Mount Teide is the third highest volcanic structure and most voluminous in the world after Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea in Hawaii. It is the highest peak on the Canary Islands and in the whole of Spain.
The formation began 170,000 years ago following the giant collapse of the former volcanic edifice, which was even bigger than the one that stands today. That is how Las Cañadas caldera was formed. Today we can only see part of the escarpment because as the inside of Teide grew, it gradually filled the caldera with its materials.
Stratovolcanoes grow because the successive lava eruptions, with increasingly viscous lava, settle on top of each other. In the last 20,000 years, most eruptions (Montaña Blanca, Pico Cabras, etc.) have taken place around the base of Teide, because it is harder for lava to spew from the very peak at such a great height.
In the era of European expansion, Teide, with its imposing height, was considered to be the highest mountain in the world, since it was used as a navigation point in the Atlantic Ocean by southbound Spanish, Portuguese and British sailors. (www.volcanoteide.com)
The National Park around Teide is a must-see for every visitor. During winter the cable car leading (almost) up to the summit may be closed due to adverse weather conditions, but the park offers enough highlights to keep us busy for at least a day. The road reaches an altitude of 2,300 m (7,500 ft), so bring one or two warm layers...

The Corona Forestal is a natural park that surrounds the National Park El Teide. Covering an area of ​​50,000 hectares, this is the largest protected area on the Canary Islands and is home to various endemic animal and plant species. Omnipresent in the Natural Park and endemic to the Canaries, the Canary Islands pines characterize the landscape with their monumental trunks and their impressive crowns. Over millions of years of volcanic activity, this tree has adapted to its habitat and found a way to survive heat and fire. The road leads us through winding forest canyons, past unique alpine vegetation and again and again amazing views of the coast and the deep blue Atlantic Ocean open up.

Barranco means ravine, and the island of La Gomera features many of them. On the northern, wetter side of the island they are filled with dense vegetation while in the south they are dry and look somewhat like the Grand Canyon, albeit on a much smaller scale. The Cabrito Canyon is one of those typical fractures of the earth's crust created by volcanic activity. The different layers of rock and basalt are clearly visible and will bring tears to any geologist's eyes. With the sparkling blue sea as a backdrop the views are just spectacular!

Along with the Anaga range further east, the Teno massif is Tenerife's oldest part. They surfaced about 7 million years ago, two seperate islands that were later joined bei El Teide and some smaller volcanoes in the vicinity. The massif is not very large, but the extremely rugged terrain prevented it from being developed or used in any way. Highlights in the area include the views from Mirador de la Cruz de Hilde and the pretty mountain village of Masca.

The Caldera de Tejeda and the small mountain village Artenara are impressive witnesses and spectacles of the history of the island. Here, in one place, we can see the forces that formed the mountains and observe the culture of the natives. About 14.5 million years ago the Caldera de Tejeda was a shield volcano which created the central part of Gran Canaria with its ejection material. The deep ravines that we cross during our ascent to Artenara are just the foothills of an impressive landscape of narrow rocky creeks, green pastures and imposing rock formations that evolved over millions of years through the power of erosion. From a picturesque balcony in Artenara we can get an overview of the Caldera and its beauty.
For the indigenous population of the island, the steep hills and the influence of the humid trade winds were the basis of their agriculture. Today we can see this sporadicly in terraced fields but more often in the small towns and next to the road through caves. Once you walk around the corner of the main square in Artenara you will find entrance doors and windows in the rock walls. To this day, people here live in cave houses, just like the indigenous people, the Guanches, once did, together with their herds. In some of the caves, places of worship and Libyan-Berber characters can still be found, telling the story of Guanches' demise.