Mount Teide

Can´t post about Mount Teide without giving you a little more information about how to see it!!

A network of national parks in the Canary Islands attempts to conserve their most characteristic ecosystems. Hence, the Mt. Teide National Park, in the centre of the island of Tenerife, shelters the best examples of the supra-Mediterranean vegetation level. On the other hand, with an average altitude of over 2,000 metres, the Mt. Teide National Park offers one of the most spectacular examples of vulcanism in the world and represents the best example of alpine volcanic ecosystem in the Canary Islands.  From a geo-morphological point of view, the structure of the caldera and the Teide-Pico Viejo strato-volcano are among the most spectacular geological monuments in the world, apart from the wide variety of volcanic cones and domes, lava flows, tors and caves that form a range of colours and forms that increase the scientific and scenic interest of the area. With regard to the enormous biological wealth of the area, the outstanding flora includes a large percentage of endemic species and the invertebrate fauna a large number of exclusive species. This National Park, created in 1954 in recognition of its volcanic and biological singularity, is the largest and the oldest of the National Parks of the Canary Islands, covering an area of 18,990 hectares, and the fifth largest of the thirteen National Parks in the network. Apart from its Peripheral Protection Zone, this natural area is surrounded by the Corona Forestal Nature Park, the largest protected natural area of the Canary Islands with 46,612.9 hectares. In 1989, it was awarded a class A European Diploma by the Council of Europe. This European Diploma was extended in 1994 and in 1999. The Teide National Park Board and the Joint Canary Island National Parks Commission held several meeting in 2002 to have the Mt. Teide National Park declared a World Heritage Site. As a result of this initiative the Teide National Park was declared as World Heritage Site in summer 2007.

You can go up Mount Teide too!!!!

To climb to the summit of the Teide, the highest in Spain at a height of 3,718 metres, is a unique experience. The fact that part of the route can be done by cable car allows anyone, no matter what their physical condition is to make the ascent. The more adventurous can ascend on foot by the path that leaves from the area of Montaña Blanca, next to the road. This is the only route allowed and is quite demanding which takes almost six hours of walking.4The cable car service, which runs every day if the weather conditions allow, reaches the area known as the Rambleta, at a height of 3,555 metres. The rest of the ascent, a little over 200 metres, must be made on foot. Access to the peak (along the Telesfero Bravo path) is restricted and you need to apply for a permit to reach the summit whether you are on foot or going by cable car.
Permits can be applied for to the Administration Office of the Teide National Park, located in the city of La Orotava (permits cannot be granted in the park itself). Or online. The permit, each one for a maximum of 10 people, is valid for a specific date and period of time, and obtaining it depends on the availability of places or on whether the Park Administration has decided to close the path or not. The permit allows you access to the Peak, provided you follow the path at all times, and under no circumstances are you allowed access to the crater for safety and conservation reasons.
If you do not have a permit you are allowed to go in the direction of the viewpoints the Fortaleza and the Pico Viejo using other paths that leave from the Rambleta. These offer excellent views, not only of the island, but also the other islands of the Canarian Archipelago.
People who stay overnight in the Altavista Refuge do not need to apply for a permit to reach the peak, as a stamped copy of your application to stay overnight at the refuge is sufficient. 

Cable car services up to La Rambleta run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., unless bad weather or high winds make the service impossible. Restrictive measures have currently been established, and access from the Terminal to the highest point of the summit is NOT allowed without a special permit. Access is open to La Fortaleza and Pico Viejo lookout spots.  In order to use the "Telesforo Bravo" trail from La Rambleta or Cable Car Terminal (3550 m) to the summit of Mt. Teide (3718 m), you first have to apply for a permit in the National Park office or through the web, but now you can order the your permit online http://www.reservasparquesnacionales.es/real/ParquesNac/usu/html/Previo-inicio-reserva-oapn.aspx?ii=1ES&cen=2&act=%201 – I have not gone up via the cable car yet, chicken that I am, but I AM going to do it!! I will blog it when I do!!!

Tenerife Some Facts

Starting my blog today about Tenerife firstly with some facts for those of you that may not be familiar with this beautiful Island.  Lots more to follow....

Tenerife is the largest island of the Canarian Archipelago. It has a surface area of 2,034 square kilometres and is in a central position between the islands of Gran Canaria, La Gomera and La Palma. It is located over 1000 kilometres from the Spanish mainland. The shape of the island looks like an irregular triangle. Its three corners are formed by the Anaga, Teno and Adeje Massifs and at its centre, rising above the Cañadas Caldera is Mount Teide, the highest mountain in Spain at 3,718 metres above sea-level.
The natural diversity on Tenerife is extraordinary and the efforts to conserve it by the island's institutions and citizens are increasing every day. Today over half its territory is protected and there are almost 50 sites of ecological interest listed. The most famous of all these sites is the Teide National Park, one of the four national parks in the Canaries, and the most visited in Spain. The Corona Forestal Nature Park and the Anaga and Teno Rural Parks are also worth a mention. The exceptional ecological value of Tenerife includes over 600 species of flora and fauna that are unique in the world.
Tenerife is divided into 31 administrative districts grouped together in three different zones. The city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (The Capital) and the adjoining districts of La Laguna (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Tegueste and El Rosario make up the metropolitan area of the island creating an important business, commercial and cultural centre. The Anaga Massif and the Esperanza Mountains are outstanding areas of natural beauty in this zone. As for beaches and swimming, the best ones are Playa de Las Teresitas, the Parque Marítimo César Manrique and the coastal towns of Bajamar and Punta del Hidalgo.
The north of the island, from Tacoronte to Buenavista del Norte, enjoys a pleasant subtropical climate, wetter and cooler than the rest of Tenerife. After the conquest, the north was the most important area in terms of population and industry. Although they are not as important today, the towns still preserve their rich heritage based on trade with Europe. Puerto de la Cruz - Valle de la Orotava and the Isla Baja are the main tourist areas in this part of the island.
In the south, from Candelaria to Santiago del Teide, the climate is the warmest and driest on the island. Here you have the main tourist resorts apart from Puerto de la Cruz in the north and the largest farming areas (inside greenhouses) that grow tomatoes, bananas and other crops. The south, for years the least populated and most isolated area of the island, is now the main tourist area and experiencing the fastest growth and development.