Poris de Abona is on the south coast, and Arico Nuevo, a delightful village of mainly eighteenth century houses, is a little inland. The route up is newly signposted, and you can return by the same route or by the alternative route described using tracks.  The whole walk involves climbing only about 350 metres, in mostly gentle gradients, so it is not over strenuous, but has interesting landscape, botany and cultural aspects.  Winter is a good time to do this walk, as it is cooler, and the local plants are at their best, and in a state (that is, with leaves and flowers), where it is easier to identify them.

 

 

1.  The walk starts from the square in Poris de Abona, which is just above the beach.  In the square there is a signboard with a map of the signposted path, and some information about it in English. From the square walk up the minor road running up the western side of the square which is signposted ‘Villa de Arico’.  As you leave the village the road passes under the motorway, then continue up this road for a kilometre.  It is not busy, so it is quite pleasant to walk.

2.  The road crosses the stream bed of the barranco de los Caballos on a bridge and immediately on the other side of the bridge are two 1 kilometer signs.  The path starts by the right-hand sign, up the rocky slope, and a few yards up there is a signpost.  In case you get alarmed about the initial steep climb, this is the steepest part of the whole path.  And even though it is steep, the rock surface is punctuated by embedded rocks which make climbing easier (and descending safer – if you return this way).  After the first section the path levels off and you can start to look around at the vegetation.  The plants here survive some very adverse conditions of wind, dryness, and great heat in the summer, and are well-suited to these difficult conditions.  The most common plants, the sweet spurge (Euphorbia balsamifera) and the verode (Kleinia nerifolia) both lose their leaves under water stress, and just have some photosynthetic tissue on their stems in the summer.

3.  Cross the road, a signpost guides you onto the path continuing on the other side.  You are now walking close to the giant wind turbines.  From time to time, including one in the path, you may see the clumps of grey sticks of cardoncillo (Ceropegia fusca), which, after rain, may have curious shaped dark red flowers.  

4.  Another road crossing, again with a signpost.  Continue on the easy-to-follow path for a kilometre.

5.  This point needs a signpost, but does not have one.  There is a path going to the right, and one going straight on which looks like the principal one.  Turn right here.  You follow the path down a slope of hard pumice rock till you come to a channel cut into the rock.  The path goes left here, marked by some cairns, and follows along the side of the barranco, gradually descending.  By now you can see a signpost below, on the edge of the barranco.

6.  Reaching the signpost, there is a small diversion to see the Fuente de Tajo.  The signpost is pointing right though the path is not obvious.  Follow the line of stones leading right from the signpost, and soon you will see two parallel white lines in paint.  Then descend on a cobbled path, turning to the right around a rocky knoll.  If you see a white paint cross, in front of a rough precipitous descent, turn back and look again.  At the cliff, a channel of running water comes out of a tunnel.  It passes a chamber where the water could be diverted into a line of work places where washing could be done.  Notice how the presence of water results in more and different plants in the area.  Notable among them are the large shrubs of vinegrera (Rumex lunaria), a member of the dock family, and the fountain bush (Bosea yervamora), with arching branches laden with flower bunches, or later green or red berries.   Both of these are Canary endemics.  Return up the cobbled path to the signpost and continue straight on.  The path descends gradually into the stream bed.

7.  Again no signpost to guide you, so look for the path going right after walking only a few yards in the stream bed.  The path itself is well-defined, and climbs gently out of the barranco, then joins a track and descends to a signpost.  

8.  Turn right onto a path which shortly turns to the right and climbs till it crests,  giving a view of Arico Nuevo and Arico Viejo ahead.  

9.  After 200m the path joins a track, turn left.  

10.  300m further on, the track meets another track, turn left.  

11.  After another 250m a signpost on the left indicates the path goes straight on, leaving the track but following a galvanized pipe.  Shortly afterwards where pipes cross, go left, and soon afterwards you arrive at a small tarmac road, looking down over Arico Nuevo’s cemetery.

12. From here an extra 18 minutes (1.4 km / 0.9ml) of fairly level walking will bring you into the lovely village of Arico Nuevo (13).  If you fancy a lunch out, there is also a delightful small restaurant in the square, which opens from 1.00 p.m. on Wednesdays to Sundays (Closed Mon and Tues).  When ready return to the cemetery and either return the way you came or take the pumice track that goes down the right wall of the cemetery.  

12. At the end of the cemetery, at the fork, take the right, and a few metres further on take the left fork.  Continue downhill on a well used track passing a ruined building with odd arched windows (14).  A steep bit, needing extra care, takes you round to your right and down in front of what looks like an old quarry.  Continue about 100m to a junction with a track.

15.  Go right.  After a little climb the track goes roughly level, then meets a minor tarmac road.  

16.  Turn left, downhill.

17. The tarmac ends abruptly and you continue downhill on a pumice track slightly to the left.  Eventually the track joins the road from Poris you initially walked up.

18.  Continue back into Poris.

 

 

This walk is also described in my blog written on November 9th, with some extra pictures, and a link to the GPS track on Wikiloc, where you can view it on a better map: www.tenerifenaturewalks.wordpress.com/

© Sally Lamdin-Whymark