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Trails
La Palma Nature Trail. GR 131 "El Bastón"
Description
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GR 131 "El Bastón"
This trail, known colloquially as “El Bastón” ("The Cane"), has its origin in the union of two paths: the Ruta de los Volcanes or Volcano Trail, between the shelter of El Pilar and Fuencaliente, and the Ruta de la Crestería or Crestería Trail, which runs along mountain crests in the national park Caldera de Taburiente. The extension of both tracks into the sea creates GR 131, so named because it is in the shape of a cane, and runs along the rest of the Canary Islands crosswise.
Puerto de Tazacorte - Roque de los Muchachos
This first section of the trail is a hard ascent from sea level to the highest point of the island, 2,426 m, in the National Park of Caldera de Taburiente. Along the climb, we reach in succession the Time viewpoint and the Hoya Grande viewpoint, from where we can see the Aridante Valley and Caldera respectively.
Further on, we reach the degollada superior (higher pass), 1,344 m, which boasts unsurpassed views of Aridante Valley, Llanos de Aridante and Lomo de los Caballos. At this altitude, the crop lands disappear completely, replaced by pine groves.
Once past the crag of Las Pareditas and of Somada Alta, we reach Los Pinos Gachos (Hunched Pines), one of the most spectacular places of the whole trail. Its name makes reference to the tortuous shape of the pines, caused by the fires that have plagued this area. From this place visitors can see the full extent of the Caldera.
On the hilltops, the pine trees give way to shrubs consisting of retamón (Genista benehoavensis) and codeso or laburnum (Adenocarpus viscosus), as a prelude to the vegetation prevailing in Roque de los Muchachos, where this stretch of the trail ends.
Roque de los Muchachos - Refugio de El Pilar
The second stretch of the trail can be divided into three different legs. The first leg runs along the entire edge of Caldera de Taburiente, from Roque de los Muchachos to the shelter at Punta de los Roques, avoiding the higher areas and staying at all times at an altitude of over 2,000 m, through shrubbery and pine trees.
The second leg descends rapidly from the shelter at Punta de los Roques to the track at La Hilera, from where it is possible to make out, in the distance, Santa Cruz de La Palma to the east and the Aridane Valley to the west.
Refugio de El Pilar - Faro de Fuencaliente
The third section of the trail takes us through the Volcano track, which runs along the higher areas of the natural park of Cumbre Vieja.
Starting at the shelter and heading in a southerly direction, the trail goes through some of the most spectacular volcanic craters in the Park, such as Hoyo Negro, Duraznero, Cabrito or Montaña de Fuego.
Pines begin to take over in the vicinity of the recreational area of Fuente de los Roques, anteroom to Fuencaliente, where the track skirts the San Antonio volcano and reaches the lighthouse at Fuencaliente, where the trail comes to its end.
Once we have reached this point, the beach and the salt marshes - named a site of scientific interest - are well worth visiting.
The third and last leg of this section of the trail reaches the shelter at El Pilar, and showcases the great diversity of landforms in the area, and the transition toward crop lands.
The trails La Palma GR 130 and GR 131 are described in detail in the topographical guide to the island of La Palma entitled "Red de senderos de La Palma" (“Network of La Palma Tracks”) published by the Cabildo Insular de La Palma.
Highlights
Further information
Island of La Palma
La Palma is one of the seven islands that form the Canary archipelago. It is known as "Isla Bonita" (the beautiful island) both for its spectacular natural landscape, of which laurel and Canary pine forests are a highlight, and for its old colonial style villages and towns.
The early inhabitants of the La Palma called their island “Benahoare" (“My land”), and divided it into 12 cantons or dominions, each of which was ruled by a lord or “mencey”. The aboriginal population lived mostly off grazing (goats, sheep and pigs). Currently, livestock farming is a marginal activity and tourism has become the main economic engine of the island.
The island of La Palma was named a Biosphere Reserve in 2002, since it has two Natural Parks, as well as the National Park Caldera de Taburiente. These natural areas have been exceptionally well preserved thanks to the implementation of an economic model that combines sustainable tourism and traditional agriculture.
National Park of La Caldera de Taburiente
Caldera de Taburiente, with an area of 4,690 ha, was named a National Park on October 6, 1954. It is formed by a huge caldera-shaped cirque with a diameter of 8 km created by volcanic eruptions, massive landslides and the erosive action of wind and, specially, water.
The Caldera has elevation changes of up to 2,000 m, as well as an important network of brooks and streams that remains practically unspoiled thanks to the good preservation of the vegetation cover.
Among the many plant species this area is home to, the most important ones can be found in laurel forests: Canary Island fire tree (Myrica faya), tree heath (Erica arborea), and Canary Island pine (Pinus canariensis), main plant formation in the Park, and remarkable for its adaptation to fires.
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