Teide National Park is Tenerife's great inland shock: a high volcanic basin ringed by cliffs and dominated by Mount Teide, Spain's highest peak. After the resort coast, the drive up feels like crossing into another country. Pine forest gives way to ochre pumice, black lava, pale ash and strange rock towers, with the cone of Teide rising above everything.
You do not need to reach the summit for the park to be worthwhile. The road loop through Las Canadas gives huge views across the caldera, and short trails around Roques de Garcia show the lava formations at their most theatrical. The cable car climbs close to the summit, but the final path to the top requires a permit and the weather can shut the lift at short notice.
Bring layers, water and sun protection even if you start from the beach in warm weather. The altitude changes quickly, the air is dry, and the light can be fierce. On clear evenings, the park is also one of the easiest places in the Canaries to understand why Tenerife is famous for astronomy: the sky darkens fast, and the stars arrive in force.