Walking on Tenerife. Paddy Dillon
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Las Casillas, where partly-ruined houses huddle together in a gap on a rugged mountain crest
Start climbing up the ridge, but drift left and watch for yellow/white markers while climbing higher. Pass a huddle of heather trees and zigzag up past a stump of rock. The path eventually reaches a rocky crest bearing a line of telegraph poles. Turn left and use these as giant waymarks, revealing a rugged path making a rising traverse past rampant bushy scrub. Cross a rocky gap and follow the path through a bit of laurisilva woodland. Climb a little and later go down past Las Casillas, where a huddle of buildings, partly ruined, lie just off the ridge around 635m (2085ft).
Follow the path close to the ridge and pass just to the right of a pylon on a gap. The path climbs, then mostly runs down across a slope of laurisilva, passing a couple of houses. Rise and fall, in and out of laurisilva, and climb through dense woods to a road junction (bus service). The road left seems to wind forever up to El Bailadero. The road downhill is for Chamorga. The road immediately to the right runs to a little cemetery, around 635m (2085ft).
Looking across to Lomo de las Bodegas and the skyline hamlet of La Cumbrilla
Pass the cemetery and walk along a short track. Keep right to follow a path that leads quickly through woods and across a scrub-covered slope, passing a couple of small cultivated plots. The path reaches a slight gap on a rocky ridge. Turn left downhill, watching carefully for a path that drifts left and passes below a building to reach the end of a track. Follow the track downhill, across a valley and up to a road in the village of Lomo de las Bodegas.
Turn right to reach the road-end and turn left down steps towards a chapel. However, turn left again along a concrete path, gently up and down. Don’t go down a concrete path on the right, but keep straight ahead, winding uphill, with lots and lots of steps. These are flashed yellow/white all the way and occasionally named ‘Camino La Cumbrilla’. The path runs along a mountain ridge with houses strung along it at La Cumbrilla, around 700m (2300ft). Watch for markers all the way and turn right between the last buildings.
Follow a path down through laurisilva. Keep left at a fork, past a cultivated plot, then back into the woods, rising and falling gently. A steep and greasy stone-paved zigzag path drops down an open slope and heads back into the woods. Turn right at a signposted junction to drop from the woods to land on a road near the bus stop and little chapel in Chamorga, around 500m (1640ft). There are lots of dragon trees around the village, and a bar. Walk 3 starts here.
WALK 3
Chamorga, El Draguillo and Almáciga
| Start | Chamorga |
| Finish | Almáciga |
| Distance | 16km (10 miles) |
| Total Ascent | 300m (985ft) |
| Total Descent | 800m (2625ft) |
| Time | 5hrs |
| Terrain | Paths are often rugged and sometimes traverse steep, rocky slopes. |
| Refreshment | Bars at Chamorga, Benijo and Almáciga. |
| Transport | Infrequent buses serve Chamorga from Santa Cruz. Regular daily buses serve Almáciga from Santa Cruz. |
| Waymarked route(s) | Route uses PR TF 6, 6.1 and 6.2. |
This route wanders round the extreme north-eastern end of Tenerife. There are two options to start, either by heading down a rugged barranco and climbing to a lighthouse, or crossing a mountain and descending to the lighthouse. The continuation is along a rugged coastal route.
Note the number of dragon trees around Chamorga, and start from the bar, Casa Alvaro. There are two options for reaching the lighthouse, Faro de Anaga, either by walking down the barranco via the PR TF 6, or climbing above the bar and crossing the mountainside via the PR TF 6.1.
A footbridge across the stream in the Barranco de Roque Bermejo
PR TF 6
The road has a metal fence to the right, which continues down a concrete path with steps, passing houses. Cross a footbridge, go down a path with more steps and cross another footbridge. A narrow path follows a streambed, joining a broader path which is actually the continuation of the road. Turn right to follow it and later note a little house on the left. The path becomes more rugged as it descends through the Barranco de Roque Bermejo, either stone-paved or on bare rock. There is a big cave up to the left as the path climbs over a rocky notch.
Go down stone steps and a stone-paved path, over a rocky hump, then down to cross a couple of wooded footbridges over a cane-choked streambed. Rise a little and go round a corner, then down a winding path. Roque Bermejo is framed in the mouth of the barranco. The Casas Blancas are in ruins, so keep walking downhill, squeezing between cultivated areas, to reach a signpost at the bottom. The route turns left, but it is worth turning right first, down to houses at Roque Bermejo, climbing back afterwards. Turning left leads up a sweeping zigzag track, gravelly, gritty or stone-paved, up crumbling slopes covered in tabaibal, to the lighthouse of Faro de Anaga, at 230m (755ft). Continue up to a junction with the PR TF 6.1 and keep right.
PR TF 6.1
This route from Chamorga saves 2km (1½ miles), but does not visit Roque Bermejo. Leave the bar and go up a concrete road, which quickly ends and gives way to a rugged path. This climbs across a scrub-covered slope and keeps left of a curious outcrop of rock. An easy stretch undulates through laurisilva woods, rises with steps, and zigzags up a rock face with a fence beside at a higher level. Walk to a gap where the ruined Casas de Tafada stand, with patchy laurisilva around. The path rises a little on the mountain crest then heads left into the laurisilva. Trees give way to a scrub-covered slope as the path winds down to a junction near the Faro de Anaga. Turn left to continue along the PR TF 6.
Roque Bermejo seen from the lower part of the Barranco de Roque Bermejo
The path undulates and winds easily across the slope, past fennel and tangled scrub. Pass beneath an overhang and later go round into a gully where there is a little shrine. Cross a crumbling slope and pass overhangs. Climb a little, then wind down past a building with a wine press, and down past a cave beneath a huge boulder. Go in and out of a couple of gullies, getting close-up views of the islets of Roque de Dentro. Roque de Dentro is a sacred Guanche burial site. Climb through a barranco full of aloes to reach Las Palmas de Anaga, and pass the buildings with care as the cliffs beneath are crumbling.
There are lots of aloes, while prickly pears are almost like trees. Cross a couple of barrancos close together. The path winds and climbs steeply and ruggedly to outflank a crumbling cliff, heading in and out of gullies, then generally on a downward traverse. Cross a scree slope and turn up around a corner for a view of villages ahead. The path heads down across a slope and easily crosses a steep boulder scree slope. Wind downhill, with some stone steps, to cross a streambed. A short climb reaches a signpost at a junction with a track at a dragon tree beside the hamlet of El Draguillo, at 170m (560ft). A left turn links with Walk 4 and can be extended to return to Chamorga.
Follow the track between the houses, then go down a concrete road to leave the hamlet. Turn a corner, and apart from a stretch