Ten of the best…European national parks

http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/

From the volcanic caldera of Mount Teide to the craggy tors of Dartmoor, Europe’s national parks combine stunning scenery with wonderful flora and fauna. Ruth Styles rounds up ten of the best,

including: Teide National Park, Tenerife: A UNESCO World Heritage site since 2007 …

and

Where to stay: Hotel Tigaiga in Puerto de la Cruz is a 14-time winner of the TUI Environmental Champion Award and surrounded by lush tropical gardens. www.tigaiga.com

Get there: If you aren’t prepared to fly, factor in at least three days of travel if you plan to go overland from the UK to Tenerife. Take the Eurostar to Paris where you can catch a sleeper train to Madrid. From Madrid, the train will take you to Cadiz where regular ferries ply the waters between Spain and the Canary Islands. One big advantage of taking the ferry is the huge variety of marine life in the waters off Spain’s south coast. Short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins can both be seen from the deck once you reach the waters off Tenerife.

For more information, go to www.webtenerife.com