Terrain visibility analysis

Can you see Mount Teide from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria?

Short answer: Yes, in theory, from the studied point on Playa de Las Canteras in the La Cícer sector. Sightelo's terrain model leaves the Teide summit above the horizon.

Can you see Teide from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria? Sightelo tests 118.9 km from La Cícer beach, accounting for terrain, curvature and refraction.

This calculation concerns one coastal urban point in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Other points on Gran Canaria may give a different result; Sightelo models terrain geometry, not actual atmospheric clarity.

View the calculation in Sightelo

Key figures

Observation point: La Cícer, Playa de Las Canteras, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; Latitude, longitude: 28.134129, -15.441150; Modelled ground elevation: 7.9 m; Eye height: 1.7 m
Point of interest: Teide, Tenerife, Spain
Target elevation: 3,715 m
Straight-line distance: 118.9 km
Direction to the summit: 277.7° (west)
Modelled summit clearance: +570 m

Terrain profile and line of sight

Detailed profile

Scroll horizontally to explore the full profile on a small screen.

Calculated terrain
Observer–summit sight line
Minimum visibility line
0 m reference (modelled curvature)

Terrain already includes modelled curvature and refraction (k = 0.13). The grey curve is the 0 m reference: subtract it from the terrain curve to read real elevation. Sight lines remain straight; no second curvature correction is applied. Vertical and horizontal scales differ.

At the summit, the target clears the modelled horizon by 570.0 m. No blocking terrain is calculated. The relief forming the horizon is 117.335 km from A.

The calculation models terrain, Earth curvature and standard atmospheric refraction. It does not model buildings, trees, clouds, haze or local atmospheric variations.

Calculated profile values

Distance (km)	118.9 km
Observer eye altitude	9.6 m
Summit altitude	3715.0 m
Minimum visible target altitude	3145.0 m
Target margin above the modelled horizon	+570.0 m
Minimum local sight-line clearance	+16.5 m
Displayed / calculated samples	499 / 1191
Excluded around A / B	200 m / 1500 m
Horizon-forming relief	117.3348 km

Audited calculation: 2026-10-13. The interactive calculator can recalculate with currently available elevation data.

What this example helps you study

From La Cícer, the 118.9 km line heads west over the Atlantic towards Tenerife. The modelled terrain does not block the summit; Sightelo accounts for Earth curvature and standard refraction. Buildings, haze, calima and clouds can still prevent an actual sighting.

The modelled horizon is 1.05° above the observer's horizontal. The summit's angular elevation is 1.32°: at 3,715 m, it stands about 570 m above the minimum summit elevation needed for geometric visibility from this point.

Limits of interpretation

The calculation models terrain, Earth curvature and standard atmospheric refraction. It does not model buildings, trees, clouds, haze or local atmospheric variations.

Technical details

Observation point coordinates: 28.134129, -15.441150
Summit coordinates: 28.272300, -16.642500
Terrain model: Copernicus DEM 90
Eye height: 1.7 m
Refraction used: Standard (k = 0.13)
Sample step: 100 m
Uncertainty threshold: 30 m
Observer exclusion radius: 200 m
Requested summit exclusion radius: 900 m

A positive value means the summit clears the modelled terrain horizon. A negative value means the summit lies below the minimum elevation required to clear that horizon. This value is not the local height of blocking terrain above the sight line.