High Mountains in Lanzarote And Tenerife

Author: Mark Bartley

Author: Mark Bartley

TheCanary Islands all have coastlines full of wonderful beaches. They range from areas with natural, dark, volcanic sand to golden sandy stretches that are maintained by the municipal councils with imported sand from the Sahara, that tourists tend to prefer. The coastlines that are washed by the waves of the Atlantic Ocean also have sections with steep, dramatic cliffs, especially on their western regions.

On Lanzarote there are two well known mountain ranges which both reach up to a height of over 600 meters, which may not seem that much but for an island that is only a few miles across at its widest point, some of the tracks, roads and footpaths that lead to the summits can be very steep.

In the south of the island is the Ajaches mountain range. The Timanfaya National Park stretches from the middle of the island in the southern half to the western coast and is a designated UNSECO Biosphere area where public access is carefully controlled. It is also known as the red mountains due to the hue of the volcanic rocks that cover the area. There are roads across the park, but public vehicles are not allowed to use them, the only access being by official coaches. Tourists who have experienced the 16 kilometre route rate the experience as one of the most memorable during their visit to the island.

Volcanic activity can still be measured and scientists have even created artificial geysers that show the volcanic heat that is quite close to the surface. Although there is still a slim possibility of volcanic eruption, the volcanoes have been very dormant since the last major episode in 1730 when 30 craters appeared across the island and many villages were covered with thick lava. In the park an architectural point of interest is the Islote de Hilario Art, Culture and Tourism Centre designed by Canarian architect Cesar Manrique. Here you can also dine in the El Diablo restaurant or Devil's Diner. Almost a million tourists come to the park each year.

Further to the north of Lanzarote is the Famara Mountain range which also rises steeply from the west coast. Here is one of the island's most dramatic viewpoints, the Mirador del Rio, also designed by local architect Manrique. He originally designed the building to be a top quality restaurant that provided staggering views out to the island of La Graciosa. The Mirador sits at an altitude of 470m with views down to the Atlantic just over half a mile away. It really is an impressive sight, which is more than can be said for the cuisine offered by the restaurant which has never quite lived up to Manrique's ambitions.

On Gran Canaria the mountains reach even higher, three times higher in fact with the Pico de las Nieves being the high point at over 1900m where the Roque Nublo, a rocky outcrop, marks the peak of the mountain. If you have the strength to cycle to the top of the Pico de las Nieves then you'll enjoy an exhilarating downhill ride home of over 20 km back down.

Finally the Canaries highest peak and in fact the highest peak in all of the Spanish territories is Mount Teide on Tenerife. This mountain top is much higher than anything else in the Canaries at over 3700 metres. It also ranks as the third highest volcano in the world as a whole. A cable car helps visitor's journeys to near the top of the peak, but if you want to complete the final trip to the very top on foot you'll need a special permit, arrangeable in a local tousits office beforehand. The authorities have imposed this restriction to help keep visitor numbers and erosion down. The landscape up there is truly magnificent and anyone who enjoys remarkable views should make an effort to plan ahead and make the trip to this amazing place.About the Author:

The choice of flights to Tenerife is impressive so travelling to any of Mark's recommended locations should be quite cheap at any time of the holiday season.

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