Santa Cruz de Tenerife,
Spain  

One of the GREATEST things I have EVER done was to drive to Teide, the volcano that dominates the landscape of Tenerife! Just making hairpin turn after hairpin turn for over 20 miles on the way up was quite the experience! And when I got to the plain where lava flows buried the flows before them, it was awesome. The cable car ride to the base of the volcano was definitely worth the wait - although if you go later in the afternoon, say, about 2PM or so, the lines are almost non-existent. I was kind of disappointed that you need a permit, obtained in Santa Cruz BEFORE you go, in order to climb to the rim of the crater. But at over 2 miles above sea level, realistically I knew that I would not have been able to make that final climb. Still the view from where I reached was incredible, and I am thrilled that I took the trip.