Walking on Tenerife – Exploring the undiscovered Eastern Valleys around Güímar and Arafo

When we were researching suitable areas for the ‘Walkabout’ series of articles in Living Tenerife Magazine, we spent some time venturing into the ravines around the Arafo area.

We’d picked up some officially produced mini-guides with the usual directions which were a cross between confusingly ambiguous and outright code and went in search of routes which sounded as though they might be of interest. One of them led to a cave and formed part of a pilgrims’ route to honour San Agustín who had ‘miraculously’ saved the town from disaster after their water supply had been cut off for 5 years (you could say he took his time to getting around to helping them out).The directions sounded straightforward enough, simply head into the ravine behind the town until you reach the cave with the saint’s image. However, when we left the town the entrance to the ravine broke off into three or four other smaller ravines which the guide failed to mention. For hours we explored paths, some of which were completely overgrown and some which were little more than faint outlines. There was supposed to be an annual pilgrimage, but there were little sign that anyone had walked these ravines in years. The guides had obviously been written a long time previously.
The scenery wasn’t fantastic, it was a grey damp day which didn’t help, but the depths of the ravines held some unexpected surprises. In one ravine water galleries, roaring with rushing mountain water, ran parallel to the path,keeping us company until we ended at an abandoned miners’ camp which could have been straight out of the Yukon gold rush. Railway tracks disappeared over hills which had collapsed; mined caves led deep into the hillside and in one small building a table was set with empty plates and a seriously dusty half full bottle of wine – it was all a bit Marie Celeste and, to be truthful, a bit unnerving. We didn’t hang about long in case whatever had scared off the miners decided to return.
We continued exploring the ravines and eventually, after many wrong turns and dead ends, found San Agustín’s cave. The approach was covered in brambles, but we fought our way through and finally, triumphantly entered the cave (more of an overhang in the rock) to see the image of the saint tucked inside. Despite the route appearing overgrown, there were fresh flowers inside. Somebody was a frequent visitor. We would like to have continued further into the barranco, but the path was blocked by an impenetrable ‘Sleeping Beauty’ wall of brambles, so whatever lay ahead remained hidden to us and we turned back toward Arafo.It’s typical of the eastern valleys which are still a bit of an enigma in Tenerife walking terms. You can walk all day and never encounter another soul, even in the more accessible parts. The area isn’t really included on walking routes, yet I’m convinced there are rewards as yet undiscovered in them thar hills.

Night Walk in the Anaga Mountains

The Adeje ayuntamiento are organizing a nocturnal walk in the laurisilva forests in the Anaga Mountains on the 22nd August.

I’m not sure what time it's at and whether ‘nocturnal’ means it’ll be at dusk, or in darkness as there’s no time mentioned on their website.

Is it me or are nocturnal walks a bit like watching a movie with your eyes closed? (Actually I have walked in Tenerife at night and it was spectacular, but that was on Mount Teide and not in a forest)

Prices: €8 with an Adeje empadronado, €12 without.

Contact the Casa de Juventud in Adeje for more information: Tel 922 78 18 08

Walking on Tenerife – The Masca Barranco

There’s something magical about Masca. It feels as though it belongs to another time and place and it comes as no surprise to learn that tales of sorcery and humans who can change into animals are commonplace in the ancient mountains and valleys which lend Masca its uniqueness.

It’s deservedly one of the most popular tourists’ locations on Tenerife, but only a tiny percentage of visitors to the charming hamlet stray from the path and descend into the mysterious barranco which wends its way through a prehistoric landscape to the coast three hours down the line.

The last time we walked through the Masca Barranco we had to shimmy down a rope near the start of the walk; the bridge across a small ravine having been destroyed in the forest fires of 2007. It added to the sensation that we were entering a lost world and if tiny dinosaurs had emerged from the undergrowth to accompany us as the walls of the ravine closed in above it wouldn’t have seemed too fantastical.The thing that always amazes us about walking in Tenerife is the diversity of the landscape. Many times whilst walking one of us will announce ‘this is definitely my favourite walk on Tenerife.’

That's until the next walk, of course.

The truth is that it’s difficult to compare like with like. How can you compare the other worldly weirdness of Las Cañadas del Teide with the ancient laurel lushness of the Anaga Mountains, or the sweeping beauty of the pine forests in the Orotava Valley? The prehistoric drama of the Masca Barranco is just another natural feather in Tenerife’s walking cap. At some places you feel as though you could spread your arms and touch both walls of the barranco at the same time (okay, maybe if you were one of the Fantastic Four, but hopefully you get the picture). Ferns and trickling streams accompany walkers through a wonderful, if bordering on claustrophobic in places, world.

I was foolish enough to think that walking through the Masca Barranco would require little navigation. I mean you hit the valley floor and there’s only one way to go, right? Wrong. For most of the route this is the case, but there are areas where scars in the cliff face open into other narrow ravines leading to who knows where and what – mysterious places that’s for sure.
One day, if I’ve got the time and energy, I’ve promised myself I’m going to venture deeper and hopefully make some Indiana Jones type discovery – a lost Guanche tribe hidden from the outside world for 500 years, or perhaps conquistadors’ treasure buried in the depths of a cave cut into the cliffs. When you’re in the deepest reaches of the Masca Barranco these thoughts don’t seem so far fetched, believe me. So far the best I can manage is to make it to the coast and little Masca Bay, a popular stop with dolphin cruises and a pick up point for those sensible people who opt to take a boat ride to Los Gigantes rather than make their way back up the barranco.

It’s not a particularly easy walk, especially if done both ways. The path can be quite difficult on the soles of the feet in places, but it is spectacular and exhilarating and definitely one of those magical Tenerife experiences.

Walking in the Hills and Mountains on Tenerife

If I had a euro for each time that I read that it can be cool during the day on Mount Teide even in summer, I’d be rich. Well I might not be rich, but I’d be able to pay for a nice meal.

It’s one of those Tenerife myths of which there are a few. It’s usually advice given by well meaning people, but where they got this idea I really don’t know and anyone walking at altitude on Tenerife in summer expecting it to get cooler the higher they climb is in for a shock.

This post is a sort of companion to a recent post about taking precautions at this time of year, but with the temperatures blowing the top off the thermometers we felt that it was important to reinforce the message that during the height of summer, the higher you go the hotter it is likely to get and it’s essential to realise this.

Last weekend we had planned to camp on the North West slopes and do some walking in that area in preparation for the next in our walking guides. Unfortunately I developed a 24 hour tummy bug and didn’t feel up to a long trek. But we headed into the area anyway to go to the splendid little Dia de la Trilla fiesta near El Tanque at around the 1100 metres mark.

It had been 30+ degrees at the coast, but as we drove higher with both car windows open and my arm leaning out of the window, the air rushing past became hotter and hotter until it felt as though someone was pointing a hairdryer at it. By the time we reached the fiesta the temperature was in the 40s and we bought a couple of straw hats to protect our heads.

Within moments, even with the hats, we were a pair of sweaty messes. At that point it occurred to us that my tummy bug had been a blessing in disguise. To walk in these temperatures would have been madness.It is incredibly hot at the moment, even for summer and most of the time you can still enjoy walking on Tenerife at this time of year as long as you are prepared. But don’t head into the hills expecting some relief from the heat or you might find that it feels as though you’ve literally stepped from the frying pan into the fire.

Walking on Tenerife – Coastal walks near Puerto de la Cruz: La Rambla de Castro

One of the nicest coastal walks on Tenerife, in our opinion, is merely a hop, skip and a jump from Puerto de la Cruz and can be reached via a path behind the Maritim Hotel near Punta Brava in neighbouring Los Realejos. La Rambla de Castro forms part of the old merchants’ highway which used to link the coastal communities along the north west coast. What makes this walk special is not just the spectacular scenery, but also the incredible diversity of interesting little curios that can be found along its winding path; It acts as somewhat of a time warp and a glimpse into life on Tenerife in bygone days as well as a beautiful and not particularly difficult walk. Where else can you find banana plantations and beautiful old haciendas; drago trees and palm and Indian laurel tree groves; tunnels leading to secret coves and wooden bridges over ravines; old communal washing areas and the building which housed the first steam engine on Tenerife; a tiny pirate lookout fort and even a rock which looks like an animal?

Oh, and did I mention the views of the North West coast were simply stupendous? The last time we walked it a warden from the bird sanctuary was releasing seabirds back into the wild and paragliders were launching themselves from the cliffs to glide inches above our heads.

It really is quite a magical part of the countryside that is only now being discovered by visitors to this area of Tenerife.
The Rambla de Castro walk is one of five coastal walks included in 'Captivating Coastlines' - FREE with any purchase of Island Walks or Island Drives.

Walking on Tenerife in the Heat of Summer

Driving into Santa Cruz yesterday to take our friend Jo to the bus station for her bus and ferry back to La Gomera, I noticed that the Anaga Mountains were completely clear and shimmering in the heat haze.
“This would be a perfect day for walking in the Anagas,” I said.
“Too hot,” said Jo, “unless you stuck to the forests.”

Jo lives in Los Aceviños, right at the edge of La Gomera’s Garajonay National Park; a dense rainforest of lichen-covered ancient laurisilva and Jo’s favourite terrain for walking
Wherever we’ve been walking with Jo (Britain, La Gomera, Tenerife, Greece...) she’s always embarrassed us by wearing wholly inappropriate head gear to protect her from the sun. She has never invested in a proper hat or cap for walking, on the grounds that they really don’t suit her, although how she can possibly consider a T shirt or a pair of shorts draped across her head, ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ style as a better solution, eludes me.

But for all of that, Jo’s remark about the heat acted as a timely reminder that walking on Tenerife in summer can be a dangerous business if you don’t follow some simple but critical rules.

Temperatures here are hitting 32° C by 9 o’clock in the morning, and that’s in the north of the island. By midday they’re nudging the mid to high 30s and they don’t lose their ferocity until around the 5.30pm mark. And if you’re walking at altitude, like in Teide National Park or in the mountains, then the intensity of the sun is even more magnified.

A couple of summers ago Jack and I set out on a cloudy July morning to walk in the Anaga Mountains from Chamorga to Roque Bermejo. By the time we reached the lighthouse high above World’s End (as we christened Roque Bermejo), the clouds had disappeared and the sun’s heat was merciless.
Stupidly, we didn’t refill the water bottles in the village before setting off along the interminable barranco (ravine) which would take us back to Chamorga.

With just a trickle of now hot water left between us, the landscape took on a distinctly ‘Sergio Leone film set’ look and Jack and I had visions of the lizards picking at our bleached bones. We laugh about it now, but there were some seriously dodgy moments on that return hike and we were very relieved and badly dehydrated by the time we finally made it back to Chamorga.
So, a word of advice for walking on Tenerife in summer:
Always wear sunscreen and head protection (whether you chose to go with the over-sized knotted hanky look or not is entirely up to you) and carry at least 1½ litres of water per person, refilling whenever and wherever you can.
Other than that, take your time, enjoy the spectacular vistas that will accompany you and keep reminding yourself that you’re actually on Tenerife; a Tenerife that exists only to those who choose to venture away from their resorts and see something of the real island.

Walking on Tenerife - A Glimpse of Rural Life

Last week, I took advantage of the glorious weather and decided to head up to La Caldera on the road to Teide National Park to spend some time communing with nature.
The scent of hot pine needles is one of the most evocative fragrances I know. When I breathe it in deeply I get an enormous sense of well being and joy and I find it almost addictive. So any opportunity to head to the woods on a hot day and I’m there.

Strolling through dappled forest paths, almost hyper-ventilating on the delicious smell, I dropped gradually down hill to the outskirts of Aguamansa and along a path I think of as ‘Flower Lovers’ Lane’. A narrow, winding lane is bordered on both sides by allotments of rich, red earth in which neat rows of potatoes, vines, cabbages and tomatoes flourish.
Lining the path, high hedgerows are ablaze with colour; campanula, cranesbill, foxgloves, daisies, forget-me-nots, trailing geraniums, poppies and wild sweet peas all vying for attention amidst the elegant tall grasses.

Sometimes, walking on Tenerife can transport me back to idyllic days on country lanes in Britain, and dreamily wandering this lane, I could have been in Devon or Cornwall. The illusion continued as I travelled further into the heart of rural Aguamansa passing stone cottages with thatched roofs.

But then I turned a corner and the commanding outline of Mount Teide filled the skyline, its peak shimmering in the heat haze and its shoulders mantled in rich, olive pine forests. I stood to take a photograph and watched an eagle circling the fields on the hot air currents before it landed in the uppermost branch of an enormous fir tree.

On the return route I called in at the trout farm to see the rescued birds of prey and ended my walk where I began; in the hot, pine-scented forest where a cold beer on the terrace of a log cabin bar provided the perfect end to my Tenerife/Devon day.

The La Caldera to Aguamansa route has just been published on PDF and comes with a free copy of ‘Captivating Coastlines’ – the five best coastal walks on Tenerife.