Top 10 Volcanoes in Spain
Spain has two volcanic provinces that share almost nothing geologically. The Canary Islands sit over a deep mantle source in the Atlantic, with active eruptions still happening. On the mainland, the volcanic field of La Garrotxa in Catalonia is much quieter — but it is real, recent, and walkable in a long weekend.
1. Teide (Tenerife)
Spain's highest mountain at 3,715 m, in the centre of the Las Cañadas caldera. Considered active; the last summit eruption was in 1909. Climbing requires a permit booked well in advance.
2. Tajogaite (La Palma)
The 2021 Cumbre Vieja eruption — 85 days of effusive and explosive activity that destroyed more than 3,000 buildings and reshaped the western coast of La Palma. Now a scientific reserve and slow tourist trail.
3. Timanfaya (Lanzarote)
The 1730–36 eruption series buried a quarter of Lanzarote in basalt and created the lunar landscape of today's Timanfaya National Park. Geothermal heat still grills meat over open vents at the visitor centre.
4. La Garrotxa volcanic field (Catalonia)
Around 40 small monogenetic cones in the Pyrenean foothills near Olot. The most recent eruption was about 11,500 years ago at the Croscat cone. A 1,000-km² protected natural area, walkable on foot in a day or two.
5. Croscat (La Garrotxa)
The youngest and largest cone in the Catalonian field — partly quarried in the 20th century, which has left an impressive cross-section of the cone's internal structure.
6. Pico Viejo (Tenerife)
The second peak of the Teide-Pico Viejo complex, 3,135 m, with a deep 1,000-m-wide crater. Reached by a long traverse from the Teide trail.
7. Tagoro (El Hierro, submarine)
The 2011–12 submarine eruption off El Hierro never broke the surface but produced floating rafts of pumice and a major scientific event. The closest most travellers will get is the village of La Restinga nearby.
8. Caldera de Taburiente (La Palma)
A vast erosion caldera (not a classic collapse caldera) in the 2-million-year-old La Palma shield. A 1,500-m-deep amphitheatre of pine forest and waterfalls.
9. Cofrentes / Cabezo Negro
Inland Spain has a few minor Pleistocene volcanic centres in Valencia and Almería provinces. Cofrentes hosts hot springs from residual heat in the system.
10. Cabo de Gata (Almería)
An eroded volcanic complex on the Mediterranean coast of Andalusia, no longer active but visually striking — black cliffs, beaches of basaltic sand, an arid landscape unlike the rest of the Spanish coast.
Why Spain has two volcanic worlds
The Canaries sit above a mantle plume on the African Plate. La Garrotxa and the smaller inland fields are the surface expression of slow extension during the Cenozoic, related to the broader Western Mediterranean tectonic history.
Safety and access
Teide and La Palma's lava field require care and, in some cases, permits. La Garrotxa is a hiking-friendly protected area with marked trails. Always check INVOLCAN (for the Canaries) for current activity before approaching active zones.
On the map
Open the map and filter to Spain to see the contrast: a busy Canary chain off the coast of Africa, and a small, quiet but real volcanic field tucked into the Catalan Pyrenees.