Taganana Village. (The Prettest Village in Tenerife.)
Near Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife, Spain
Taganana is a village of some 600 inhabitants on the north side of the Anaga peninsula, its name is derived from an old Guanche word meaning 'surrounded by mountains' and suffice to say it really lives up to its name.
Whilst Taganana serves as our start and end point for this circular walk, our objective is the neighbouring valley of Afur which to reach we must make a steep 500m climb over a lush green mountain pass.
The Anaga peninsula is without doubt the wettest part of the island, and the valley of Afur with its dispersed homesteads, is no exception. After rains the gullies and ravines come alive with water-falls and the river (one of only a few permanent fresh water streams on the island) swells to the point of being impassable.
In order to proceed with our walk we require the river to be low as our route takes us down the valley to a wild beach on the North Atlantic shore. From here we turn east along the cliffs back to Taganana, enjoying stunning views of the savage coastline and the islets of Roque del Dentro y Roque de Fuera.