\nUseful to know:<\/p>\nTeide volcano poses no threat today as it sleeps. It is believed that Teide awakens approximately once every 10,000 years. Also, the height of Teide from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean is 7,500 meters, making it the highest mountain in the Atlantic Ocean.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nTeide volcano in Tenerife – the highest peak in Spain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\nPico Viejo, also known as Monta\u00f1a Chahorra, a stratovolcano on Tenerife. Its height is 3125 meters above sea level. It is located in the same area as Teide and technically is part of it. The last eruption was in 1798. It is the second-highest peak in the Canary Islands. Today, the volcano poses no threat. You can hike to the crater, which has a diameter of 800 meters. But more on that later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nOn the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, all the volcanoes are extinct; in fact, there are no mountains higher than 1000 meters. The last eruption on Fuerteventura was over 130,000 years ago. Let me tell you a bit more about Lanzarote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe eruption of Timanfaya (remember this name) began on Lanzarote in 1730 and lasted for 6 years. The fissure was over 14 km long, and lava erupted from 30 craters. Lava covered almost 30% of the island, reaching over 50 meters in height in many places. Today, the site of the eruption is the Timanfaya National Park, where you can see lava fields, volcano craters, and a bonus for tourists, which I’ll explain below.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nEverything you need to know about the volcanoes in the Canary Islands, you’ll learn on a tour of Timanfaya National Park. In the top photo, we were driven to one of the volcano craters, and the bottom photo shows endless lava fields after the eruption of 1730-1736.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\nOn the island of La Gomera and Gran Canaria, all the volcanoes have long been extinct.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nAnd now, the most interesting part: about the volcanoes in the Canary Islands, specifically on the island of La Palma. Most tourists only know about Teide and ask me questions about its eruption on Tenerife. But Teide is a bunny compared to the volcanoes of La Palma. Here’s what you need to know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe island of La Palma is located northwest, about 70 km from Tenerife.<\/li>\n\n\n\n Today, practically the entire island is an active volcano. Underground pressure is rising, magma is rising to the surface, and a super volcano is forming. Scientists predict that a major eruption could occur sometime this century.<\/li>\n\n\n\n There are around 30 active volcanoes on the island.<\/li>\n\n\n\n The last major eruption occurred very recently – in 2021, the Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted. The volcano erupted for 85 days, resulting in the evacuation of 3 villages and one town.<\/li>\n\n\n\n The resort town of Puerto Naos was completely evacuated and closed for 3 years due to the formation of toxic gases when lava entered the ocean. It reopened only in February 2024. There’s a really cool urban beach with black volcanic sand there, highly recommended.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nToday, the most dangerous volcanoes in the Canary Islands are on La Palma. The top photo shows the 2021 eruption, and the bottom one shows the aftermath.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\nIn 1971, there was a major eruption of the Tenegu\u00eda volcano in the southern part of La Palma. Today, it’s also an active volcano.<\/li>\n\n\n\n From 1915 to 1920, the largest eruption in modern history in this region occurred: the eruption of the Taburiente volcano on the island of La Palma. It destroyed 35 villages and 4 towns completely. Today, in the crater’s place – the explosion was heard 200 km away – there’s a huge caldera 8 km in diameter. And now there’s the Caldera de Taburiente National Park.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nTopographic map of the island of La Palma. I’ve marked with an oval the area where a super volcano is forming today, which is the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge, the lateral eruption of which occurred in 2021. You can also see the dimensions of the Taburiente volcano caldera and imagine how significant the eruption was in 1920.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAs seen, the most active volcanoes are on La Palma, and they’re not dormant here; they erupt several times in 100 years. And the eruption of the super volcano forming under the Cumbre Vieja ridge in the southern part of the island, marked with arrows and ovals in the photo above, could completely destroy the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n