On Thursday morning we both woke up around noon, which is quite late for us as we are usually out of the house exploring by nine or ten. Due to the fact that we were still very sun burnt and sore from unexpectedly long hikes and too much sun, Kyle decided heading up the mountain to explore a different climate would be a nice change of pace. Clicking around looking up bus routes, towns, and attractions while frantically trying to get showered and dressed is no easy feat. Without much consideration we agreed that Aguamansa would be our destination of choice. It’s a little village a few thousand feet below the road that heads to El Teide, and a town often shrouded by clouds that come off the ocean.

The bus up to Aguamansa departs hourly from Puerto Cruz, however we were trying to catch the one that departed at 1:11 and it was already 12:56, leaving us only 15 minutes to get there. Sprinting towards our bus, we popped into a bodega to purchase some snacks for the trip. When we hopped on the bus, the driver asked us if we were heading to La Caldera based on our hiking attire. Not knowing the area or what La Caldera was, we insisted on going to Aguamansa. Thirty-five minutes passed as we zigzagged up the mountain, Megan started getting motion sickness. Titsa buses around the island can only be described as E-Ticket rides, drivers speeding up to 60km around hairpin turns on narrow roads – it is enough to tie strongest stomachs in knots. As our bus neared Aguamansa palm trees became pine trees, and the temperature dropped tremendously. When the bus stopped to let us off, we both had a strange feeling that we were in the wrong place. Kyle asked the bus driver how much more it cost to continue on further to La Caldera – not knowing exactly what, or where it was. The driver motioned his hand for Kyle to sit down, and proceeded to drive further up the mountain, taking us to La Caldera at no extra charge!

Arriving in La Caldera was not what we expected; it looked and smelled like we were back home, taking a hiking trip in Flagstaff, Arizona. Tall pine forests pushed skyward to stretches of exposed lava rock, which in places looked like pipes etched into the mountain. Later we read that the area was actually referred to as “Los Organos,”(the Organs) guess we’re not the only ones who though the rock formations looks like organ pipes! We found a large sign that detailed the hiking trails in the area. As luck would have it there was a small British flag, meaning that we could actually read the sign in a roughly translated form of English. It was already two in the afternoon, so we decided it was a good idea to hike the shortest trail – not wanting to repeat the epic hike of Punta Teno.

The trail started out wide and dusty, with pine trees, wild flowers, and patches of sticker bushes along its edges. Megan kept insisting we had been warped back home, and was delighted to take in the scents that reminded her of being ten years old at Girl Scout camp. The main trail carried us deep into the “Parque Natural de la Corona Forestal.” After about fifteen minutes of walking we came to the trail we had selected from the map - “Ruta del Agua,” a 1.9km hike off the main route. The circular trail began in a sharp, never-ending upward direction, and left us out of breath and quickly exhausted. As we walked we passed old concrete water houses, and learned that the trail was constructed to maintain a system of aqueducts built in the 1800’s to carry water down the mountain to the towns of Orotava and Puerto Cruz. As we hiked the steep path we found ourselves above the cloud line, once again forced to spend another sunburned day hiking; only this time instead of beaches, a world of endless pine trees, and El Teide lurking above us. The views of the ocean from this high point, coupled with the clear view of Teide were the icing on the cake.

Traversing one rocky ledge after another we descended back to the main trail. The entire journey took about three hours and totaled around 4km. Feeling accomplished we took our time heading back, choosing to enjoy the intoxicating aroma of the forest, and run down our last camera battery taking pictures. Arriving once again back at La Caldera we decided to forego further exploration and head home on the first bus bound for Pto. Cruz. It was another E-Ticket journey back down the winding mountain road, and another hour of white knuckles, from gripping the seat in front of us before the bus delivered us safely home. We have decided that the trails around La Caldera are definitely worth visiting again, only next time we'll be sure to get an earlier start!

Xo,
K&M