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Mount Teide

The highest peak in Spain - a snow-tipped volcano rising over Tenerife from a surreal lava landscape, a UNESCO national park reached by cable car.

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Illustrative image - a scene in the spirit of the place, not a photograph of it. Real photos are below.

UNESCO World Heritage

Typemountain

WhereCanary Islands

Nearest cityTenerife

Best seasonYear-round; clearest in spring and autumn

Time to allowA day

Getting thereIn the centre of Tenerife; car to the park, cable car up the peak

EntryPark free; cable car and summit permit charged

Mount Teide is the highest peak in Spain, a volcano rising 3,715 metres over the island of Tenerife from a vast, surreal caldera of lava fields, twisted rock and desert colours. A UNESCO national park often crowned with snow above a sea of cloud, its otherworldly landscape is reached by a spectacular cable car, with the very summit by permit, and its dark skies are famous for stargazing.

What you actually see

The summit and cable car - the ride up the volcano and the view from near the top.
The caldera - the surreal lava fields and rock formations of Las Canadas.
The sea of clouds - the peak rising above the cloud layer.
The night skies - the famous stargazing in the clear dark air.

When to go

Year-round; spring and autumn are clearest, winter can bring snow to the peak. The very summit needs a free permit booked ahead. Bring warm layers, as the top is cold even when the coast is hot.

Honest expectations

The top is cold and thin-aired even when the beaches below are warm, so bring layers. The cable car can close in high wind, and the final summit cone needs a free permit booked well ahead. It is a long drive up from the coast.