Through a tunnel over the cliffs
An interesting day trip that will take you through a 2km tunnel to the center of the gorge between the cliffs of Los Gigantes to the viewpoint of the Degollada del Roque. About 15km trek offers beautiful views of the hills, cliffs and the sea. It offers an extraordinary experience of walking through a tunnel, through which water passes through the mountain from the gorges to the dry south to the banana plantations.
Start of the route through the banana plantation
As a starting point, we had our temporary settlement in the city of Puerto Santiago in the southwest of the island of Tenerife. The climate is still very nice all year round. Even in winter around 20C and very often larger, because it is located in the lee of the volcano Teide.
The beginning of the tunnel
After a few kilometers of road leading through the Parque Rural de Teno nature reserve along the Barranco Archipenque gorge, we come across the first of several tunnels. These tunnels were built to channel water from cliffs and gorges down the south dry coast to banana plantations.
Road 2 km through a tunnel
The cliffs of Los Gigantes are dotted with several tunnels of varying lengths and accessibility. We chose the first tunnel and the longest on our route. Flashlights on powebanks or mobile phones were enough for us. The road is well permeable, just watch your head, the rock is sometimes lower than it seems. Water was still gurgling in the canal along the road next to us, so this tunnel still serves its purpose.
On the other side of the tunnel
After passing the tunnel, we got directly to the Barranco gorge of Mancha de Los Díaz, in the middle of the massive cliffs of Los Gignates. We continued a long way along the water canal, which led through several more small tunnels and the god of the mountain.
Climb to the top of the cliff
After a few kilometers along the Barranco Gorge, the Mancha de Los Díaz, we reached the Galería la Junquera signpost, and from there we began to climb steeply up the cliff to the Degollada del Roque viewpoint. There is a divine peace around us, only from time to time a kid will go astray when he calls his mother, from whom he is within sight.
View of the gorge to the ocean
As you climb, the vistas begin to show what they had been hiding. We see as in the palm of our hand the entire length of the gorge between the rocks to the ocean. In the distance you can also see the nearby Gomera – another of the Canary Islands.
View of Teide
The dominant feature of the entire island of Tenerife, the Pico de Teide volcano, is also beginning to peek out of the road between the cliffs. The highest mountain in Spain, where at an altitude of 3,715 meters above sea level you will find occasional snow.
Vegetation as in botanical
We went trekking in December, so the surrounding nature was awakened to life and otherwise dry bushes were overgrown with greenery. But despite the year, when there is more drought, there is much to see. There is a kingdom of succulents that grow to huge sizes. It's so nice to watch the same cactus you have in the pot at home here, as big as a tree, on the outcrops.
Degollada del Roque
We have finally reached our goal of a day trip – the Degollada del Roque viewpoint. We shortened the path by climbing straight up a rock about 500 meters, so that we do not have to go around the road for more kilometers.
Tamaimo
From the top we have a nice view of the town of Tamaimo nestled in the hills, which begin to rise on the way from the south to the north side of the island.
Cross the cliffs back home
Just below the Degollada del Roque viewpoint, we connected for a while to the PR TF 65.3 Circular El Molledo hiking trail, which then descends into the valley and leads back to Los Gigates. Further down, it connects to the path we went before we went into the tunnel.
Way back over the ridge
The way back over the Lomo de las Cruces ridge bothered us in some places, because on the map the overdried route is marked, it is really difficult to keep the path underfoot in the rocky terrain and on the steep slope. It is thus safer to walk along the marked path to the valley. But again, the views of banana plantations and the city of Los Gigantes in the distance …
View of the cliffs
A little further down the traverse through the rocky rubble, we joined the road PR TF 65.2 Circular Guama Tamaimo, from which there are such beautiful views of the rocky massif of the Los Gigantes cliffs.
Home with sunset
The last rays of the sun, which he enters behind the island of Gomera, shone on our way and the last kilometer down to the city of Los Gigantes below us. Here the road was mostly noticeable, or at least we had to keep the right direction.
Los Gigantes cliffs
The last rays of the sun also illuminated the cliffs of Los Gigantes towering over the city and painted them red.