Nature and Tranquillity in Teno

A must-see Tenerife location for those who want peace and harmony.

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The Teno Rural Park is located in the extreme northwest of Tenerife. It is a tranquil area, a haven from the busier parts of the island. The park contains an ancient volcanic massif which extends from the coast to the mountain peaks of Tenerife. A tour of the Teno Rural Park is essential for visitors that want to step back from the world and experience some peace and harmony. The landscape is very grand and lets tourist connect with the enormity of nature. The Teno Rural Park overlaps with the municipalities of Buenavista del Norte, Los Silos, El Tanque, and Santiago del Teide. The park covers just over 8000 hectares. There are many reasons to get lost in the magical space of the rural park. Visitors will love the landscape, the slow life, the local people, and the sense of moving away from the crowd.

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For Instagram fans, there are great opportunities to take photos of the Los Gigantes cliffs which stretch up to 600 metres in length. Punta de Teno offers the best view of these landforms, especially next to the old lighthouse which is a spectacular vantage point during sunset.

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The charm of Teno is that it is in the middle of nowhere. It is a place which is disconnected from the rest of Tenerife, the rest of the world. (Many years ago Teno was in fact a separate island to Tenerife.) Today the small hamlets of the local area are full of artisans and farmers who live a traditional way of life. Masca is an example of the sort of small village which visitors will enjoy.

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Lovers of mountain sports will find plenty to do in Teno. There is hiking (for all levels), climbing, canyoning, kayaking, and diving. Nature lovers will also be pleased to hear that that there is a diverse selection of flora and fauna. The Teno area has been declared a Special Protection Area for Birds by the European Union.

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The Teno area has a great landscape with deep ravines (such as the Masca ravine). There are also wonderful trails bordered by imposing cliffs which have been made with thousands of years of erosion. In the Teno massif there are geological materials which have been found to be more than seven million years old. The Teno landscape combines rocky terrain with green fertile sections.

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The Masca hamlet is a lovely group of small houses which has been built on the edge of a deep ravine. This must-see spot is a good example of the traditional architecture of Teno. From the Masca hamlet there is a path of 5.6 kilometres which follows the ravine to the Masca beach. The beach is a sandy cove with beautiful views of the Los Gigantes cliff. In the nearby area some of the picturesque local houses have been restored as rural tourism accommodation. Visitors that spend a night in Masca have the sensation of going back in time to a simpler era.

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Nature lovers will have fun in Teno. Teno is well known for tabaibas, which is a flowering plant, and cardones, which is a type of cactus. These two species flourish in arid environments and can be found in the coastal areas of Teno. Teno also has excellent laurel forests in the more humid parts of the region at a higher altitude. As well as the diverse selection of flora, Teno is also respected for its variety of fauna. Teno has been declared by the European Union as a Special Protection Area for Birds. Teno is also one of only two places in the word where the lagarto moteado, or speckled lizard lives. (The speckled lizard is an endemic species of Tenerife.)

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There are many artisans and farmers in Teno. Until recently, when the transport network and communications were improved, the towns were practically cut off from the rest of the island, so there is a real sense of togetherness in the local area. Some of the popular handmade goods for tourists to buy include hats, baskets, wood crafts, goatskin drums, Canarian knives, and canes made out of bone.

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There are a number of enchanting areas around Teno including the Los Gigantes cliff, the Masca hamlet, and the Monte del Agua, but, perhaps, Teno’s most impressive attraction is Punta de Teno. Punta de Teno offers views of crystalline waters and volcanic cliffs. It is possible to swim in the water, and visitors are urged to enjoy the sunset from the Teno Lighthouse.