I took a beautiful morning hike on the last day of our road trip: Barranco del Infierno: Heavenly hike in Tenerife’s Hell’s Gorge
Description: A somewhat unfortunate name for an idyllic haven: The Barranco del Infierno Nature Reserve, located in Adeje might well come with an intimidating name. But don’t let that put you off! It’s a haven of stunning beauty and diversity. The name comes from the steep slopes of the rocks and ravines, but the Barranco del Infierno is more heaven than hell: an oasis of unspoiled nature that will take your breath away. Journeying through the altitudes: You’ll go from 350 meters above sea level to an altitude of 1,300 meters, giving you the chance to take in constantly evolving panoramic views. The path narrows as you enter the ravine, leading you to an impressive 200-meter waterfall. To witness the waterfall at its most impressive, consider visiting during the island’s times of higher rainfall, typically between November and April.
A unique ecosystem: The Barranco del Infierno is home to a huge variety of flora and fauna, boasting more than 456 different species. You’ll come across native species such as ‘cardones’ (giant cacti), ‘tabaiba’ (a native species of Euphorbia), Canary Island dragon trees and ‘espineros’ (Rhamnus crenulata) in the thermophilic forest. And when you’re 600 meters above sea level, you’ll also get great views of the majestic Canarian pine trees. As for the fauna, you may well catch a glimpse of ravens, sparrowhawks, and even owls at sunset.
One of the nice things about this trail is that you have to register to hike it. They only allow groups of 20 or fewer to hike at a time. I was in the first group of the day (you don’t walk together, you just start together) and there were probably about 10 of us.
Stats:
Distance = 6.07 km
Duration = 2 hrs 53 m
Elevation = 990 meters
Route = Out and back
Map:
I will say more about the “impressive 200-meter waterfall” later, but let’s get right to the pictures.
This, my friends, is the impressive 200-meter waterfall. There was another couple at the waterfall when I was there. I was joking about the waterfall. They confirmed that it wasn’t very impressive and that it was because there had been next to no rain. So, I was supposedly there toward the end of the rainy season, but it hadn’t been very rainy. It was a very thin stream of water.
That was the end of the trail. Here are a few more pictures from the return trip. It always looks a little different going the other way. And the sun was higher in the sky now.
The picture on the right-hand side below is one of my favorite plants (you might remember this from a previous post). This one is quite a bit taller than I am. It is probably 6.5 feet tall.
A gentleman walking the other way offered to take my picture. If you are wondering about the helmet, it is required because rocks routinely fall along the hike. Signs are posted where they are most likely to fall. You are warned not to stop at those points. (I think my smile looks kind of forced. I’d been standing there smiling awhile while he got the perfect angle.)
I like the view of the trail in the left-hand picture below.
I kept hearing what sounded to me like an injured animal, but I never saw any animals. I suppose it is just the sound that particular animal makes. I hope it wasn’t injured, anyway!
I walked to a coffee shop after the hike. The hills were very pretty from sea level (well, almost sea level).
Michael and I had one more stop to make on our way home. It was to Arco de Tajao.
A natural sandstone arch, Arco de Tajao is a unique formation that seems atypical to Tenerife making it a special place on the island to visit. Located on the south coast of Tenerife, Arco de Tajao was part of a pyroclastic flow from a large eruption which started over 700,000 years ago and is made of volcanic deposits. Over many years, the rock formation was subject to consistent erosion which carved the shape of the arch to what you can see today. There are two parallel ravines which due to their proximity have allowed the gradual erosion to carve the rock and leave Arco de Tajao in all its glory. The arch is fragile and has provided shelter to local farming communities in Tenerife over the years.
