Page 544 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

542  SP AIN ’ S ISLANDS

5 Parque Nacional del Teide

Towering over Tenerife, Mount Teide, surrounded by a
wild volcanic landscape, is an awesome sight. 180,000
years ago a much larger adjacent cone collapsed,
leaving behind the devastation of Las Cañadas, a
16-km- (10-mile-) wide caldera, and the smaller volcano,
Teide, on its northern edge. Today volcanic material
forms a wilderness of weathered, mineral-tinted rocks,
ash beds and lava streams. A single road crosses the
plateau of Las Cañadas, passing a parador, cable car
station, and visitors’ centre. Follow the marked paths Volcanic Landscapes
for unforgettable views of this unique, protected area. The eight-minute cable-car ride
leaves you 160 m (525 ft) short
of Teide’s summit. Authorization
must be given to climb up
to the summit.
Pico del Teide
3,718 m
Pico Viejo La Rambleta Refugio de Altavista
3555 m
3,135 m

Chío

Los Roques de García
These flamboyantly shaped lava
rocks near the parador are some
of the most photo graphed in the
whole park. The rocks of Los Azulejos, Mirador de Chío
nearby, glitter blue-green because of J
the copper deposits within them.
Roques de García
Parador de
Mirador de Cañadas del
La Ruleta J Teide
Mirador de
la Ruleta
J
Mirador de
Llano de Ucanca
Boca Tauce J
Key Vilaflor Mirador de
Ucanca
Road 0 kilometres 2
Track 0 miles 1
Wild Flowers
Footpath
The inhospitable badlands of Las Cañadas
are inhabited by some rare and beautiful
plants. Many of these are unique to the
KEY Canary Islands. Most striking is the tall
Echium wildprettii, a kind of viper’s bugloss,
1 Pico Viejo, a volcanic cone whose red flowers reach 3 m (10 ft) in early
also known as Montaña Chahorra, summer. Other common plants include
last erupted in the 18th century. Teide broom, the Teide daisy, and a unique
2 Pico del Teide, which is still species of violet. The best time of year for
volcanically active, is Spain’s flower-spotting is May to June. Displays
highest summit. housed in the visitors’ centre will help
identify them. Don’t take any plants away
3 At the Visitors’ Centre, a with you: all vegetation within the park is
video film and exhibition chart strictly protected and must not be uprooted
the origins of the park. or picked.
For keys to symbols see back flap

542-543_EW_Spain.indd 542 26/09/17 11:56 am