The Las Lajas Ifonche Walk - it's all downhill!The Las Lajas Ifonche walk is one that takes you through the beautiful scenery of the pine forests around Teide.  Photo: Roosterfan
So, you initially have to get yourself to Las Lajas, specifically the campsite found there. This is situated just over six miles north of the village of Vilaflor, on the southern slopes of Mount Teide. When I say that Vliaflor is the highest village in Tenerife, you will realise what sort of altitude you're starting from. The Tenerife bus service, TITSA, has a route that gets you there. The number 342 leaves from Torviscas at 9am, calling at Las Americas at 9:15 and Los Cristianos at 9:30. Unfortunately, if you wish to reach this place from any of the northern towns, you have to get a bus firstly to one of the southern resorts, then change buses to catch the 342. You can use the 340, 343 or 348 from Puerto de la Cruz, or the 110, 111 and 112 from Santa Cruz. By car, you should make for the TF-21 road which passes through the Teide National Park. The campsite is just off that. You start off, then, from the Las Lajas Campsite barbecue area, along a well-marked dirt track. You will be immediately walking through the pine forests and the scent of the cones will be thick on the air. A nice, gradual slope, this, producing a slow descent in altitude of some 6,500 feet. You'll be able to glimpse through the trees the village of Ifonche - your destination - lying below you. About halfway through the walk, you'll come across a reasonably sized rounded hill, called Alto de Chimoche. Although about 5,000 feet high, you'll be walking down onto it. I bet that's the first time you'll have walked down onto a hill! From here, a narrow footpath takes you round the hill and descends further into the thick pine forests. Eventually, the route opens up into a valley and the footpath follows a dry river bed. It is when you see farm buildings that you realise you are nearing the end of the walk. These signify the outskirts of the village of Ifonche. Once there, you can enjoy a well deserved beer in one of the tapas bars or restaurantes tipicos. The Las Lajas Ifonche walk, because it is all downhill, is a fairly easy one. If you've taken the bus to Las Lajas, you can certainly afford to take your time, as the return bus doesn't call at Ifonche until about 4:45pm. The stop for this bus is not in the village of Ifonche itself, but on the main Vilaflor road.
Distance covered: 7.5 miles
return from Las Lajas Ifonche walk to walking in Tenerife
|
