Mount Teide of Tenerife

A December 2011 cruise around the Canaries brought us to the Spanish paradise holiday destination of Tenerife. After driving up through the rain forest we reach the arid moon-like plateau. As you can see a place of mysterious colour and wonder caused by countless eruptions and larva flows.
The whole island is dominated by its still active volcano, Mount Teide at 12,188ft . Its summit is the highest point in Spain and the highest point above sea level in the islands of the Atlantic . Its most recent eruption occurred in late 1909 from the El Chinyero vent on the northwestern Santiago rift
In front of us is the strange pillar Roque Cinchado at 27-metre high, composed mostly of volcanoclastic sedimentary rock layers. Its upper layers have been intruded by two sills of lava, which have made the upper part of the pillar more resistant to erosion.
For the more adventurous the peak can be reached by a cablecar, a trip that one day, I still hope to do.

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