The Beauty of Mount Teide

Tenerife Tales

I always revel in the beauty of the Spanish Island I live on, Tenerife. Yesterday I had the pleasure of packing my car with a picnic and my family, and heading up through the clouds, to visit the giant that is Mount Teide.

Somewhere above the clouds. Photo by author.

Mount Teide is the largest volcano in Europe and the third highest volcano in the world, after two in Hawaii.

This peak reaches 3,715m above sea level and is the highest point in the whole of Spain.

The last eruption was in 1909 and currently, it is still classed as an active volcano. Local scientists are constantly monitoring the activity on and around the Canary Islands, to keep all the locals and the millions of tourists safe, for when another eruption takes place.

The north face of Mt Teide. Photo by author.

In my trip around the volcano and some time in the tourist centre and museum, which costs nothing to enter, I learnt exactly how Teide was formed.

Teide itself, was formed around 170,000 years ago when the eruption of a larger volcano, in the same area, caused it to collapse in on itself, leaving the canyon like landscape called Las Cañadas. Since then Teide has emerged from the creator, following…