Geological History
At only 3 million years old, the area protected by the national park is in the youngest part of Tenerife; one which joined up the older volcanic ranges to the north, west and south to form a large island backbone, the Cumbre Dorsal , that stretches west from the park. Volcanic activity continued in the centre of the island, reaching a peak around 300,000 years ago in a volcano of spectacular proportions whose sixteen-kilometre wide crater now forms the boundary of today's park. Exactly what geological event destroyed the volcanic mountain that once stood here is unclear. Subsequent volcanic activity and thousands of years of more subtle erosive forces has made it difficult to judge. Perhaps an enormous explosion blew its top off, or caverns forming underground as lava and gases escaped may have caused the whole mountain to cave in. The crater rim is still clear in the south of the park where the steep-sided mountain of Guajara is its highest point, but is buried to the north by the majestic bulk of Pico del Teide . Near Guajara and beside the classy, state-run Parador Hotel, are Los Roques de Garcia , a line of bizarre twisted rock formations which stand as tribute to the erosive forces that have helped shaped the park. These rocks are thought to be the boundary of two basins produced by material being eroded away from either side of this landform. Both these basins would be filled with more disfigured rock if this hadn't long since been buried by rivers of lava and small pumice pellets spewed up from Teide. The resulting vast and inhospitable lava and pumice plains that dominate this landscape are known as Las Canadas , from which the park gets its name.
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