Pico Viejo, also included within the national park limits, is the second highest volcano in the Canary Islands with its 3,135 m peak.

[6][7] There are morning and afternoon coach trips through the park, departing from selected areas in the south of Tenerife's tourist towns.

[14] The lava flows on the flanks of Teide weather to a very thin, but nutrient and mineral rich soil that supports a diverse number of plant species.

[18] Forests of Canary Island pine (Pinus canariensis) occur from 1000 to 2100 m, covering the middle slopes of the volcano, and having an alpine timberline 1000 m lower than that of continental mountains of similar latitude.

The Teide violet (Viola cheiranthifolia) can be found right up to the summit of the volcano, making it the highest flowering plant in Spain.

[22] These plants are adapted to the tough environmental conditions on the volcano such as high altitude, intense sunlight, extreme temperature variations, and lack of moisture.

Other mammals such as the mouflon, the rabbit, the house mouse, the black rat, the feral cat, and the Algerian hedgehog have all been introduced to the park.

In 2010 a research team tested at Las Cañadas del Teide the Raman instrument that was to be used in the ESA-NASA ExoMars expedition to Mars.

[30] In 2017, ESA tested planetary rovers in an area of the park known as Las Minas de San José.