We are staying on the south coast of Tenerife, which is very dry and sunny. So, it has a lot of resorts and beaches for sun lovers!
But today, we’re going to go to the north coast, which is significantly wetter and greener. It’s about one hours drive away. We take the highway north and then stop in the town of El Tosca for coffee and pastries before we hike. Our walk today is on a cobbled path crossing the Rambla de Castro, a protected natural reserve. The path is mostly perched or carved high above the black sand beaches, offering great views of cliffs and sea, palm groves and bits of Tenerife’s history. The whole walk is about 4.5 miles round trip and climbs about 1500 feet total. But we’re in no hurry!
Our first views are of the beach of Los Roques with big waves and big rocks! The views from above are amazing. The cliffs of the Tigaiga massif along the way give glimpses of many small beaches of black sand. Some of the trail is pretty steep and narrow, but all well maintained.
One of the highlights of this hike is this abandoned building perched at the bottom of cliff, accessed (when it’s open) by a steep staircase. El Elevador de Aguas de Gordejuela, also known as Casa Hamilton for the company that built it, is what is left of a former pumping station harvesting and pumping spring water exiting from the base of the cliff. Water percolating through the porous volcanic soil in the mountains flows down until it hits an impermeable rock layer and then sideways to this location. The building was built in 1903 by the Hamilton company to pump water from the Gordejuela springs to banana plantations in the Orotava Valley. The system used the first steam engine on Tenerife.
The fort of San Fernando, a small defensive fortress built during the 18th century was completed in 1808. Originally, there were five guns to protect this area of the island from pirates and corsairs who continually besieged it. Today, three of the five cannons are still there!
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