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The National Park of the Teide
Teide (Mount Teide or Pico de Teide) is a volcano and mountain on Tenerife, Canary Islands (28.27 N, 16.6 ]W). At 3717 m above sea level and approximately 7000 m above the adjacent sea bed, it is the highest mountain in Spain, and the third largest volcano on Earth.
It is currently dormant, having last erupted in 1909 from the subsidiary vent of Chinyero on the west slope of Teide. Other significant eruptions occurred in 1704–1706 and 1798. The summit has a number of small active fumaroles emitting hot sulfur dioxide and other gases.
Further eruptions are considered likely in the future, including a risk of highly dangerous pyroclastic flows similar to those on Mount Pelée and Mount Vesuvius. Teide is a modern name given by the Spanish, the name given to the volcano was Echeyde by the native Guanches, prior to the Spanish colonization. Echeyde, per the Guanches legends, meant some sort of powerful figure leaving into the volcano that could turn into hell.
In prehistoric times, about 150,000 years B.P., a much larger explosive eruption occurred, probably of Volcanic Explosivity Index 7, creating Las Cañadas, a large caldera at just over 2000 m altitude, 15 km across east-west and 10 km north-south.
On the south side, the internal crater walls rise as almost sheer cliffs from 2100 m to 2715 m at Guajara. The 3717 m summit of Teide itself, and its subsidiary vent Pico Viejo (3134 m), both in the northern half of the caldera, derive from eruptions subsequent to this prehistoric explosion.
The volcano and its surrounds, including the whole of the caldera, are protected in a national park, the Parque Nacional del Teide.
Access is by a public road running across the caldera from northeast to southwest; a parador (hotel) is also within the National Park.
A cable car (Teleférico Teide) goes from the roadside at 2356 m most of the way to the summit, reaching 3555 m.
Access to the summit itself is restricted; a permit (obtainable from the Park office in Santa Cruz) is required to climb the last 200 m.
Teide is also noted for a large number of endemic plants, including Cytisus supranubius (Retama del Teide, a species of broom), Echium wildpretii (Tajinaste rojo, a spectacular species of bugloss reaching 3 m tall), and Erysimum scoparium, a species of wallflower.
Lower down, the middle slopes from 1000–2000 m are clothed with forests of Pinus canariensis (Pino Canario or Canary Island Pine).
Geographic data
| Elevation: 3,717 metres (12,195 feet) Location: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain Prominence: 3,717 m Coordinates: 28°16′15″N, 16°38′21″W Type: Stratovolcano Last eruption: 1909 First ascent: 1582 by Sir Edmund Scory Easiest route: scramble |
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The Teide and the Caldera
El Teide, with a height of 3,718 metres above sea level, is the highest mountain in Spain. It is a stratovolcano which rests on an ancient and gigantic cauldron-shaped depression made up of two semi-calderas separated by the Roques de García.
Teide reaches a summit at Pilón de Azucar, which still shows residual activity in the form of fumaroles and sulphur at 86ºC.
The cauldron, or caldera, known as Las Cañadas, takes its name from the most typical structure of the Park:
la Cañada, a sedimentary plain that is normally situated at the foot of the walls of the caldera.
The genesis of the great Las Cañadas Circus still causes controversy among geologists, with theories ranging from an explosion, erosion, collapse and major landslides.
The most widely accepted theory until the early nineties was the collapse theory as the basic cause. The theory assumes that it is a caldera with two sub-calderas, an eastern one and a western one, separated by the Roques de García and formed by collapses and landslides.
The current volcanic edifice was later formed in the northern sector of Las Cañadas caldera.
This is Teide - Pico Viejo.
This stratovolcano and the caldera are the two largest structures in the National Park.
Investigations of the Island´s subsoil, however and studies of the sea bed and the submarine relief in recent years have confirmed the theory presented by local geologist and geographer Telesforo Bravo in 1962. Las Cañadas, along with the Orotava and Güimar valleys are depressions formed by gravitational landslides of more than 100 Km3 of part of the island.
Dating places the Güimar valley event 0.8 million years ago, the Orotava valley event at 0.5 million years ago and Las Cañadas 0.17 million years ago.
Teide reaches a summit at Pilón de Azucar, which still shows residual activity in the form of fumaroles and sulphur at 86ºC.
The cauldron, or caldera, known as Las Cañadas, takes its name from the most typical structure of the Park:
la Cañada, a sedimentary plain that is normally situated at the foot of the walls of the caldera.
The genesis of the great Las Cañadas Circus still causes controversy among geologists, with theories ranging from an explosion, erosion, collapse and major landslides.
The most widely accepted theory until the early nineties was the collapse theory as the basic cause. The theory assumes that it is a caldera with two sub-calderas, an eastern one and a western one, separated by the Roques de García and formed by collapses and landslides.
The current volcanic edifice was later formed in the northern sector of Las Cañadas caldera.
This is Teide - Pico Viejo.
This stratovolcano and the caldera are the two largest structures in the National Park.
Investigations of the Island´s subsoil, however and studies of the sea bed and the submarine relief in recent years have confirmed the theory presented by local geologist and geographer Telesforo Bravo in 1962. Las Cañadas, along with the Orotava and Güimar valleys are depressions formed by gravitational landslides of more than 100 Km3 of part of the island.
Dating places the Güimar valley event 0.8 million years ago, the Orotava valley event at 0.5 million years ago and Las Cañadas 0.17 million years ago.
Cableway of Teide
| Office of National Park C/ Emilio Calzadilla, nº 5 - 4ª planta Telf. 922 290129 - 922 290183 Fax: 922 244788 Santa Cruz de Tenerife Office hours: from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Monday to Friday (take a photocopy of your passport or I.D. card.) |
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Restrictive measures have now been taken, to PREVENT access to the very summit of the cone without a special permit, although you can go up to the La Fortaleza and Pico Viejo look outs.
In order to go up to Pico del Teide, along the "Telesforo Bravo" trail from La Rambleta or Cable Car station (3550 m) you first need written permission from the National Park Office, which will be valid for TWO given dates
In order to go up to Pico del Teide, along the "Telesforo Bravo" trail from La Rambleta or Cable Car station (3550 m) you first need written permission from the National Park Office, which will be valid for TWO given dates
Observatory del Teide
| 00 34 922 329 100 Fax: 922 329 117 teide@ot.iac.es |
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Group visits must be arranged in advance with the Canary Island Astrophysics Institute (IAC): Tel. 922 605200 - 922 605207 (La Laguna).
Open: from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for first and last visits. The visit lasts approximately one an a half hours.
Routine: Arrive at the Observatory - screening of an information video about the IAC and its observatories - Visit of the facility.
Visits are free of charge; visitors are responsible for transport. The observatory is in Izaña, 6 Km from "El Portillo" along the La Laguna road.
For more inoformation:
Canary Islands Astrophysics Institute (I.A.C.) C/ Via Lactea s/n 8200 La Laguna (Tenerife) Tfno: 922 605 200 Fax: 922 605 210 email: cpv@iac.es
Groups: Groups must not exceed 45 people of be less than 15. In the latter case, they will be merged with another group that has already booked a visit.
Routine: Arrive at the Observatory - screening of an information video about the IAC and its observatories - Visit of the facility.
Visits are free of charge; visitors are responsible for transport. The observatory is in Izaña, 6 Km from "El Portillo" along the La Laguna road.
Open: from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for first and last visits. The visit lasts approximately one an a half hours.
Routine: Arrive at the Observatory - screening of an information video about the IAC and its observatories - Visit of the facility.
Visits are free of charge; visitors are responsible for transport. The observatory is in Izaña, 6 Km from "El Portillo" along the La Laguna road.
For more inoformation:
Canary Islands Astrophysics Institute (I.A.C.) C/ Via Lactea s/n 8200 La Laguna (Tenerife) Tfno: 922 605 200 Fax: 922 605 210 email: cpv@iac.es
Groups: Groups must not exceed 45 people of be less than 15. In the latter case, they will be merged with another group that has already booked a visit.
Routine: Arrive at the Observatory - screening of an information video about the IAC and its observatories - Visit of the facility.
Visits are free of charge; visitors are responsible for transport. The observatory is in Izaña, 6 Km from "El Portillo" along the La Laguna road.