Mount Teide National Park
When you're tired of the hustle and bustle of the Canary Islands's
world-famous resorts, head to the Mount Teide National Park. If you have a taste
for awe-inspiring vistas or would like to stand 200 metres from the mouth of a
dormant volcano, the Mount Teide National Park is a place you simply cannot
afford to pass up.
One reason to head to Mount Teide National Park, is to get far away from the
crowds of Playa De Las Americas and
Los Cristianos. You've played hard and
you're going to need some time to recharge your batteries before you head back
for the next round of clubbing and surfing! Luckily, it's extremely easy to move
between the resorts on the coast and the scenic natural beauty of Mount Teide
National Park.
You can easily get there by hire car, and if you're feeling fit, you can even cycle there.
Once a day, TITSA, the bus company that services Tenerife, ferries people from
Playa De Las Americas to the park, and then does a pickup in the evening. You
can walk the trails of the national park to your hearts content and still be
back in time to pull on some nice clothes and head to the hot night spots!
In terms of accommodation, the place to stay is at the
Parador Hotel
which stands at 2000m above sea level in the park itself. However, most visitors
choose to stay in a resort hotel on the coast and travel to Mount Teide during
the day.
You won't run out of things to see at Mount Teide National Park; this park
covers over 130 square kilometres and presents the visitor with a range of plant
life and animal life that is incomparable to anything you might have seen
elsewhere. With over four million annual visitors, Mount Teide National Park is
the most visited national park in Spain.
You can't hear about the park without hearing about its star attraction, Mt.
Tiede, the world's third largest volcano. This dormant volcano is the highest
mountain in Spain and it serves as a backdrop to the partying and life of the
Canary Island resorts. Its slopes begin just 13 kilometers from the beach.
You can walk up Mt. Tiede, and many tourists do so. There are many trails you
can follow, and several challenging climbs that can be mapped for you. The best
place to get information on this is at the park centre, where you can also find
out what areas are inaccessible due to rare inclement weather.
You can ascend the volcano by the Mount Teide cable car, called the Teleférico Teide. In
just over eight minutes, this cable car will take you 200 meters from the
summit. With a pre-arranged permit, however, you can walk up to the very mouth
of the dormant volcano itself. To get the permit, you have to contact the
Park Administration office in Santa Cruz (c/ Emilio Calzadilla, 5). Take a
photocopy of your passport to get the free permit which will specify the date
and time you can visit the summit. Limiting visitors in this way protects this
extremely fragile ecosystem.
The second highest peak, Pico Viejo, is also accessible to the public, but be
warned that it is a strenuous undertaking. When you combine the slippery scree
fields, an extremely steep path and the very strong winds of the summit, Pico
Viejo is a more isolated location, but if you've climbed to the top, you've
definitely done something to be proud of.
Besides Mt Teide and Pico Viejo, be sure to head to the rock formations of Los
Roques de Garcia. Here, you can see the work of thousands and thousands of years
worth of erosion, where the wind and grit sculpt eerie and strikingly beautiful
shapes out of standing pillars of rock. Here, you can see what has been called
the world's most photographed rock, the Cinchado. The Cinchado is a red rock
with a slender base. One day, the wind will wear enough out of the base that the
top will fall, so you should see it while you can!
A fascinating alternative to the standard day excursion is to see Mt. Teide by night.
This begins with a meal at sunset and then you are transported by jeep
through the mountains. As you go higher, you'll see the stars as you've never
seen them before. This stargazing trip is even guided by a qualified astronomer,
and if you have someone special, you should definitely take them with you!
Do keep in mind that as this is one of the highest places in Spain and dress
accordingly. Even if the morning starts out balmy, bring something warm to wear
because as you go up in altitude you'll find the temperature dropping
substantially.
You've come to the Canary Islands to have a good time, but don't forget that
there are lots of varieties of fun. The scenic beauty of Mount Teide National
Park is waiting for you, and from the resorts, it's just a bus ride away!
Useful Links For Mount Teide
Mount Teide National Park
You can find more information about Mount Teide National Park on the official website of the
Official website of the Tenerife Tourist Board. |
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