Puntos de Interés
Vegetation
Heat-Firetree Forest
This is a type of rainforest that forms part of the Canary Island monteverde and is very similar to other plant species found in tropical mountains in countries such as Africa, China and India. It is normally associated with laurisilva forest formations and is found in the upper areas of the same, specifically between the less humid and warmer areas and the cooler ones, where pine forest areas begin. This is mainly due to the fact that the species that make it up, firetree (Myrica faya) and tree heath (Erica arborea) are better able to withstand dry environments and low temperatures than the species that make up the laurisilva. Both species usually occur equally in stretches where the laurisilva has suffered some degradation, mainly due to fires, abusive logging and shepherding and farming practices.
This type of forest, which is dense and difficult to walk through, is usually located on north and north-east facing slopes, at an altitude of between 500 and 1,000 metres above sea level. There is a wide ecological range of species, although there is a smaller variety of species, the most important of which are firetree (Myrica faya), which can reach a height of over 10 metres and blooms in winter and spring with male flowers (reddish flowers arranged in clusters) and female flowers (hidden under the leaves), and tree heath (Erica arborea). The latter can reach up to 15 metres in height in the Canary Islands. It has small, almost acicular leaves and abundant flowering in spring-summer with white bell-shaped flowers. Yew (Erica platycodon) and, to a lesser extent, small-leaved holly trees (Ilex canariensis) and Laurus novocanariensis can also be found here.
As for the fauna that can be observed here, birds such as kestrel, robins and blue tits stand out, as well as some insects such as beetles.