Teide National Park (Tenerife) is considered one of the most popular places for travelers in the Canary Islands. Its area is almost 19 thousand hectares. In 2007, he entered the UNESCO World Heritage List. Of greatest interest here are local landscapes, various monuments of archeology, which at one time played a very important role in the history of local Aboriginal people, as well as the volcano of the same name.
Capital of Tenerife
The capital of the island is the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife . Its population is just over 200 thousand inhabitants, so it is still far from the status of a megalopolis. Nevertheless, it is the largest on the island. The first mention of the settlement was recorded in 1492, and during the 16th century, the former fishing village acquired the status of an important seaport.
Since 1783, the city has already become a significant administrative unit. However, now all its sights can be circumvented on foot during the day. The most interesting of them are the churches of St. Francis (XVII century) and Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion (XVI century), a memorial to the victims of the Civil War, as well as a wooden cross, which was erected by the first Spanish settlers and which is now the symbol of all the Canary Islands.
It will be especially pleasant to visit Santa Cruz de Tenerife for lovers of relaxation in a mild climate who want to break the habit of the noisy streets of big cities. Anyway, the most popular among tourists have become the natural attractions of the island, one of which is the Teide volcano along with the national park of the same name. More details about them will be discussed later.
Some historical facts
A few thousand years ago on the territory of the current reserve there lived a tribe of Aborigines - the Guanches. The volcano Teide was a place of worship. This name is translated into Russian as “devil” or “hell”. The natives believed that an evil spirit was imprisoned within him by the Supreme God. This is the reason for such an ominous name. At present, Teide belongs to sleeping volcanoes, but eruptions have occurred more than once in the past. The last of them dates from 1909.
General description of the park
Teide National Park is located in the caldera of Las Cañadas del Teide, which arose several million years ago. It should be noted that this is the largest protected area in Tenerife. It was founded in 1954 with the aim of preserving local animals, plants and the volcanic landscape, in connection with which it is considered a reserve. Almost immediately after the opening, the Spanish authorities assigned him national status. A lot of viewing platforms for tourists have been built on the territory, from which unique landscapes to the island open. Each of them has a special stand containing information about what the visitor sees, as well as a brief scientific and historical reference in Spanish, German and English.
Flora and fauna
Teide National Park has a unique flora, many of which are not found anywhere else in the world. On its territory there are 168 types of flowers. Each plant here is unusual and beautiful in its own way. On the slopes of the crater, as well as along the perimeter of the reserve, forests of Canary pine grow. Its amazing feature is the ability to recover independently after fires.
As for the fauna, it is not so diverse and rich. Its representatives are mainly small animals, as well as Canary canaries, eared owls, lizards, pigeons and crows. All of them are considered the indigenous inhabitants of the park. The only native aborigines among mammals are bats. All other animals found here were once imported from the mainland.
sights
One of the main attractions of the reserve is the volcano of the same name. In this regard, it is not surprising that excursions on Teide are especially popular. Their cost is on average just over 100 euros per person, excluding the price of the cable car. In order to climb it, an adult needs to pay 25 euros, and a child - 12.5 euros. Despite this, many tourists argue that you can’t visit Tenerife and do not visit the highest point of the entire Atlantic, located at around 3,718 meters. It offers unique views of the archipelago.
Another attraction that Teide National Park boasts is the local cliffs. They contain a large proportion of copper, so they differ in the original greenish tint. It should be noted that most of the local postcards and booklets depict one of such high cliffs on the background of the volcano.
Infrastructure and travel
On the territory of the park is the Parador Hotel, in which many tourists stay before their further journey. Due to the large number of people wishing to book a room here, it is recommended in advance. There is an information center in the reserve where you can watch a documentary film in different languages about the history of the reserve, its walking routes and attractions. Among other things, here is one of the largest observatories on the planet, research on which has been conducted for over 40 years.
Teide National Park operates around the clock, and entry to its territory by car is free. You can also get here by issuing a tour, or by buses that go to the reserve from several cities on the island.