Our first stop of the day was Garachico. We thought we might have had time to visit it the day before but we didn’t. No biggy!
This is our map for today’s journey:
Garachico
Nestled below a 500-meter cliff on the northern coast of Tenerife lies the sleepy beach town of Garachico. Cobbled streets invite visitors to explore the pretty seafront town and discover one of the best preserved historic districts in the Canaries. With a rich and ancient heritage, it was founded in the 15th century and was an important trading port. The town was almost destroyed after a volcanic eruption in 1706, the Church of Santa Ana was one of the places where the locals took refuge. After the eruption, the town’s busy trading port came to a sudden halt.
Among the town’s attractions are sea water rock pools teeming with tropical fish, a 16th-century fortress named Castillo de San Miguel, and the Iglesia de Santa Ana, which houses a wealth of artistic heritage.
The 1706 volcanic eruption, which buried the old port forever, formed the arm of the sea known as El Caletón (the cove) in a capricious way. Its “charcos” (puddles), Las Viejas (the old ones), Los Niños (the children), Los Chorros (the jets), etc., create a set of natural pools, with acceptable conditions for bathing and an excellent promenade.
Church of Santa Ana in Garachico
This parish church was built in 1520 on a plot of land that was handed over to the Church by the founder of Garachico, Cristóbal de Ponte. His wife, Ana de Vergara, inspired the name of the church. Despite being seriously damaged in the eruption of 1706, it was restored to its former grandeur. Its most significant assets are the figure of Cristo de la Misericordia from Mexico and the 17th century baptismal font. The white tower is the bell tower of the Iglesia de Santa Ana church.
Castillo de San Miguel in Garachico
The Castle of San Miguel (Castillo de San Miguel) dates from the 16th Century. It is more of a fort than a castle. It was built in 1575 to protect the main trade harbor of Tenerife from pirates and English warships that often tried to attack Garachico, which was the capital of Tenerife at that time. Works began in 1575, but were delayed due to lack of manpower. It came into operation, still unfinished, in 1579. The 1706 eruption failed to harm it.
On an architectural level, the castle is built in a Renaissance style, with a square layout and large stone walls. A white bell gable and the coat of arms of Charles I of Spain and V of Germany adorn the main entrance.
Outside, one can find an old cannon which is evidence of the defensive function that the Castle performed in the past, as well as anchors attached to its façade.
But the best part of visiting Garachico was El Caletón, the natural pools. Not only were they beautiful and fun to walk around, the scenery beyond them was also exceptional!
We now drove to Buenavista del Norte to catch a bus to Punta de Teno. One cannot drive to Punta de Teno except for certain times (that didn’t fit our schedule), hence the bus. Bus 369, to be exact.
Marked by a candy-cane-colored lighthouse, Punta de Teno is a rocky headland that forms the northwestern tip of Tenerife. This cinematic location in Teno Rural Park (Parque Rural de Teno) delivers godly views of the Los Gigantes cliffs (Acantilado de Los Gigantes).
The Punta de Teno Lighthouse is an active lighthouse. The current lighthouse was the second to be constructed on the narrow rocky headland of Punta de Teno, which is the most westerly point on the island. It is one of seven lighthouses which mark the coastline of Tenerife, and lies between the Punta Rasca Lighthouse to the southeast, and the modern lighthouse of Buenavista to the northeast.
Its construction began in 1891, but it was not finished until 1893 and it did not start operating until 1897. From that moment on, it served as the home of the two lighthouse keepers who took care of it and their respective families. As with any house at that time, it had a dining room, bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom so that the lighthouse keepers and their families could live comfortably. Nowadays, the Punta de Teno Lighthouse in Tenerife is uninhabited and works automatically.
The next pictures are views from the bus ride back to Buenavista del Norte.
Many banana plants!!
It was time to get in the rental and do some more driving. We followed the curving road through the mountains, enjoying the scenery and stopped along the way from time to time. One of the villages we drove through was Masca.
Located 600 meters above sea level at the foot of the Teno Mountains, the small village of Masca ushers travelers through deep ravines and winding roads fringed with lush, green fauna. Houses perch precariously on cliffs along narrow roads. This beautiful mountain village is home to only about 90 inhabitants. Masca Valley is a beautiful, lush green valley surrounded by mountains, located in the northeast of Tenerife.
We didn’t stop at Masca, primarily because there was no place to park. But it was a nice (albeit curving) drive to, through, and away from Masca on the way to our next stop.
The island of La Gomera is seen in the distance in several of the pictures below.
The picture below is of one of my favorite plants in the Canary Islands. It can be knee high, waist high, or over six feet tall.
Our last stop of the day was to Los Gigantes. Los Gigantes is a resort town in the Santiago del Teide municipality on the west coast of Tenerife. Its main attractions are the giant rock formations, Acantilados de Los Gigantes, that rise from the sea to a height of 500-800 meters after which the town has been named. Los Gigantes means “The Giants.” Also attracting visitors is the natural swimming pool, Piscina Natural Acantilado de Los Gigantes.
But first, we had a late lunch at Tipsy Los Gigantes. The food was incredible and the breezy open-air space was lovely!
Then it was time to see the cliffs and the pool.
We stayed at a lovely resort that night: Los Olivos Beach Resort. When we went to the rooftop bar to have a glass of wine, we met a lovely couple from Scotland. We talked to them for about 45 minutes and shared goodbye hugs, which put a nice bow on the wrapping of a perfect day.
We had planned to take a cable car to the top of Mount Teide the next day but it was canceled, so we just drove to our next resort: Mi Posadita, Apartamento Salto Angel. We took a walk to the beach. That was pretty much it for November 3rd!
