Teide National Park is Spain’s largest national park and one of its oldest, too. Nearly 47,000 acres, it is a spectacular area and was declared one of the Twelve Treasures of Spain.
The first thing you’ll see is Mt. Teide, Tenerife’s inactive volcano and the Pico Viejo right next to it. If you’re visiting in the spring, winter or autumn you will probably see snow on the mountain tops. Indeed, in winter you will sometimes find the roads closed due to snow and gale-force winds. But in the summer you will see a beautiful, arid landscape that is colorful and teeming with hidden life much like the deserts of the Southwest in the United States.
You can trek to the summit on foot or take one of the cable cars. On the way up you’ll see the observatory where Brian May wrote a song for his band Queen while working on his grad thesis in 1971.
You can stay at the National Paradore Hotel inside the park for a complete experience. Its cozy atmosphere and terraces with views of the mountains make it a great stopping place, especially if you take one of the night tours of the park. Those night tours are truly breathtaking; you will see the stars like you’ve never seen them before or will again. Standing on the edge of Tiede’s crater in the light of the moon is awe-inspiring.
Be sure to check out the visitors’ centers where you can learn about the history of the park, the life within and the environment.