Teide (Spanish: El Teide) or Mount Teide (Pico del Teide, pronounced [ˈpiko ðel ˈtejðe]; 'Peak of Teide') is an active stratovolcano on the Spanish island of Tenerife, part of the Canary Islands. Its summit (at 3,715 m (12,188 ft)) is the highest point in Spain and the highest of any island in the Atlantic Ocean. Measured from its base on the ocean floor, Teide reaches a total height of 7,500 m (24,600 ft), making it the third-tallest volcano in the world; UNESCO and NASA also rank it as Earth's third-tallest volcanic structure. Its elevation above sea level makes Tenerife the tenth-highest island in the world. Teide began forming approximately 170,000 years ago as a result of volcanic activity following a catastrophic landslide. Its base lies within the Las Cañadas caldera, the remains of an older, eroded, and extinct volcano, at an elevation of about 2,190 m (7,190 ft) above sea level. Teide is an active volcano, with its most recent eruption occurring in late 1909 from the El Chinyero vent on the northwestern Santiago rift. Due to its history of destructive eruptions and its proximity to several large towns, including Garachico, Icod de los Vinos, and Puerto de la Cruz, the United Nations Committee for Disaster Mitigation designated Teide as a Decade Volcano. Together with Pico Viejo and Montaña Blanca, Teide forms the Central Volcanic Complex of Tenerife. The volcano and its surroundings form Teide National Park, which covers an area of 18,900 hectares (47,000 acres) and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. Teide is the most visited national park in both Spain and Europe, and ranks among the top 10 most visited national parks worldwide, attracting over 5 million visitors annually. In 2024, the park received 5,242,653 visitors, setting a historical record. The Teide Observatory, a major international astronomical facility, is situated on the mountain’s slopes. Additionally, the volcano has frequently appeared in films, television series, and programs set on the island of Tenerife.
Name and legends Before the 1496 Spanish colonization of Tenerife, the native Guanches referred to a powerful figure living in the volcano, which carries light, power and the sun. El Pico del Teide is the modern Spanish name. Teide was a sacred mountain for the aboriginal Guanches, so it was considered a mythological mountain, as Mount Olympus was to the ancient Greeks. When going on to Teide during an eruption, it was customary for the Guanches to light bonfires to scare Guayota. Guayota is often represented as a black dog, accompanied by his host of demons (Tibicenas). The Guanches also believed that Teide held up the sky. Many hiding places found in the mountains contain the remains of stone tools and pottery. These have been interpreted as being ritual deposits to counter the influence of evil spirits, like those made by the Berbers of Kabylie. The Guanches believed the mountain to be the place that housed the forces of evil and the most evil figure, Guayota. Guayota shares features similar to other powerful deities inhabiting volcanoes, such as the goddess Pele of Hawaiian mythology, who lives in the volcano Kīlauea and is regarded by the native Hawaiians as responsible for the eruptions of the volcano. The same was true for the ancient Greeks and Romans, who believed that Vulcano and Mount Etna were chimneys of the foundry of the fire god Hephaestus (Vulcan in Latin). In 1492, when Christopher Columbus arrived at the island of Tenerife, his crew claimed to see flames coming from the highest mountain of the island (Teide).
Geography
Location Teide is located on Tenerife, the largest island of the Canary Islands, situated in the Atlantic Ocean, 290 km (180 mi) northwest of the coast of Western Sahara. The volcano is located in a central position on the Tenerife island. Administratively, the Canary Islands are a Spanish autonomous community. Teide itself is located within the commune of La Orotava in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Topography
Before reliable measurements were available, Teide was considered by Europeans to be the highest mountain on Earth for a long time. With a height of 3,715 m (12,188 ft), it is the highest point in Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. If it is measured from the ocean floor, it surpasses 7,000 m (23,000 ft), making it the third highest volcanic structure in the world after Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, both on the island of Hawaii.
The formation of the mountain is marked by its long and complex volcanic history. It rests on the Las Cañadas caldera, an asymmetric depression 15 km (9.3 mi) in diameter in the form of a horseshoe which opens to the north. The floor of the caldera varies from 2,000 to 2,200 m (6,600 to 7,200 ft) in altitude, although its sides in the south rise to 2,717 m (8,914 ft), the level of Mount Guajara. To the north, the slopes of Teide continue directly to the ocean, with a break in the slope at around 2,000 m (6,600 ft). The volcano of Teide itself can be described as a volcanic cone 8 km (5.0 mi) in diameter at its base, with quite steep slopes, approximately 20 to 40° for a total volume of 150 to 200 km3 (36 to 48 cu mi). The summit is marked by a small volcanic cone, about 150 m (490 ft) high, named El Pitón, which has a summit crater 100 m (330 ft) in diameter and 30 m (98 ft) deep. A secondary cone, named Pico Viejo emerges on the western slopes of the main peak; its crater is much larger, with a diameter of 800 m (2,600 ft) and a depth of 140 m (460 ft). It rises to 3,414 m (11,201 ft), but with a low prominence, not more than 100 m (330 ft) higher than the slopes of the main volcano. On the outside of these two main peaks, the relief Teide also has some smaller formations, of which the most notable are Roques Blancos, Pico Cabras, and Montaña Blanca, situated next to the base of Teide. The slopes of Teide are covered in radial ravines. However, the majority of the ravines have been covered by recent lava flows, the Lavas Negras, in particular the northern part. The main ravines, with prominence around 100 m (330 ft), are located on the south slope: from east to west, the Corredor Mario, Corredor La Corbata and Corredor La Bola.
Climate
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