Читать книгу Walking on Tenerife - Paddy Dillon - Страница 12

ANAGA

Anaga, one of the oldest parts of Tenerife, is riven by deep and steep-sided barrancos

The Anaga peninsula, in the extreme north-east, is one of the oldest parts of Tenerife, and is protected as the Parque Rural de Anaga. Its rugged coastline often features cliffs, its mountains are riven by deep, steep-sided barrancos and the highest parts are covered in dense laurisilva cloud forests. Small villages cling to steep slopes that have been terraced for cultivation, and a network of old paths and mule tracks, as well as convoluted roads, link one village with another. Many routes have been signposted and waymarked in recent years.

Eight walks are offered on the peninsula and, while each one stands on its own merit as a day walk, they could also be linked together to create a long-distance walk around the peninsula. While the nearby urban areas of Santa Cruz and La Laguna offer plenty of accommodation, walkers also have the option of staying at a hostel high in the mountains at El Bailadero; the Albergue Montes de Anaga, tel. 922-823225, www.alberguestenerife.net.

There is an interesting visitor centre at Cruz del Carmen, dedicated to the natural history of the Anaga peninsula, tel. 922-633576. It offers plenty of information about walking opportunities in the area. Buses serve the villages on the peninsula from Santa Cruz and La Laguna.