El Teide National Park Tenerife

Teide National Park is the biggest and oldest of the Canary Islands' parks. Its landscape is shaped around the biggest volcano in Spain: Teide, whose last eruption took place in 1798. The volcanic cones and the lava runs form an extraordinary group of colours and shapes, in which thrives a diverse flora of great biological importance.

In 1954, Teide National Park was founded in order to protect a landscape of impressive beauty and great ecological importance, that extended around the colossal volcano. Teide is a volcanic formation situated on an old and gigantic crater-like sunken area, shaped by two semi craters, separated by Roques de García. In the shelter of Teide live plants and animal species that are unique in the world. The diversity of plants is astounding: Teide broom, towers of jewels, echium virescens, bencomia stipulata, descurainia bourgaena, pterocephalus lasiospermus, silver thistle..The most important species in the park are the invertebrates. More than 700 species of insects are listed, 50% of which are endemic to the area. There are several species of reptiles (such as the tizon lizard) and birds (Egyptian vulture, sparrow hawk, kestrel, red kite). Mammals are scarce, but there are mouflons, rabbits and 5 species of bats.