Tenerife & La Gomera scenery

Simply amazing… undoubtedly one of the highlights of the trip.

The obvious place to start is around El Pico del Teide, a volcanic peak and the highest point in Spain. The surrounding area is a National Park, and the igneous rock formations are extraordinary…

The last eruption was just over 100 years ago, and some of the solidified lava flows from this and previous eruptions are very much in evidence. We took the cable car to within 200m of the top (you need a permit to reach the summit), to enjoy enormous views in wonderfully clear air. The first shot is looking out along the north coast of the island…

…followed by one looking SW over the crater of xx, to La Gomera beyond…

… and finally looking back down at the crazy landscape in the park below.

From almost everywhere on the island (and indeed many places on La Gomera), the conical peak of El Teide dominated the view. This particular example was my favourite, though, taken just above a cloud inversion.

Approaching Tenerife on the La Gomera ferry also gave spectacular views, putting the beachfront holiday development and associated urbanisation into perspective. The volcano is lurking behing the much smaller peaks in the foreground!

And finally, we were treated to some pretty decent sunrises and sunsets… this one was taken from Valle Gran Rey on La Gomera (while I was failing to spot any Little Shearwaters returning to land!)