Climb Spain's Highest Peak While On Holiday In Tenerife

Tenerife is not just an excellent holiday destination for those looking for winter sun, good value for money, and sizzling hot summers. It is more than just a wonderful sun holiday location that attracts flocks of tourist crowds to its well-established resorts each year for good reason, though it certainly is that. In addition to all of this, Tenerife is also an incredible volcanic island with a unique and strikingly beautiful landscape. If you're interested in the great outdoors, exploring, and stunning views, then a villa in Tenerife is a brilliant idea as it boasts lots of places and attractions where adventure and thrills are the order of the day.

Made up of dramatic desert plains punctuated by colourful reptiles and and tough bright blooms that fight to appear between craggy rocks, the scenery of much of the island of Tenerife is undoubtedly unforgettable, stark, and lovely. This amazing landscape is best showcased and most apparent in the Teide National Park, which is also home to Mount Teide, the highest point in Spain and one of the highest volcanoes in the world. Still active (it has not erupted since 1909, though it has a history of destructive eruptions), Mount Teide is a UNESCO awarded World Heritage Site and the most visited natural wonder of Spain. Located in the most visited national park in Spain and Europe and the eighth most visited in the world, it attracts some 3 million visitors yearly. In fact, the number of visitors only increases year by year. If you have found a vacation rental in Tenerife, you should make sure to set aside some time to visit it yourself!

Formed just 170,000 years ago due to volcanic activity following a catastrophic landslide, Mount Teide is located in the Las Cañadas crater over what remains of an older, eroded, extinct volcano, which adds to its overall height greatly. Before being colonised by Spain in 1496, Tenerife was home to the native Guanches people, who considered the volcano a sacred mountain steeped in local mythology, something akin to the Mount Olympus of the ancient Greeks. Their stories tell of the god of light and the sun, Magec, being kidnapped and imprisoned inside the volcano by Guayota, a devil figure. This plunged the world into darkness and the Guanches prayed to their supreme god, Achamán for help. Achamán fought Guayota and freed Magec, plugging the crater of the volcano with Guayota in turn and he was said to have remained locked inside Teide since then. When an eruption happened, the Guanches would light bonfires to scare Guayota. Furthermore, according to their legends, Mount Teide also held up the sky. As a result of these legends, various archaeological sites containing the remains of stone tools and pottery have been found dotted throughout the mountains in the area and are thought to have been ritual deposits that were offered to help control the evil spirits of Teide. The current name of the mountain, El Pico del Teide, is the modern Spanish name for the peak, given after they took control of Tenerife.

No matter where you go while on holiday in Tenerife, Mount Teide will loom in the background. Those wishing to go and see it up close for themselves can readily visit the National Park, however, to visit the summit of Mount Teide, you will need to pre-book a two-hour slot well in advance. This can be done on the National Park's official website and is free but is absolutely essential. You will not be permitted to get to the very top unless you have this registration. You will also not be able to book last minute; you need to do so months in advance and booking for visits between June and August is very, very competitive. Even if you cannot get to the summit, a visit is still worth while, however. You can take the cable car up for tourists or follow different hiking routes of various difficulty levels, up the mountain. Remember that the high altitude with leave you out of breath easily, it is rocky, and that it gets very cold on top so be sure to wear proper shoes, bring layers, and take your time. The whole journey is around 8 minutes by cable car and five hours for the full hike to the summit. It is also worth bearing in mind that, as it is such a popular attraction, it can be incredibly busy and you may face bad traffic, large crowds, and delays if you visit during the busy summer months, later in the day, and at weekends, in particular. If you're not keen on tourist crowds, try to plan around this! Check the weather before you set out, too, as cloudy days can mean that you will have to expect that those incredibly rewarding views up top will be obscured.

With all of this in mind, if you have found a villa in Tenerife and you love a good hike or a wonderful view (and taking the easier option of the cable car), be sure to visit this gem during your time on the island!