Tenerife Location and Surface

Location of Tenerife

Together with the neighbouring Gran Canaria Tenerife forms the centre of the Canary Islands. Tenerife is located 60 km to the west-northwest of Gran Canaria. Nearby islands to the west of Tenerife are La Gomera (28 km) and La Palma (84 km). The coordinates of Tenerife are 28°16′ N 16°36′ W.

Tenerife surface area and shape

Tenerife is the largest of all Canary Islands and has a surface area of 2,034 km². It has triangular shape with the base of the triangle being formed by the west coast and a narrower strip of land running to the northeast.

Tenerife is more than 80 km long (from the base to the top of the triangle) and as much as 50 km wide (at its widest point crossing the peak of the Teide close to the west coast).

Pico del Teide: the highest mountain of Spain

The dominant part of Tenerife’s surface and one of the symbols of Canary Islands is Pico del Teide, a volcano holding several superlatives. With its 3,718 m Teide is the highest mountain of Tenerife, Canary Islands and the whole Spain (its height exceeds all mountains in both Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada). It is also the highest mountain of the European Union outside the Alps. Teide is also the world’s third largest volcano when measured from its base (the peak of the Teide is 7,500 m above its base at the bottom of the Atlantic).

Due to its high altitude, the peak of Mount Teide is covered with snow in winter, though people are swimming in the sea just few kilometres from it.

Teide National Park and Teide cable car

The area surrounding Pico del Teide is protected as the Teide National Park (Parque Nacional del Teide) and offers beautiful sceneries and panoramic views of the whole Tenerife and the nearby islands. There is also a cable car which can get you close to the peak.

The diverse landscape of Tenerife

The landscape of Tenerife is not limited to the super-high volcano. In fact Tenerife has many different faces and both the scenery and the climate vary across the island. Besides the Teide there are other pieces of volcanic landscape, as well as almost desert areas. You can also find deep valleys, mountain ranges, or the tall cliffs, Acantilados de Los Gigantes (Cliffs of the Giants).

While the east and south of Tenerife are quite arid, the north coast gets more rain, as the clouds coming from the ocean are often stopped by the Teide. As a result, the north coast may be less ideal for the beach vacation than the south, but it provides some beautiful views and wild nature.

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• Pico del Teide from Gran Canaria’s West Coast Road
• Gran Canaria Location and Surface
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Topics: Tenerife, Acantilados de Los Gigantes, Canary Islands national parks, Teide, Teide National Park, Volcanoes