This botanical garden was established in the 18C by order of Charles III. The small 2ha enclosure houses an extraordinary profusion of all sorts of species of trees and flowers. While some of the species are native to the Canary Islands, others origi..

The road winding north of La Palma is lined with laurel bushes and pine trees and climbs up to one of the world's most important astrophysical observatories (2 423m). Here you are just a few metres from the summit and an impressive vista of the w..

At an altitude of 3 718m, this impressive volcano is the highest peak in the whole of Spain. On getting out of the cable car (3 555m), there still remains a good 30min walk up the slope, when the path is open (the volcanic slag is unstable, as is the..

This national park lies around the Las Cañadas corrie , a spectacular collapsed volcanic cone rising to a height of 2 000m and dominated by El Teide (3 718m) to the north. A crest of lava rocks laid bare by erosion and known as Los Roques stands..

Timanfaya National Park encompasses a massif that was formed by the volcanic eruptions of 1730-1736. The colour of the landscape varies from red to black. In the centre are the Mountains of Fire (Montañas de Fuego), whose depths remain active, just..

The Cumbrecita Pass (1 833m) and especially the Lomo de las Chozas 1km away afford incredible panoramic views over the Caldera de Taburiente, a designated national park. The area is dotted with thickly covered Canary Island pines and up above loom to..

At the foot of the Corona Volcano, the subsoil of Lanzarote is riddled with underground galleries formed by lava streams. Upon contact with the air, the surface of the lava streams cools and hardens into a dense layer of basalt, underneath which mo..

This sometimes snow-capped summit (1 949m) looks out over the entire island. To the south San Bartolomé de Tirajana lies in the foreground, while the spectacular view stretches as far as the Playa de Maspalomas. To the west the unusual shapes of Ro..

Ironically enough, it is an unyielding land covered in the black ash of the 1730-1736 volcanic eruptions that produces a wine that is reputed throughout the archipelago. The region of La Geria has the energy of its own people to thank for today findi..

The mountainous Anaga headland is high enough to trap clouds from the north, making for a humid climate in which the Las Mercedes forest can flourish. Here you will find tree laurel, giant heather and fayas (a local species). The roads which carve th..

The road climbs the southern slopes of the island of La Gomera, which are less steep than those on the north side. Once it has reached a central plateau inside the national park, it passes through the potters’ village of Chipude, before descending to..

A road leads up to the top of Bandama (569m) and the enormous volcanic crater with its eruption forms intact. The summit serves as a lookout point while the inside of the crater is now a small cultivated area. From the summit, you will be able to e..

The pass rises to an altitude of 1 450m. Near the hotel (parador) lies the village of Tejeda , nestling in a crater. From the chaotic landscape rise two volcanic necks, spikes of lava worn down by erosion: Roque Bentaiga and Roque Nublo. They are sa..

The belvedere stands at the north end of the island, in a secluded spot on the steep headland of Riscos de Famara. It blends in superbly with the cliff and commands a wonderful panorama of the ocean and the coast. Beyond the deep blue waters of the..

From the top of El Time cliff, there is a remarkable panorama of the Aridane plain, a sea of banana plantations and the Barranco de la Angustias. This imposing valley is the only outlet for the water that collects in the Caldera de Taburiente.

The road to the El Teide is punctuated by a series of belvederes including those of Montaña Grande , Pico de las Flores , Ortuño and Chipeque . When the mass of cloud which frequently obscures El Teide disappears, you can admire the stark contra..

From Vilaflor, the highest town on the island (1 466m), head north through a lovely pinewood. At the Boca de Tauce Pass (2 055m) stop and admire the view. The sight of Las Cañadas dominated by El Teide is striking.

This peak, which rises to a height of 1 024m, is part of the mountainous headland of Las Mercedes in northern Tenerife. From its summit, you can enjoy a wonderful view of the entire Anaga headland. In fine weather, you may see the outline of El Teide..

The belvedere provides a view of the Güimar rift valley, the slopes of which are mainly covered in tropical fruit plantations. The contrast between this zone, made fertile through irrigation, and that of the arid lava fields between the sea and the e..

In the protected mountain region of Teno, beyond the El Palmar Valley, an age-old path leads up to the tiny village of Teno Alto, which is embedded in a volcanic chimney in the centre of a crater furrowed with crops growing in terraces. The beauty of..