic thundercloud . “ The first golem sent to Mars was tack together in the observatory of Tenerife , and then it was tested right here . If you see exposure of Mars ’s surface , it ’s this landscape painting . ”
From my rod in the back quarrel , I wholeheartedly hold . The flaxen - hue volcanic dust stretched as far as I could see , interrupted here and there by clumps of spindly shrubbery . It reckon like something out of aStar Warsfilm , like at any moment R2 - D2 and C-3PO might pop out to battle a gang of hooded Jawas . And , as it grow out , I was n’t too far off .
“ Here we had two eruptions , ” enjoin López , bringing me out of my sci - fi revery . “ The first one , all these rocky formations came from a lava flow that go down the Alfred Hawthorne . And then there was a 2d eruption that covered that first lava flow rate with all different color of pumice stone — you could see green , bluish , blood-red , orange . One of the first edition ofPlanet of the Apeswas filmed here , andClash of Titanswas film here , too . ”
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Twenty minutes later , and we were filing into a dangle cable system railroad car , gear up to summit the telling Mount Teide . The increased altitude coupled with a needlelike drop in temperature — we could see clumps of Baron Snow of Leicester blanket the rocks below us as we rise — were just the wakeup call we call for . That , a few glugs of Europe ’s take on Gatorade , and the vista ’s sweeping panoramic view made the early call sentence well worth it .
Here ’s everything you need to do to make your next visit to Tenerife ’s Teide National Park a memorable one — no matter what circumstance you arrive in .
Snap a sky-high selfie atop Spain’s tallest peak
As mentioned , a great way of life to get the ballad of the body politic is by ascend Mount Teide on one of two nonmigratory cable television cars . The scenery just does n’t foreswear , from the moment you board the automobile until it situate you back down to the base center some 4,000 feet below . With steady ticketed release run from 9 am to 4 premier for € 21.50 per someone ( plus special sundown and leased ride ) , the trip takes approximately eight minute each fashion , and the car come equipped with 360 - degree window so you’re able to easily document your dramatic approach .
Up at the top , multiple viewing platforms give way to the jagged rocks and obsidian - strewn lava flow that make up the park ’s sprawling grounds . Fun fact : The upper station is also home to Spain ’s high public telephone set . On particularly clear days , you might even be capable to make out Tenerife ’s sister islands , La Gomera , El Hierro , La Palma , and Gran Canaria , emerging from the surrounding ocean waters . This is also the jumping off peak for several routes entice daredevil visitors in search of even gamy ground , open to tramp depending on weather and condom conditions and , in some event , only uncommitted via permit .
If you could time it right , essay to arrive at the tip near sunset . It ’s then that Mount Teide starts to project the humankind ’s largest phantom onto the ocean . The dusky reflectivity extends around 25 air mile out from the summit , rove neighbour Gran Canaria in soft darkness each eventide .
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Hike to your heart’s content on an active volcano
talk of trekking , Teide National Park is littered with designate hiking paths catering to all interest and abilities . For a low - impact - yet - rewarding stroll , tackle the Roques de García Loop Trail , a 2.6 - Admiralty mile loop-the-loop that take about an 60 minutes and a one-half to complete . start at the Mirador de la Ruleta picket point , the circuit pass counterclockwise through the Roques de García , a curious establishment best witnessed during Golden Hour , when the stone front sparkle up in a miscellany of quick colors .
According to López , this was where the Indigenous Guanches and , later , Spanish farmers used to camp out overnight with their herds : “ Until the ' L , when the national parking area was declared , around 4,000 or 5,000 goats used to drop holiday here with their shepherds , so every area of the national park was attributed to a different family . The laughingstock of the García family were the ones around this area . ”
Another pop option is the Montaña Samara Circuit Trail , which stretches a little more than three mile around the root of Samara Mountain and offers a boniface of unlike viewpoints and terrains to research . This one really acquire you out into the lava fields , up the surrealist vibes considerably and providing lots of great photo - ops as the verdant pine forest and towering rock and roll structures merge with the lambency , obsidian - covered slopes . Feeling ambitious ? Continue the raise by go up the spate itself — on a cheery day , the perspective from the summit is nothing shortsighted of outstanding .
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expect for a challenge ? replete up your water bottle and determine out for Pico Viejo , a straining , 8.5 - mi journey featuring a whopping 3,280 - foot alteration in altitude and pristine vistas overlooking the full common . The lead branches off from the Narices del Teide parking lot , guide trekker up and around the island ’s second - highest vent , which last erupted in 1798 . Keep an eye out for morphing coloring as you climb up , from the base ’s lively verdure to the mountainside ’s dense , charcoal - black detritus , and , in the end , the vast volcanic crater ’s moon - like copper depths .
Grab lunch, peruse a modern museum, and stay the night in the heart of the park
Ca n’t get enough of the national ballpark ? No problem — by booking one of the 37 Edgar Guest room spread throughoutthe Parador de Cañadas del Teide’sthree desert - hued floors , you’re able to lay your head savour - splatter in the nerve centre of the action . The Spanish hotel chain specializes in historical and unequaled lodgings around Spain and its territories , and the Mount Teide location , stashed inside a broad volcanic crater a little over 6,500 feet above ocean level , is a fantastic example of the companionship ’s mission .
First built in 1962 and revamp in 1996 , the cozy , Alpine - urge outpost was plan to blend seamlessly in with its sensational surround , a washout of placid sand - colored brick , hefty I. F. Stone walls , and tawny brown roofing . In term of brute comforts , consider yourself covered . Amenities include a heated pool and sweat room , open - air terrace bar , roaring fireplace , lowly gymnasium , and a lovely onsite restaurant offering refined Canarian cuisine . Even better ? It ’s signally sustainable , bring on its own electricity and intercept into the mountain ’s lifelike reserves for its water provision .
insert away beside the Parador you ’ll findCañada Blanca Visitor Center , a fascinating museum space and one of the parking lot ’s later additions , having give in June 2022 . The contemporary collection walks visitor through Mount Teide ’s timeline , from its prehistorical origins to the arrival of scientists and the institution of the internal ballpark . display showcasing local plant and fauna highlight the parkland ’s intricate ecosystem , while other exhibits cover the site ’s astronomical , geologic , and volcanological importance . Do n’t leave without ducking into the adjacent theater , where a poignant documentary cycles witness through a four - season tour of the ballpark ’s lifelike riches .
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Take in a truly epic night sky
In addition to being a perfect stand - in for developing interplanetary missions , Teide National Park also holds great scientific time value in the plain of astronomy . As the mountain rise far above the cloud line , accession to the undefendable skies from its slopes is unprecedented — it ’s no wonder thatthe Instituto de Astrofísica de Canariashas manned the world ’s largest solar observation tower right here since 1964 . Perched at 7,840 base , the Teide Observatoryis mob full of high - tech scope of all shapes , size , and big businessman . The location is so idealistic for stargazing , in fact , that several major discoveries have take station on the mountain , including the 1995 identification of the first - ever brown dwarf star refer , fittingly , Teide-1 .
daylight and good afternoon guide lookout excursionscan be booked in improvement , but if you ca n’t meet it into your docket , rest assure that the rest of the park is predominant with perfect advantage power point for basking in the world ’s jiffy comprehensiveness . The Starlight Foundationhas agnise Teide National Park as an official Starlight Destination since 2014 thanks to its extremely limited light pollution , topographical piece , temperate mood , and commitment to raw conservation . All you have to do is mail up near the cable machine base place or range out into the lava fields , tilt your mentum up to the sky , and cook to be wowed — Saturn ’s gossamer rings , a multitude of far - off galaxies , the Moon ’s pockmarked surface , and perhaps even a cascading meteor shower await , depend on the fourth dimension of year .
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Deserts next to tropical forests next to volcanoes next to tidal pools.
Ready to hit the park? Check out our tool kit to get started:
Photo by Meredith Heil
Paradores
Photo by Meredith Heil
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