Exploring the Barranco del Rey in Tenerife

Early morning cloud drifts over the mountains

Most hikers who have walked in the south of Tenerife will be familiar with the Barranco del Rey. The GR131 long distance trail flirts with this impressive gorge in it's initial stages and as it departs Arona, on it's journey to La Esperanza in the north of the island, it crosses the ravine before heading off into the hills. 

A Las Lajas circular walk

Montana Colorada

Las Lajas is a campsite and recreation area sitting at around the 7,000ft/2,100mtr altitude on the main road from the south of the island to the Teide National Park. I set out on this walk on a beautiful morning and headed for a path contouring around Montana de Las Lajas and descended a very steep, slippery and eroded path enjoying the stunning views towards the south coast and to nearby Montana Colorada.

Two Springs Walk

View from Degollada de Ifonche

Summer is not a good time for walkers in Tenerife. The sun is at it's most powerful and this combined with the high temperatures make it very uncomfortable for walking. During this period, I usually plan which walks I want to do during the coming walking season, which I start as soon as the temperatures become a little more bearable, usually in the latter half of October. One of the last walks I did before the weather got too hot was to investigate some newly recovered and signposted paths to two springs in the Ifonche region. I had noticed the signs when walking in the area and took the opportunity to investigate them and in doing so, created a very interesting circular walk. Starting from close to the parapente launch point, at the foot of Roque de Los Bresos, I walked the camino rural before picking up the sign to the Fuente de Las Pilas in the Barranco del Rey. I have crossed the barranco at this point on many occasions in the past but never knew of the existence of the spring until the installation of the signs, so I was grateful to whoever is responsible for them. A pleasant path led me through trees and bushes initally, before descending to the rocky stream bed of the barranco, arriving a short time later at a neatly tended 'garden' surrounding the Fuente de Las Pilas. It was clear that someone was tending to the area around the spring as the plants and flowers were obviously planted and cared for. The spring flowed gently through a three-tiered rock 'water feature' creating a very peaceful and pleasing ambience. Leaving the spring, I continued along the rocky barranco floor to soon reach the top of a very dramatic dry waterfall in the Barranco del Rey. Peering over the edge was very exciting although it may not be to everyones taste as the drop is very sheer but it did give a stunning views into the deep part of the barranco below the El Refugio restaurant. Returning along the barranco, I climbed out and followed the dirt road from the restaurant to the Ifonche road, which I followed to the El Dornajo restaurant. This road is very quiet and largely traffic free so it is a pleasant walk.

The View from Roque Imoque

Roque Imoque is a mountain that is familiar to all visitors to the south of Tenerife, although many may not know it's name. Lying just inland from Playa de Las Americas and Los Cristianos are the peaks of the Adeje Mountains and Roque Imoque, with it's needle-point summit, is one of the most recognisable. There is an easy path from the pass below the summit, although if you want to get right to the very tip, some scrambling skills are required as there is a rocky pinnacle on top with sheer rock walls providing a fairly tricky climb to the point of the 'needle'. However, there is a path just below the summit, which affords fabulous views of the surrounding countryside, including the other neighbouring peaks and also down to the coast and inland to Teide on a clear day. 

The needle-point summit of Roque Imoque

The nearby summit of Roque del Conde from Roque Imoque. The resort area of Costa Adeje can be seen in the background

The nearby twin-peaked summit of Roque de Los Bresos. Both this and Roque Imoque can be climbed from paths starting at the threshing circle visible in the bottom-right of the picture.

Looking south to the coast and Los Cristianos and the volcanic dome of Mt.Guaza. The 'rift' in the landscape is the Barranco del Rey with the peak of Roque del Conde to the right. 

The view inland across the Ifonche plateau to Teide and the National Park