Tenerife - Blue Finches and Flower Power

Bright sunshine, green forests and the domineering Mount Teide Volcano make Tenerife a dream destination, boasting an abundance of natural beauty. The explorer Alexander von Humboldt already recognised this in 1799, and described the island's splendour with profuse enthusiasm. Million year old landscapes can be found side by side the bizarre shapes and magnificent colours of more recent volcanic activity. On this isolated Atlantic island, hundreds of plant and animal species have evolved, which are unique to this location. The underlying biological processes involved in the origin of species here, is indeed comparable to that of the Galapagos Islands. Seemingly enchanted, damp laurel forests, which have long vanished from other places, take us millions of years back in time. These lie in close proximity to dry semi-deserts, quiet Canary pine forests and the Teide National Park¿s extraodinary floral spectacle at altitudes of 2,000 metres. Nature impresses with the familiar, but also with an outlandish diversity, which is comprehensively documented and illustrated in the over 260 photographs of this nature travel guide. More than 20 tips for excursions and walks are included, designed to give the visitor a close-up experience of nature on this island.