El Teide beats its record of visitors in 2016, with more than four million

The Teide National Park, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 2007, achieved a record number of 4,079,823 visitors last year, an increase of 790,378 people compared to 2015. The previous historical high was 3,836. 683 visitors and was produced in the year 1999.

This information has been made known in the presentation of the video ‘Teide enamorado’, with which it was wanted to highlight the beauty and excellence of the National Park, and that has had the president of the Cabildo, Carlos Alonso; The Minister of Sustainability and Environment, José Antonio Valbuena; The director of the Park, Manuel Durban; The tenor Celso Albelo; The author of the lyrics and music of the theme ‘Teide enamorado’, Fernando Estévez, and the mayor of La Orotava, Francisco Linares.
The causes of the increase in the number of visitors is determined by several aspects: the number of occupants registered in the occupancy samples of vehicles, which this time is quite high in relation to the data of recent years; And the increase in tourism produced in recent months and the large increase in vehicles registered by the gauges, especially at certain times of the year.
Although August is the month with the highest number of visitors, March occupied the first place with an average of 16,759 visitors per day (4,262 cars and 85 guaguas). The reasons: The two snowfalls prior to weekends, Easter of that year that involved a high number of tourists during this month and the average occupation of vehicles. In contrast, February was the month with the least visitors, with 8,879 average daily.
In terms of visitor visitors, July was the month with the highest number (something similar happened in 2011) and January which received the minimum.
Other reasons that have caused Teide National Park has beaten its record of visitors coincides with the increase in visits to the island of Tenerife and the high number of people who visited this natural area due to the flowering of the tajinaste in May of the year past. Although there are no data for 2016, these figures place Teide among the most visited National Parks in Spain.

‘Teide enamorado’

Teide National Park celebrates its tenth anniversary this year as a World Heritage Site. To commemorate this date, the musical video ‘Teide enamorado’ has been made, with the aim of highlighting and promoting the beauty and excellence of the Park.

To this end, Celso Albelo, an internationally renowned tenor from Tenerife and Gold Medalist from the island, accompanied by Güímar’s Instrumental and Vocal Friends Association, who together have given life to the video, whose lyrics and Music are authored by Fernando Estévez.
Carlos Alonso thanked the participation of the tenor and Friends of Art and stressed that this video “is another way to bring the Teide to all.” The president recalled that the island corporation is on the road “to relaunch the values ​​of the National Park linked to the new management model that the Cabildo wants to implement.”
For José Antonio Valbuena, this video links two unique enclaves of Tenerife: El Teide and Anaga, a massif that in June 2015 was declared a Biosphere Reserve. “We are working to enhance their values ​​through a more participatory management,” explained the counselor.
“El Teide is in love with Anaga,” Celso Albelo sings in this video that shows images of enormous beauty of different points of the National Park, of its vegetation of its geological formation and where also reference is made to the traditional sea of ​​clouds, to the Palm trees and two municipalities related to La Orotava and Puerto de la Cruz, passing by the sea and crossing the silhouette of the mountains of Anaga.
Celso Albelo said he feels “proud and grateful” for having participated in this project that “summarizes and demonstrates what makes us different from the rest and that is nothing other than the talent that exists in this island combined with an unparalleled natural environment.” For his part, Fernando Estévez acknowledged feeling a “huge joy” to see this project finalized.
The mayor of La Orotava, Francisco Linares, said that the Teide is a sign of Tenerife and the hallmark of its municipality. He added that initiatives like this one “help young people to know what Teide is: an open classroom”. In addition, he recalled that he is still working so that his municipality is also considered World Heritage.
The National Park, located in the center of the island, is the largest and oldest of the four existing in the Canary Islands. It was declared National Park in 1954 and in 1989 it received the European Diploma to the Conservation in its maximum category. It has two visitor centers, one in the Portillo and another in the National Parador, dedicated respectively to nature and traditional uses of Las Cañadas.

Courtesy of Europa Press
Photo Patea Tenerife