Mount Teide

Imagine a big, sleepy mountain sitting all alone in the bright blue ocean. The warm sun feels like a cozy blanket on my rocky sides, and I wear a little hat of cool, white snow on my head, even when it’s sunny. I love to watch the fluffy clouds float by and listen to the waves splash at my feet. Can you guess who I am. I am Mount Teide, a giant, gentle volcano.

I was born from a big, fiery rumble deep inside the Earth a very, very long time ago, about 170,000 years ago. After I grew tall, the first people came to live on my island. They were called the Guanches, and they thought I was a very special and powerful place. They would look up at my snowy hat and feel safe. I am a very quiet volcano now. A long time ago, in the year 1909, I let out one little puff of steam from my top. It was like a big, sleepy sigh before I went back to napping in the sun.

One happy day, on January 22nd, 1954, I was given a new name. I became Teide National Park, a special home for pretty flowers and little animals. Now, friends from all over the world come to visit me. They climb my slopes to say hello and watch the sun go to sleep. When it gets dark, we look up at the twinkling stars together. From way up here, they look so close you could almost reach out and touch them. I love sharing the sparkly night sky with all my friends and reminding them to dream big.