Mount Teide is a volcano located on the Spanish island of Tenerife. This is one of the seven Canary Islands that are autonomous communities of Spain. The summit of Mount Teide happens to be the highest area in all of Spain, including the mainland. Also, out of all the Atlantic-based islands, the summit of Mount Teide is the highest area that is above sea level. The total height of the summit is 12,198 feet or 3,718 meters. As a volcano, it measures up to 24,600 feet from its base on the ocean floor to its top peak. This makes it the world’s highest volcano that is not in the Hawaiian Islands.
Mount Teide is part of Teide National Park. This is a national park of Spain that is located in the central area of Tenerife. Tourists from all around the world come to the island each year to see the volcano. Do not worry because it has not erupted since the year 1909. In fact, it has mostly icy conditions so there is very little chance of an eruption taking place anytime soon. The seismic activity underground is always being monitored so there is very little risk involved by visiting this site.
There are two ways you can reach the volcano. You can take a cable car or you can climb up it. If you’re just a casual tourist, then you’d probably prefer the cable car. You will have to travel to the Teide Cable Car Base Station which is on the bottom of the mountain. At the base station, you can eat at the buffet, drink coffee at the cafe, or just rest in the relaxation area. Once you get in the cable car, it will take you 3,555 meters up to the Teide Cable Car Upper Station. In this station, you can enjoy a Wi-Fi internet connection, public telephone service, and public toilets.
Whether you’re on the north side or southern side of Tenerife, you can travel to Mount Teide by taking highway TF-21. From the northern end, you can start driving from La Orotava until you get to Portillo de la Villa. You will see that highway TF-21 travels throughout Teide National Park. From the southern end, you can start from Vilaflor and go until you reach the park. There are public buses available too if you don’t have a rental car.
There is limited access to the peak of the volcano. The workers of the park want to protect the volcano for environment purposes. However, you can obtain a free permit at one of the offices found throughout the park. You can also apply for one online for free. Once you’re at the peak, you will get to enjoy a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and the hundreds of acres of land which fills the park.
If you plan to hike up the volcano, the best route starts from an area called Refugio de Altavista. Be prepared to spend between 4 and 5 hours hiking from the bottom up to the summit. Bring plenty of water and energy-based foods with you because the hike requires a lot of physical activity.
