Mount Teide...

It was still dark when Candace and I walked off the Africa Mercy and headed for the main bus station in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Our mission was to make it to near the top of Mount Teide, Spain's highest mountain and the third highest-standing volcano in the world. I say "near the top" because, unfortunately, we were unable to get the access permit to pass through the gate and hike the last 150 metres to the very top.

We took our bus from Santa Cruz, past La Laguna, and down to Peurto de la Cruz. Here we caught the 09h15 (once-a-day) bus to the lower cable way station halfway up Mount Teide. The lower cable way station is itself located at a lofty 2,356 m (7,730 ft) above sea-level, and the cable car goes up from there to a height of 3,555 m. The summit of Teide is 3,718 m (12,198 ft) above sea-level.  

We caught the cable car to the upper cable way station (a trip of a mere eight minutes) and walked along one of the scenic routes. Unfortunately, the weather was rather hazy and thus the view was not as impressive as it could have been. But it was still pretty amazing to be standing where once hot lava flowed down the mountain! It is really quite a barren landscape up there.

We then caught the cable car back down and had a late lunch at the little cafe at the bottom. Then soon after 16h00 we were clambering back into our bus and heading down through changing scenery as we wound closer and closer to the coast. We arrived back to our ship home after 20h00 in the evening, happy to have accomplished what we had set out to do!

 Candace and I heading to Teide.

 Mount Teide on the horizon!

 The cable car heads up the mountain.

 The shadow of our cable car.

 Approaching the upper cable way station.

 Down goes the cable car.

 Crazy lunar landscape!

 Looking towards the cable way.

 We walked along to this view point that looks out at the 1798 eruption...

 As shown here.

 Candace and I.

 Looking towards the summit of Teide.

 View points near the upper cable station.

 Time to head down the mountain...

 It's a very steep journey!

I love all the different colours.

 Safely at the bottom - looking up at the cable way.

 Driving back we passed some crazy landscapes.

View towards the lower cable station.