Tenerife - above all towers the Teide
With a height of 3,718 meters, Pico del Teide is the giant among the mountains of Spain. The fact that he has chosen an island is not by chance, because under the giant, which towers over everything on Tenerife, slumbers a huge magma chamber. The fire mountain sent its lava into the sky for the last time in 1909 and has long since lost its terror of yesteryear. Nature and culture meet on Tenerife. There are not only first-class hotel facilities and the impressive Octopus aqua park with its diverse bathing world, but also numerous well-trodden and therefore easily walkable paths through evergreen forests.
"Islas encantadas" the Canary Islands are also called: Enchanted Islands. There's no question about it: some of these pearls in the Atlantic do indeed exude a kind of magic. For example, Tenerife, off the shores of which scientists have been puzzling for generations as to whether the mysterious fairy-tale kingdom of Atlantis could have disappeared here.
Anyone sailing past the volcanic cascades in front of the cliffs of Los Gigantes might be inclined to get lost in the realm of his imagination. The myth of Atlantis will probably never disappear, but a special charm will always emanate from Tenerife. This beautiful island sees itself as the "mother ship of the Canaries". Probably also because this "ship" is equipped with a gigantic sail mast - the Teide.
One of the highest mountains on our planet
No other mountain of the Spanish territory rises so high into the sky as the Teide on Tenerife. And until well into spring, this volcanic peak presents itself with a white crown. Up there, the snow can only be scared away by summer temperatures.
The world traveler and explorer Alexander von Humboldt was once fascinated by this sight. "It is as if the volcano were almost crushing this island," he wrote in one of his diaries in 1799. And indeed, Teide is a giant, rising from the seabed over seven thousand meters, making it one of the highest mountains on our planet.
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Pico del Teide (Teide) is the highest peak of the island of Tenerife with 3718 meters[/caption]
Tenerife's wine at Europe's princely courts
An excellent wine matures on Tenerife. Its vines are pampered by the sun, obviously enjoy the light breeze from the sea and feel extremely well on the volcanic soil. And when the knowledge of a good winemaker takes over, the result can only be an excellent wine. The vines are up to one and a half centuries old, and the island was mostly spared from the ever-dreaded phylloxera.
The wine on Tenerife can look back on an eventful but also successful time, because between the 16th and 18th century the famous "Canary Sack" was in great demand even at the princely courts of the European continent. It was mainly the Malvasia grapes that were appreciated beyond Tenerife because they produced a full-bodied wine.
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Vineyards on the rocky coast of Tenerife[/caption]
The elemental force of volcanoes
This island is something of a classic among the Canary Islands. It blossoms in all seasons in tender to bright colors and recommends itself as a vacation domicile not only to sun worshippers, water sportsmen and hikers but actually to all who look forward to relaxing days on an island that is as exciting as it is graceful. Like all the others, these Canary shores rise above a volcanic magma chamber.
The massif of the mighty Teide also owes its formation to the elemental forces beneath the earth's crust. Almost four hundred years ago, the islands were formed on the doorstep of Africa. Tenerife was not the first, because before that Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria emerged from the sea. It is a world of fire mountains, but fortunately for everyone they are inactive.
"Paisaje Lunar" - towers of pumice layers.
If you drive up from the coast or from the Orotava valley into the national park below the Teide, you will end up in a volcanic wonderland with huge lava flows after leaving the tree region. The landscape looks different on the southern slope of the great mountain, where visitors encounter cones up to ten meters high. Rain and wind have formed these towers of pumice layers, which geologists call "Paisaje Lunar".
Here nature has produced sublime and diverse. Tenerife, the island of the "Eternal Spring", is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the archipelago. Guanches were the first inhabitants to settle here. It is still puzzled about where they came from. It is known, however, that a certain Tinerfe ruled Tenerife as a chieftain in the 15th century and that the last indigenous people surrendered to the Spanish at La Victoria in 1483.
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The lunar landscape of Paisaje Lunar on Tenerife[/caption]
The failed attack of Admiral Nelson
A historic event occurred in Tenerife on July 25, 1797, when the English Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson attempted to take the island. Nine hundred of his soldiers entered Santa Cruz de Tenerife, but were beaten back in the streets of the city by Spanish and French troops.
History books state that Nelson was wounded in the arm and through negotiations achieved that his soldiers could return to their ships with their weapons. However, they had to make a promise not to attack any other of the Canary Islands from then on. If Nelson had been victorious, perhaps the British and not the Spanish flag would be flying over Tenerife today.
Since the year 1909 the fire mountains are silent
Before European tourists discovered Tenerife as a dream island, the island was very important as a base for shipping traffic between Europe and America. But then the vacationers conquered the beautiful beaches in Adeje, Arona, Los Cristianos and Playa de Las Americas. In the meantime, Tenerife has around five million visitors every year. The last volcanic eruption on the island occurred in 1909, and since then the fire mountains of Tenerife have been silent.
In the late 19th century, the Canary Islands were visited primarily by Europeans who suffered from health problems and hoped that the healing climate of this region off the African coast would alleviate their suffering. Most of them complained of rheumatism, skin and respiratory diseases.
A four hundred year old dragon tree
An ancient tree achieved great fame in Tenerife. "Drago Milenario" is what the locals respectfully call the most aged of all the dragon trees in the Canary Islands. It is located below the parish church of Icod de los Vinos, and botanists estimate its age at a stately four hundred years. The people of Tenerife, on the other hand, speak of a thousand-year-old specimen.
It seems a little frail and needs a support here and there, but it is a much visited destination as the ancestor of the Canary Islands flora. And this on an island where evolution is said to be progressing at a fast pace, and of which Alexander von Humboldt already raved: "Nature here is so rich, so magnificent and so wonderful..."
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The dragon tree El Drago Milenario in the park Parque del Drago in Tenerife[/caption]
La Laguna was the capital until 1822
The history of this island comes alive in the university town of La Laguna. The town was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites because of its many historic buildings, secluded squares and museums. Until 1822, La Laguna was not only the spiritual and economic center of Tenerife, but also the capital.
La Laguna is not only for historians and culture enthusiasts a worthwhile destination on a trip to the Canary Islands but actually for every visitor. The buildings from the 18th century - among others the Franco de Castilla - testify to the former wealth of this area and impress with their wooden and mostly flower decorated balconies.
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The old town of La Laguna on Tenerife[/caption]
The old town of La Orotava
La Orotava, located above Santa Cruz de Tenerife, has always been proud of its baroque-classicist church Iglesia de la Concepción. Its dome is visible from afar and was modeled after the Florentine cathedral. In the sanctuary there is a temple-like tabernacle created by an Italian artist.
Four hundred meters above the sea, life in Orotava is bearable even on hot summer days. During a stroll through the historic old town, which is completely under monument protection, palaces and mansions line the way. A historical jewel of special quality is the courtyard of the Casa de los Balcones, an outstanding example of the Canarian art of wood carving.
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The town of La Orotava in Tenerife[/caption]
Overnight stay in the mountain hut on Mount Teide
The Orotava Valley serves, among other things, as a transit station on the way to Mount Teide. The national park there is undoubtedly the biggest attraction on Tenerife and offers one of the most spectacular volcanic landscapes in the world. The park is located at an altitude of about two thousand meters and is overlooked by the 1,700 meter higher peak of the highest Spanish mountain.
In exactly eight minutes, a cable car travels from the base station to a point just below the highest point. From there, a narrow footpath leads up to the crater itself. The view from up there is stunning, and if you want to see the sunrise, you should try to find a place to spend the night at the Refugio de Altavista mountain hut. However, a trip to the Teide is only recommended for people with an intact circulatory system, because the altitude makes not a few to create.
For botanists, the "Galapagos of the plant world"
Tenerife - that is the backdrop of a grandiose natural spectacle and with a lush nature something like an impressive catwalk of creation. Holidaymakers who get up on a spring morning to hike in the island's misty forests will be richly rewarded for their efforts. There are vast regions of strawberry and laurel trees, as well as garlands of lianas under the canopy. One walks over carpets of moss and is surprised by the variety of lichens at the foot of the Wildpret de la Torres.
It must have been here that Alexander von Humboldt analyzed nature, laying the foundation for Darwin's theories. Only in the Canary archipelago you can find such a variety of species. Botanists even speak of the "Galapagos of the plant world".
Loro Park - it all began with many colorful parrots
In 1972, a man named Wolfgang Kiessling, the son of a Cologne merchant family, had the idea on Tenerife to present his colorful parrot breeding to the visitors of the island. This was the starting signal for a success story, because from rather modest beginnings the world-famous Loro Park developed. With a total area of 125,000 square meters, this park is now a gigantic zoo.
It is embedded in a magnificent exotic landscape and houses not only the largest parrot collection on the globe, but for several years now also many animals threatened with extinction. In a large so-called "Pinguinarium" numerous arctic inhabitants live at a pleasant 22 degrees, and in the "Dolphinarium" sea lions put on a spirited show. Sharks can be observed through a 22-meter glass tunnel.
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The dolphinarium in the Loro Park in Tenerife[/caption]
Puerto de la Cruz - bathing world between the Atlantic Ocean and the promenade
For those who want to take a break from the tourist crowds in the lively capital Puerto de la Cruz, the short way to the Botanical Garden is recommended. It was conceived two hundred years ago and originally served the purpose of "acclimatizing" tropical plants from Central and South America. Afterwards they should be able to overwinter on the Spanish mainland. An attempt that failed. But the exotic diversity remained in the mild climate on Tenerife and today delights guests from all over the world.
If you have never seen a liverwurst tree, you will find it here. Puerto de la Cruz also has a gigantic bathing world. The Lago Martiánez between the Atlantic Ocean and the promenade was designed by César Manrique, the gifted artist from Lanzarote. Inside the swimming pool, a casino opens its doors in the evening.
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The famous beach Playa Jardin with black sand in Puerto de la Cruz.[/caption]
