Mount Teide on Tenerife

Teide is an active stratovolcano on the Spanish island of Tenerife. Its summit reaches 3,715 meters above sea level.

Measured from its base, it stands 7,500 meters tall. UNESCO ranks it third-tallest. Tall enough to make the island feel small.

It began forming about 170,000 years ago after a catastrophic landslide. Its base sits at 2,190 meters.

The native Guanches considered Teide a sacred mountain. They believed Guayota lived inside the volcano.

During eruptions, the Guanches lit bonfires to scare Guayota away.

Teide last erupted in 1909 from the El Chinyero vent. It is designated a Decade Volcano.

It is the third-tallest volcano on Earth.

Today, Teide National Park covers 18,900 hectares. In 2024, it received 5,242,653 visitors.