At a height of 3,718 metres, the summit of El Teide is the highest point of not just the Canary Islands, but also the whole of the Iberian Peninsula.
Declared a National Park on the 22nd January 1954, its 130 square kilometres extend through the municipalities of Santiago de Teide, Icod de los Vinos, La Orotava and Guia de Isora. In 1998 it received 3,500,000 visitors, outnumbering any other National Park in Spain.
The ascent through the foothills takes in an abundant variety of flora and fauna and offers spectacular views over the lower lying parts of the island. At the height of about 2,000 metres the vegetation starts to give way to the characteristic lava landscape of Las Cañadas and then to the central plateau from which the impressive mass of El Teide's peak towers upwards.
Other mountains of considerable height including El Cabezon, Guajara, El Roque de Grietas and Montaña Colorada surround this whole area.
By far the most comfortable way to climb the volcano is by the cable car, which will take you to within 200 metres of the summit. From this point it is possible (with a permit) to venture to the very mouth of El Teide and inhale the sulphuric fumes that prove that there is still volcanic activity deep within this ancient but dormant volcano. The peak was formed by eruptions in the late 18th century, which also moulded the surviving lunar landscape.
