FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Mount Teide

3,715

Metres

ACTUALLY a volcano, Teide stretches to an altitude of 3,715 metres above sea level, making it the highest peak in Spain. It’s located on Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, and, in terms of visitor numbers, is Spain’s most popular natural wonder.

In fact, Teide National Park, which received over 4 million visitors in 2016, is one of the most visited national parks in Europe. There are two routes to the summit: one takes around six hours, and the other more than

PUIG Major is Mallorca’s highest mountain at 1,445 metres, however it is within a military zone and access to the absolute summit is prohibited. The tarmac road that goes close to the top is famous among cyclists who love a fast descent, but if you are intent on climbing by foot to the highest accessible peak on the island, you’ll need to make do with nearby Puig de Massanella (1,364 metres).

Both form part of the Sierra de Tranmontana range (known as Serra de Tramuntana in Mallorca) in the north of the island, a UNESCO World eight.Both are very steep for long stretches, and classed as ‘high difficulty’. Temperatures can frequently drop to below freezing at the top in winter months, and a permit is required to get there.

Heritage Site.

An idyllic circular trail starts and ends at the monastery in Lluc, and should take you around seven hours to complete.

CENTRAL Spain’s highest mountain rises up to a respectable 2,591 metres in the Sierra de Gredos, and is largely made of granite.

Its name is derived from Al-Mansur, the Arabic for ‘The Victorious’. It’s said that a general during the time of Muslim rule who went by the name Al-Mansur because of his many victories over the Christians, spotted this mountain while riding by on a campaign and was captivated by its beauty. Somehow that filtered down to the map makers.

Easy access from Madrid (two hours away) and Avila (just an hour away) make this a popular destination for urban weekenders.

An impressive glacial cirque (scooped out valley) and lake, and viewpoint and summit are all accessible via fairly easy, well-marked trails. Accommodation is available beside the Laguna Grande at the Refugio Elola, and below, in the Valle del Tormes.

Unsurprisingly, most visitors don’t bother. You can go most of the way in the ‘comfort’ of a cable car, which – over the course of eight harrowing minutes – will take you from the station on the crater floor (2,356m) to plenty high enough (3,555m).