Did you know? · Canary Islands
Canary Islands fun facts
Things you might not know about the Canary Islands. Every fact comes from an official or primary source, named alongside it.
Updated November 2026
The third-tallest volcano on Earth
Teide rises some 7,500 metres above the ocean floor, and UNESCO regards it as the world’s third-tallest volcanic structure; above the sea it is the highest peak on Spanish soil.
The first ideal city
The Lower Town of San Cristóbal de La Laguna was the first ideal “city-territory” laid out according to philosophical principles, in UNESCO’s words.
A forest from the Tertiary
Garajonay’s laurel forest, covering some 70 per cent of the park, resembles the vegetation of the Tertiary, which has largely disappeared from southern Europe (UNESCO).
The youngest island
El Hierro is the youngest, westernmost and southernmost of the Canary Islands, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2000 and a Geopark since 2014 (El Hierro tourism).
The first cactus
The first plant of César Manrique’s Jardín de Cactus, a candelabra euphorbia, went into the ground on 18 January 1989; it now stands six to seven metres tall (CACT).
Questions and answers
What is the highest mountain in Spain?
Teide, on Tenerife, in Teide National Park (UNESCO).
How many World Heritage sites do the Canary Islands have?
Four: Teide National Park, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Garajonay National Park and Risco Caído and the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria (UNESCO).