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Tenerife: A journey to the volcanic heart of the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands, jewels of the Atlantic, are essentially the visible manifestation of intense volcanic activity that has shaped their landscape and identity over millions of years. Each island is a chapter in the grand geological story, a testament to the unstoppable force of nature.
While all the Canary Islands have a volcanic origin, today we will focus on Tenerife, the largest and most diverse island in the archipelago. Its formation and current geography are a clear reflection of the powerful interaction between magma, water, and time.
If you're fascinated by the volcanic landscape of Mount Teide, you have to see it under the stars. It's a life-changing experience. (Book your Astronomical Tour here)
Main image: Marek Piwnicki
Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, is a destination where nature displays its power and beauty. In the heart of this volcanic island, Mount Teide rises majestically, dominating a landscape of craters, lava flows, and Canary pine forests.
This journey immerses you in a unique environment, where geological history intertwines with local culture, offering everything from spectacular hiking trails to picturesque coastal villages. Tenerife is more than just sun and sand; it's an adventure into the vibrant soul of the Canary Islands.
Tenerife Formation
Tenerife, jewel of the Atlantic, was born from volcanic fury some 20-50 million years ago on the ocean floor.
According to the uplifted block theory, magma rose from the Earth's mantle through faults on the seabed, forming pillow lavas by rapid cooling upon contact with water.
These initially calm underwater eruptions became explosive as they approached the surface, accumulating materials that built the island under the sea.
About 7 million years ago, at the end of the Miocene, three independent islands emerged: Teno, Anaga, and Adeje.
Over time, a second, more intense volcanic cycle, beginning 3 million years ago, unified these formations into a single island. This period gave rise to the Pre-Cañadas Edifice, followed by the Cañadas I and II Edifices, which reached heights of over 2,500 meters and generated explosive materials, such as the Southern Bands.
800,000 years ago, gravitational landslides formed the valleys of La Orotava and Güímar, while the Dorsal Mountain Range, the highest and most extensive structure in the archipelago, rose to 1,600 meters.
Finally, about 200,000 years ago, eruptions in the Caldera de Las Cañadas raised the imposing Pico Viejo-Teide, crowning the current landscape.
This process, combined with erosion and the activity of a hotspot, sculpted the complex topography of Tenerife, with its ravines, cliffs and valleys, creating a unique natural setting that continues to fascinate the world.
Orography and Landscape: The volcanic footprint of Tenerife
Tenerife is a geological spectacle sculpted by millions of years of volcanic activity and erosion.
At its heart stands Teide, at 3,715 meters, the highest peak in Spain and symbol of the island, nestled in the Teide National Park, a lunar landscape of vibrant colors and unique formations such as Roque Cinchado and Los Azulejos, stained by hydrothermal activity.
The semi-caldera of Las Cañadas, with the Guajara mountain (2,718 m) and the Ucanca Plain, completes this central scenario.
The island is divided into ancient massifs such as Anaga, Teno, and Adeje, with steep slopes and deep ravines. Anaga, with the Cruz de Taborno (1,024 m), and Teno, with the cliffs of Los Gigantes (up to 500 m), are home to laurel and pine forests, while Adeje, with the Roque del Conde (1,001 m), displays a more weathered landscape.
The mid-mountain ranges, such as the Cordillera Dorsal (up to 2,350 m in Izaña) and the Abeque ridge, connect these massifs with volcanic cones and traces of historical eruptions, such as that of Chinyero (1909).
Valleys like La Orotava and Güímar, formed by massive landslides, contrast with protected ravines like Barranco del Infierno. The coasts, steeper in the north with black sand beaches, and gentler in the south with light sand, total 67.14 km of coastline.
Además, tubos volcánicos como la Cueva del Viento, uno de los mayores de Europa, revelan el legado subterráneo de la isla. Esta diversidad orográfica, desde picos nevados hasta acantilados y playas, hace de Tenerife un paraíso natural.
Historical eruptions of Tenerife
Tenerife has a rich history of eruptions that have shaped its landscape and, in some cases, significantly impacted its inhabitants. While Mount Teide is the first that comes to mind, many eruptions have occurred in different parts of the island, both inside and outside Teide National Park.
It is estimated that there are 11 main volcanoes and more than 300 volcanic cones in Tenerife.
Boca Cangrejo Volcano – 1492
This would be the first recorded eruption of Tenerife and one of the first in the Canary Islands. Although its development is not well documented, the ejected materials are well preserved, offering a valuable subject of study for historical eruptions.
The Boca Cangrejo volcano, located on the northwest ridge of Tenerife, about 2 km south of the Chinyero volcano (last eruption in 1909), is a Strombolian volcano with aligned eruptive mouths and a main crater open to the west.
Its meals, of intermediate basaltic composition and African-vesicular texture, cover 6.89 km² with an approximate volume of 0.03 km³, extending towards the southwest.
Although the exact duration of the eruption is uncertain, its low-volume cone and limited dispersion of pyroclasts suggest a brief and non-explosive activity.
Recent C14 dating of carbon under the lavas indicates that it occurred between 1430 and 1660 AD (95% probability), linking it to an eruptive event described by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to America, which has generated debate about historical volcanism in the Canary Islands.
Part of its lava flows and eruptive centers are located within the Corona Forestal Natural Park.
Multiple eruption of Fasnia, Siete Fuentes and Arafo – 1704 to 1705
The eruption of Fasnia, Siete Fuentes and Arafo stands out for showing the fissure dynamics typical of the Canary Islands' dorsal edifices.
With intense pre-eruptive seismicity, it was the deadliest eruption in the archipelago, making it crucial for assessing the risk in monogenetic eruptions.
The eruption created the volcanoes of Siete Fuentes, Fasnia, and Arafo along a stepped fracture of more than 10 km. It lasted almost three months (December 31, 1704, to March 27, 1705), following an intense seismic crisis that began weeks earlier and caused serious damage in the valleys of La Orotava and Güímar, destroying more than 70 houses, a church, and leaving at least 16 victims—the highest number of deaths in historical eruptions in the Canary Islands.
The eruption began with a 300m fissure near the Diego Hernandez wall, forming a small horseshoe-shaped edifice.
On January 5, 1705, the Fasnia volcano activated a 1.3 km fracture with cinder cones and lava flows that traveled 7 km through the Barranco del Volcán.
Finally, on February 2nd, the Arafo volcano, in the Pedro Gil caldera, produced lava flows that covered 3.75 km², reaching close to the sea in El Socorro. The associated strong seismicity, felt in Tenerife and La Gomera, destroyed structures in Güímar, La Orotava, Los Realejos, and Candelaria.
This eruption is key to assessing volcanic risk in the Canary Islands due to its impact and dynamism.
Currently, the volcanoes are protected: Fasnia in the Teide National Park, Siete Fuentes and Arafo in the Corona Forestal, and part of the Arafo lava flows in the Siete Lomas Protected Landscape.
Garachico Volcano (Black Sands) – 1706
Although the main dangers of the eruption of Garachico, also called Black Sands Volcano or Trevejo, were related to lava flows, this eruption is a clear example of how a low-hazard event can generate a high risk due to favorable geographical conditions.
The eruption of Garachico (May 5 to June 13, 1706) was the volcanic event with the greatest socio-economic impact in the Canary Islands, almost completely destroying the city and the main commercial port of Tenerife in the 18th century.
It emitted 0.045 km³ of volcanic material, covering 7.6 km². This basaltic fissure eruption, with a low explosivity index, developed along a NW-SE fracture.
Initially, it generated lava fountains that formed small spatter cones and pahoehoe flows, later evolving into a Strombolian style, with lavas concentrated in the southeastern sector of the fracture.
In less than 12 hours, the lava flows traveled 6.5 km, descending the northern flank of the NW ridge to a 500 m paleocliff, where abrupt changes in slope favored the formation of pyroclastic flows and accretionary balls, increasing their destructive power. The lavas modified the coastline, displacing it 250 m.
Although the main hazards were lava flows, the event shows how a low-hazard episode can have high risk due to favorable geographical conditions.
The eruptive materials are protected in the Chinyero Special Nature Reserve and the Protected Natural Landscape of the Cliffs of La Culata.
Chahorra eruption – 1798
The eruption of Chahorra (1798), the last within the Teide National Park, occurred on the western slope of Pico Viejo and was the most violent and prolonged (June 9 to September 8) of the historical volcanism of Tenerife.
It emitted 12 million m³ of lava, contained in the Las Cañadas basin. Known as the "Noses of Teide", this basaltic fissure eruption, controlled by a NE-SW radial fissure of Pico Viejo, presented emission centers at different altitudes (more than 500 m of elevation difference in an 800 m fracture).
This generated upper craters with degassing morphologies and lower craters with lava flows, adapted to the flank of the stratovolcano.
Although it is part of the monogenetic volcanism of the northwest ridge, its dynamics are influenced by the structure of the stratovolcano.
Currently, the eruptive complex is protected in the Teide National Park, the Teide Natural Monument, and is a Site of Community Importance, a Special Area of Conservation and a Special Protection Area for Birds.
Chinyero eruption – 1909
The 1909 eruption of Chinyero, the last one in Tenerife, was a highly explosive Strombolian event, although brief (November 18-28), with a notable socio-economic impact.
Their study is key to preventing risks on a densely populated island, improving geological models and prediction tools for future volcanic crises.
The eruptive centers, at an altitude of 1,500 m, formed in a 625 m fissure, creating an arc volcano due to the emission of pyroxene olivine basaltic lavas, which traveled up to 4.5 km with a drop of 500 m.
The eruption began with a violent phase, scattering pyroclasts over 50 km, followed by a low-energy stage with alternating emission of lava and ash, which covered the northern slope of Tenerife due to the action of the winds.
Well-documented by eyewitnesses, this eruption reveals a well-preserved volcanic landscape. The cone and lava flows are protected within the Chinyero Special Nature Reserve, recognized as a Site of Community Importance, a Special Area of Conservation, a Special Protection Area for Birds, and a Natural Habitat of Community Interest.
Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcanic complex
The Teide-Pico Viejo Complex is the largest group of stratovolcanoes in the caldera. Teide, a stratovolcano, grew rapidly, forming an asymmetrical cone with a semicircular base approximately 5-2 km in diameter.
It rises from 2,000 m in Las Cañadas to 3,715 m at its crater. Its exact base is difficult to pinpoint, as other eruptive processes have covered its lower base.
Pico Viejo
The Pico Viejo crater, the most impressive in Tenerife with a diameter of 800 m and a depth of 100 m, reveals a complex eruptive and destructive history key to understanding the formation of calderas.
Its Pliocene walls show tephryphonolitic lava flows and pyroclastic deposits crisscrossed by radial dikes. After the initial collapse, a phonolitic eruption formed a lava lake that overflowed, leaving terraces consolidated after the magma descended through flank eruptions.
A 300 m funnel on the western edge shows evidence of a phreatic explosion due to aquifer decompression during a lateral eruption, with surge deposits and breccias covering materials from previous eruptions.
El Teide
Teide, a stratovolcano with a morphology divided into a large main mass and a summit cone, culminated its last eruption about 1,150±140 years ago with the Black Lavas, obsidian phonolitic flows emitted from the summit.
These filled the paleocrater of La Rambleta, a horseshoe-shaped depression 850 m in diameter and 3,555 m high, open to the northwest, and formed the current cone of Pico del Teide, 720 m in diameter, 160 m high and with steep slopes.
At the summit, a semicircular crater 70 m in diameter and 45 m deep emits fumaroles of 86 ºC with gases (water vapor, CO2, sulfur and nitrogen) and sulfur crystals by sublimation, exploited since the 16th century for agriculture and pyrotechnics, which limits its current presence.
The Black Lavas, emitted radially from the summit, reached a greater extent on the northern flank, stopping at 690 m, while on the south they were diverted by a depression near Montaña Blanca.
These lava flows are notable for their lava channels, lateral flows and accretion balls in Montaña Blanca, evidencing the eruptive dynamics of the Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcano, the last activity recorded in this active volcanic complex.
The Volcanic Character of Tenerife: Legends, Adaptation and Heritage
Volcanic activity has shaped not only the geography of Tenerife, but also its culture, myths and lifestyle, turning eruptions into a creative force that defines the essence of the island.
Myths and Legends of Teide
The Guanche legend of Guayota tells how Guayota, the devil who lived in the Echeyde volcano (present-day Teide), was the cause of darkness and destruction. One day, Guayota kidnapped Magec, the sun god, plunging the island into perpetual night.
Desesperados, los guanches clamaron a Achamán, su dios supremo, quien se enfrentó a Guayota. Durante días, la tierra rugió y el volcán escupió fuego, reflejando la titánica batalla. Finalmente, Achamán liberó a Magec y selló la boca del Echeyde, atrapando a Guayota en su interior para siempre.
This legend is a mythical representation of a great volcanic eruption. It accurately describes phenomena such as the darkness caused by ash, tremors and explosions, and the eventual return of calm and sunlight.
It is very likely that this story is an oral account of the last great eruption of Teide, which occurred approximately 1,100-1,200 years ago, passed down through generations by a population that directly experienced the event.
Other stories speak of spirits in caves and wandering souls in the badlands, reflecting the respect and fear of nature that has marked the island's identity.
Adaptation to the Volcanic Environment
The inhabitants of Tenerife have adapted to their environment. The volcanic soils, fertile but demanding, have given rise to crops such as the grapevine, which grows in ash to retain moisture.
Volcanic stone defines the traditional architecture, and the underground galleries for capturing water show the local ingenuity in the face of the challenges of the landscape.
A Living Heritage
Today, Tenerife's volcanic character is a source of pride and a magnet for visitors. Teide National Park, a World Heritage Site, showcases lunar landscapes, lava fields, and caves that tell the story of millions of years of volcanic activity.
This legacy not only sustains natural beauty and tourism, but also the resilience and spirit of its people, forged by the fire of the Earth.
In short, the volcanic history of Tenerife transcends the simple account of eruptions and geological formations; it is the heart of the island.
From its beginnings under the sea to the imposing presence of Teide, every stone, every volcano, every ravine and every landscape reflects a fiery past that has shaped an island of unique beauty and amazing biodiversity.
Understanding this profound relationship with the Earth is essential to fully appreciate the natural and cultural heritage of Tenerife, a vibrant legacy of the perpetual dance between nature and time.
