In 1954, the creation of the Teide National Park, with the purpose of preserving a landscape of extraordinary beauty. The unique geological characteristics, together with the diversity of flora and fauna it houses, fully justify this distinction.
In 1981, Teide National Park underwent a reclassification that established a special legal regime. In 1989, the Council of Europe granted the National Park its highest recognition, the European Diploma. This distinction for its management and conservation was renewed in 1994, 1999 and 2004. The delimited area covers a large ovoid caldera with a diameter of 14 kilometers. Although various theories have been proposed about the origin of this caldera, the most accepted suggests that it was formed due to the collapse of the substrate caused by the emptying of a magmatic chamber.
On July 2, 2007, the Teide National Park was added to the list of World Heritage as a Natural Asset. This recognition was granted during the meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, which took place in Christchurch, New Zealand.
It is 70 years since the declaration of the Teide National Park, the largest and oldest of the 4 existing ones in the Canary Islands 🎂
⛰️ In the shadow of Teide, the highest point in Spain, volcanoes, craters and rivers of petrified lava form an impressive set of colors and shapes. pic.twitter.com/my7vNDFndE
— Biodiversity Foundation (@FBiodiversidad) January 22, 2024
Species that coexist on Teide
In total, 139 species of vascular flora have been identified, of which approximately a third are endemic to the Canary Islands. The predominant vegetation in this area is high mountain scrub, although species of phanerogamous vegetation are also found, such as the Teide violet and, in the vicinity of the fumaroles, the summit cloudburst. In addition, the presence of the tajinaste stands out with its distinctive and changing color. As for the fauna, invertebrates are predominant, with more than 400 species, and they present a high percentage of endemicity, reaching almost 70%. Within this group, insects are the most abundant category.
