Teide National Park
Tade is a national park in Spain. Located on the island of Tenerife of the Canary archipelago. It was created on January 22, 1954 on the territory of the island's volcanic system, including the peaks of Teide ( 3718 m ) and Pico-Viejo ( 3135 m ), the highest points of the islands. The foundation of the volcano lies at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. The height from it is more than 7500 m. In this indicator, this volcanic formation is second only to the Hawaiian Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.
Today, the area of the national park is 189 km2, buffer zone - 541 km2. It is believed that traces of geological processes that determine the evolution of the ocean islands have been preserved in the park. That is why UNESCO has decided that the Teide National Park is of global importance. In addition to Tade, two more Spanish national parks are included in the UNESCO list: Donyan in Wales and Garahonai on the island of Homer.
One of the most famous places in Tade Park is the cliffs of Los Roches de Garcia. They have a very unusual shape - their base is much thinner than their top. There is a belief that these rocks are capable of fulfilling desires. Another popular place in Tade Park is Lunar Valley". It looks really space. It is not surprising that it was here that famous fantastic films were shot, such as Star Wars and Planet of the Apes".
A large number of plants are found in the park, many of which are recognized as endemic, that is, they grow only here and are not found anywhere else. More precisely, of the 168 species of flowers growing in Tade Park, 58 are rare, found only in this area. The most famous of them is Teid's bruise. The fauna in Teide Park is scarce - only bats, birds and reptiles live there from the indigenous inhabitants, the rest of the animals were brought here from the continent.
The Teide volcano is a valid one, but at the moment a fast-sleeping giant is strong. He formed a very long time ago, more than 150 thousand years ago. Once the height of the Teide volcano reached 5000 meters, but during the strongest eruption that occurred in 1706, the peak collapsed, forming a huge caldera, in the center of which was Tade and other volcanoes and peaks adjacent to him. The diameter of the caldera is 17 kilometers. What happened in the end is now called the Las Caniadas Caldera. In the center of the park is the Teide volcano, its height is 3818 m, Teide is not only the highest point not only in the Canaries, but also in Spain. The top of the Teide volcano is a cone with an 80-meter crater. The Teide volcano, the last eruption, was in the northwest of the island in 1909, after it the volcano took its current form. Today, in the crater you can observe a large amount of fumarol, from which smoke with the smell of sulfur comes out. Translated from the Guangch language, the name of the Teide volcano means "snow mountain". Also, the Tuan-Guanchi natives called the Echide volcano, which means "devil", "hell". They were sure that an evil demon named Guayota lived in the volcano, because they were suspicious of him and tried not to bother him without much need.
The best way to get to the highest point of the – mountain by cable car. Having found yourself on top, you can take a walk and enjoy amazing views. However, keep in mind that this will not be the very top: in order to reach the vents of the volcano, you must first obtain permission from the office of the National Park in Orotava, you can request this permission, by contacting there through the website. Alternatively, walking up the volcano is offered, but keep in mind that for such an ascent, which takes about six hours, a fairly high level of physical fitness is required. Also, do not forget to grab warmer clothes and put on suitable shoes.
The National Park has a hotel and restaurant. Several hiking trails with a total length of 76 kilometers are laid directly from the hotel. A road crosses a national park from southwest to northeast. Along the track there are many observation platforms where you can stop. You can climb to the top of Tade on a cable car. In good weather, you can see all the islands of the archipelago and even North Africa from the top.
