ROUTE OF THE BLOSSOMING ALMOND TREES
LA VIE EN ROSE
It smells like spring
February is the ideal month to discover the municipalities of the south west of Tenerife. The days are sunny, the spring temperatures and the trees are in full bloom. It is precisely at this time of the year that you can see the famous almond blossoms, which dye the island's slopes with these wonderful shades of white and pink.
A good option to enjoy nature and contemplate the almond blossoms is to walk one of the trails that populate the sunny valley of Santiago del Teide.
We could not resist and last Sunday we opted for a circular route that begins in the same municipality of Santiago del Teide, borders the Chinyero volcano and crosses the town of Las Manchas. The route is quite an experience and offers unique views over the entire coast: if the weather is good, you can even see the neighbouring island of La Gomera on the horizon.
The landscape is constantly changing: the cardons and almond trees give way to the recent lava flows of the Chinyero volcano, and one enters a protected natural space surrounded by pines and black picón soil. The Chinyero volcano is the most recent of the six historical eruptions that have been recorded in Tenerife and the most studied. It began on November 18, 1909, and lasted ten days. The column of incandescent pyroclasts and ejected gases could be seen from the Island of La Palma. The Chinyero today rises to 1560 meters above sea level and is located northwest of the Pico Viejo and east of the Valle Santiago. The law of natural spaces of the Canary Islands has declared both the volcano and its area of influence "Reserva Natural Especial del Chinyero" (Special Natural Reserve of Chinyero).
AFTER WALKING
And now let's talk about the reward, because every effort deserves one...
In addition to discovering the volcanic landscape, the cozy village and its traditional folklore, you must also enjoy the local gastronomy.
Bars and restaurants offer special menus during this time of year, and of course almonds are the main ingredient.