THE TENO MASSIF

Like the Anaga in the north-east of the island, but smaller in size, it is an old basalt massif, very eroded and marked by numerous dykes, which constitutes the north-western tip of Tenerife. It culminates at 1,003 m. Like the Anaga, it is covered on its northern slope with beautiful remains of laurel forests. On the other hand, the southern slope, which is much drier, is the starting point for a series of deep barrancos that descend to the approximately 500-metre-high cliffs of the west coast. The coastal road ends in a cul-de-sac at the Punta de Teno. To reach the west coast and the south of Tenerife, you leave the coast at Icod de los Vinos by road 821, which winds its way between the Teno massif and the north-western slope of Las Cañadas via Santiago del Teide, where some nice restaurants with terraces await you. At the exit of San Juan del Reparo, the viewpoint of La Atalaya offers a beautiful view of Garachico, the port devastated in 1706 by a lava flow. The road then crosses El Tanque and winds its way to Erjos. At the exit of this village, one notices, in a bend, a basin filled with small green marshes - a rare landscape in a rather arid climate - as well as a curious brown rocky peak. In the background, the clear hills are wrinkled with old agricultural terraces. These marshes are an excellent starting point for a hike on the Teno ridges. The road then descends on the other side to Santiago del Teide with its small church with immaculate walls.