The volcanoes of the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands are a chain of volcanic islands located on the west coast of North Africa. The islands are an example of the type of ocean volcanoes with a hot spot above an oceanic plate.
The Canary Islands have a distinctly volcanic origin that, favored by a unique geographical situation, gives rise to climatic conditions considered as one of the “best climates in the world”, giving rise to an outburst of nature that makes the islands unique. These Canary Islands volcanoes have left their mark in the form of laundry, calderas or craters.
The age of volcanism decreases from east to west, while the Atlantic plate moves slowly over the Canary hot spot. From the oldest to the youngest, the islands are Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro.
Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, the oldest islands, are in their erosion stage and recent volcanic activity is explained by a convection of the secondary mantle on the continental margin.
Are there active volcanoes in the Canary Islands?
The answer is YES, in the archipelago there are a number of active volcanoes that are being studied by scientists. Among them we will mention below the most important ones.
- Teide Volcano, Tenerife
It is the most famous, but not the only one we find on the island of Tenerife. With its 3,718 meters of altitude,it is the highest mountain in all of Spain and the third highest volcano in the world. The diversity of its ecosystem makes its ascent an experience full of contrasts with aunique landscape ofcraters, volcanoes and rivers of petrified lava that surround the impressive silhouette of the Teide Volcano
In addition, it has services of guides for those who want to deepen their knowledge and a mountain refuge to enjoy the wonderful views of the sunrise.
Teide National Park is one of the great wonders of the world, with the advantage of its easy access and being relatively close to European countries.
Las Cañadas del Teide surprises by its diversity, uneasy about its huge rivers of petrified lava and impresses with its rocks melted by erosion and the colossal dimensions of this mineral chaos. In contrast, in spring it offers a wonderful garden full of flowers and soft aromas, unique in the world.
Remember that if you are looking for accommodation to visit the geomorphological wonders and tour the island, you can stay in this wonderful apartment located on the coast of Adeje, by clicking on this link.
- Timanfaya, Lanzarote
Without a doubt, it is what most resembles a lunar landscape on Earth. An enigmatic and very different place, which leaves no one indifferent. This National Park represents a sample of the recent and historical volcanism of the Canary archipelago.
Of the 25 volcanoes on the island, the Timanfaya eruption was the last recorded in Lanzarote.
It erupted between 1730 and 1736, and in 1824 was expelling lava for six years, resulting in numerous geomorphological structures of high volcanological interest. The absence of a blanket of vegetation, the variety of colors and the roughness of its forms give the park an extraordinary beauty.
The high environmental value of the island earned it the recognition of unesco’s Biosphere Reserve in 1993. If you are looking for accommodation on the island, this link will guide you to some of our recommendations for staying in Lanzarote.
- Caldera de Taburiente, La Palma
Considered a natural wonder of La Palma, it is the main tourist attraction of the so-called “Isla Bonita”, Unesco Biosphere Reserve.
The huge crater is formed of solidified lava converted into basaltic rocks with a slope of up to 2,000 meters. Today it gives its name to the National Park of eight kilometers in diameter and impressive landscapes among which stand out summits such as Roque de los Muchachos or La Cumbrecita, at the bottom of the Caldera, with many streams and waterfalls. We invite you to visit this wonderful island and enjoy the volcanoes of The Canary Islands, staying in this fantastic country house through this link..
Located in the heart of La Palma, the Caldera de Taburiente shares prominence with the Natural Park of Cumbre Vieja, for which the Route of the Volcanoes of the Canary Islands has recently reopened, 31 kilometersof trails and forest tracks through volcanoes and casts from the most recent aerial eruptions that took place in the archipelago, such as the Teneguía in 1971.
- El Hierro Underwater Volcano
On October 10, 2011, in the sea of calms there was an underwater volcanic eruption that had been brewing for some months, which had its final end in March 2012.
The importance of the eruption of these volcanoes of the Canary Islands lies in the remodeling of more than 9 square kilometers of seabed, creating new habitats, ways of life, eliminating others and also exponentially conditions all the environmental conditions of the area, having to dislodge places like La Restinga.
All this caused many people, attracted by the idea of watching a volcanic eruption live, to overwhelm themselves on the smaller island of the archipelago so as not to miss this event.
- Teneguía Volcano
It has the privilege of being the last major volcano to erupt in 1971. It has an altitude of 449 m and is located at the southern end of the Old Summit.
Its eruption buryed under a large cloak of lava a large area, being one of the volcanoes of the Canary Islands that gained land to the sea, forming lava deltas that made the size of the island grow. The eruption lasted from October 26, 1971 to November 18 of the same year and was relatively short, the shortest of the historic ones of the Canary Islands.
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