If you are thinking about the question of, what you can see in Tenerife, go to the Las Cañadas del Teide National Park, located almost in the center of the island. Its one of the best places in Tenerife. Probably, for no one will be news that the visiting card of Tenerife is Teide volcano. It rises above the island at 3718 m. And its peak can be seen in good weather in different parts of Tenerife. The volcano is considered to be the highest point in Spain (Canary islands are an autonomous community of this country) and the highest place in the Atlantic Ocean (7500 m from the bottom to the top of the mountain).
Teide is located in the Las Cañadas del Teide Natural Park. Arriving here, you will be amazed by the desert alien landscapes. They are so different from everything you saw before. Despite the popularity of the park, you will not find here a thousand crowds of tourists, because the territory of Cañadas del Teide occupies about 19 thousand hectares. You can walk in the proud solitude among the bizarre rocks and feel like the last person on Earth.
The first thing that strikes your attention on the way to here and in the park itself, – is a sharp change of scenery. Near Las Cañadas you pass through the terrain with tall Canarian pine trees, and behind the turn the green of the needles changes to the reddish-brown colors of the mountains.
Pine trees near Parque Nacional de las Canadas del Teide
The second pleasant surprise is the rock formations – Roques de Garcia. They formed more than 150,000 years ago as a result of the collapse of the margins of the Cañadas caldera. The most famous rock is Sinchado or the Finger of God. This rock, thin at the base and expanding upward, was even depicted on a bill of 1000 pesetas (this money was in Spain before the transition to the euro currency). From Sinchado along the rocks leads a tourist route. Walking along it, you will get a great pleasure from the kinds, that open behind each turn. And the huge gecko lizards, runninging at your feet, will not let you get bored.
Sinchado rock (Finger of God) and Teide volcano
Behind the rocks there is a wide area, famous for the fact, that the film “The Battle of the Titans” was shot here. But the desert valley, which spreads before you, makes you forget this fact. And you admire her beauty and unusual with pleasure. Several times a week part of the route is blocked, since there are hunt for mouflons goes for regulating their quantity.
The famous Martian landscape in Tenerife, where the film was shot “The Battle of the Titans”
Walking past the rocks of Roques de Garcia, you can go to the volcano Teide. You can reach it in several ways:
1. On the trail №18, winding between bushes and mountains. The route begins near the Parador hotel and ends near the parking lot and the entrance to the funicular station. (I walked along it in the opposite direction, from the volcano).
2. On the highway from the rocks to the same parking lot. This path passes along the highway, along which one after another cars and tourist buses rush. There are no sidewalks here, so you have to cuddle as close as possible to the edge of the roadway.
And in either case, the path to the volcano takes more than 60 minutes. But when you walk along the path, no one disturbs you, and you enjoy white fragrant flowers, rocks, pieces of congeal lava. The road does not let you relax, although from it also has beautiful views on Teide.
The way by the path to Teide volcano
The third object, from which I was delighted, was the Takhinaste plant or the Echium wildpretii. This representative of the flora is endemic to the island of Tenerife and grows only at the foot of the Teide. Tajinaste is a huge triangular tower with a height of more than 2 meters. From below this turret with by narrow long leaves, similar to yucca leaves, and topped with small red flowers. Plants, like flames, are drawn to the sky. The spectacle is amazing !!! Blooming Echium wildpretii can be seen only in the second half of May – June, then it turns into a dry sweep.
Tajinaste is blooming in The Las Canadas del Teide National Park
Today I did not plan to climb the top of Teide, so I strolled only through the National Park. Emotions from the landscapes surrounding were splendid. Everything was unusual, everything riveted my eyes: stones, colors, plants and their sweet aroma. On this day, May 25, the weather was wonderful, and the absence of clouds allowed me to consider the beauty of the park without any barriers.
View at Montanya Blanca from the side of Teide volcano
Walking along route number 18, I began to wait for the return bus, admiring the local landscapes. This place will remain in my memory for a long time. And to support memories will help photos and video.
If you want to come to the Cañadas del Teide National Park by car, you can rent a car in Tenerife. On public transport, too, you can get here, but it is worth knowing, that the bus from the south of the island goes here once a day. Every day at 9:15 bus number 342 leaves from the bus station Costa Adeje and at 9.30 from Los Cristianos station. By 10.30 the transport reaches the foot of the Roques de Garcia. Next, you can either take a walk past the beautiful cliffs, or drive to the final stop (El Teide). The fare to the Parador is 5.50 and 6 euros to the foot of the volcano.
Walking among Roques de Garcia
The return bus number 342 departs from the El Teide (El Portio) stop at 15.15, from the Teleferico funicular station at 15.40, from the Parador hotel at 16.00.
From the north of Tenerife you can reach the volcano by bus number 348. The departure point is the city of Puerto de la Cruz. Departure time is at 09.30. Return bus leaves at 16.00.
If you want to see the volcano at different times of the day, you can stay overnight at the Hotel Parador. From the windows of cozy rooms, admire the beautiful landscapes, as long as you want. You can book a room in the hotel on my website with the help of Hotellook service or by using the search form on the side-bar.