Teide National Park (UNESCO)

The Parque Nacional del Teide is the heart of Tenerife and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007. The numbers are impressive: 18,990 hectares of area, over 4 million visitors per year (most visited national park in Europe), and in the middle the Pico del Teide — at 3,718 meters not only Spain's highest mountain but also the third-highest island volcano in the world.

The landscape is simply otherworldly. The vast caldera Las Cañadas (17 km in diameter) stretches at around 2,000 meters altitude and looks like a film set for a Mars movie — indeed, "Clash of the Titans" and "Fast & Furious 6" were filmed here. Solidified lava flows in black, red, and ocher alternate with bizarre rock formations like the Roques de García (the motif on the old 1,000 peseta note) and the Los Azulejos (greenish shimmering rocks due to iron oxide weathering).

To the summit: The cable car Teleférico del Teide takes you from 2,356 m to 3,555 m in just 8 minutes. From the mountain station to the summit (3,718 m) it is then about 40 minutes on foot — but beware: For the last 163 meters to the crater rim, you need a free permit, which must be applied for via the national park's website. The contingents are limited to 200 people per day and are often booked weeks in advance. Alternatively: Without a permit, you can hike on the Telesforo Bravo trail to the La Fortaleza viewpoint (3,555 m) — the view from there is also overwhelming.

Starry sky: The Teide is one of the best places in the world for stargazing. The national park carries the Starlight Tourist Destination certificate, and the low light pollution makes the night sky here an experience. Guided night tours with telescopes cost from 50 € and are worth every cent.