Mount Teide - Tenerife
Mount Teide is located on the islands of Tenerife in the Canary Islands and is the highest peak in Spain at 3.718 metres (12.198 feet). It is an active, but dormant volcano which last erupted in 1909.
Mount Teide and its surroundings, including the whole of the Las Cañadas area, are protected by the Parque Nacional del Teide (National park of El Teide). You can access mount Teide from the north (via Puerto de La Cruz), south (via Vilaflor) and the west (Guia de Isora). Titsa, the public bus service runs a once per day return service to Teide from both Puerto de la Cruz and Playa de las Americas.
The cable car goes from the roadside most of the way to the summit, reaching 3,555 m. Each cable car carries approximately 35 passengers and takes just under 10 minutes to reach the summit. In peak season, queues can exceed two hours. There is a cafeteria located at the bottom and top of the cable car access area. Access to the summit itself is restricted and a free permit is required to climb the last 200 m. Numbers are limited.
Due to the altitude at the summit oxygen levels are lower than at sea level and if attempting to reach the summit, it can cause people with heart or pulmanory conditions to become light headed, dizzy, develop mountain sickness and in extreme cases unconsciousness. The only treatment is to return to lower altitudes and acclimatise.