Almond trees in bloom: the secret of Canarian winters
The almond It is one of the first flowering trees, so it is often considered a symbol of hope and new life . That luminous and optimistic beauty that Van Gogh he captured so well in his work 'Almond Blossom' can be enjoyed in real life thanks to prints such as the bloom that splashes color on the volcanic landscape of Tenerife.
The starting point of several routes designed to surrender to the charms of the almond blossom it is Santiago del Teide , a beautiful municipality located in the southwest of the island that also welcomes the natural beauty of the Los Gigantes cliffs . It is worth bearing in mind that not all almond trees bloom at the same time, and that the picture can vary considerably from day to day due to factors such as the wind.
Likewise, people with reduced mobility can also immerse themselves in the landscape and enjoy the almond trees in bloom thanks to the non-profit association Montaña para Todos (MPT), whose mission is that more people can enjoy the nature of the island through adapted hiking with Joëlette (an all-terrain chair with one wheel that allows people with reduced mobility to go hiking with the help of two companions).
One of the most spectacular options is the short-distance path PR TF-43.3, which starts from the Plaza de Santiago del Teide and reaches the Chinyero volcano . It is a circular route of seven and a half kilometers that reaches a maximum height of 1,433 meters and advances between badlands -recent lava, with an arid and tortuous surface-, with sections in which you can also enjoy the native flora such as tabaibas, escobones, magarzas and verodes, as well as Canarian pine forests. This trail is part of a longer route that connects Garachico with the Chinyero volcano..
The valley of Arriba, full of almond trees in bloom
Located in an area of great geological wealth, in the Chinyero Special Nature Reserve , the volcano of the same name was the protagonist of the most recent eruption in Tenerife, more than a century ago, in 1909. Thus, during the tour you can see the badlands and the different degree of plant colonization that the area presents . With a height of 1,560 meters above sea level, Chinyero is one of the great attractions of the route. In addition, along the path the volcanic heart of the island offers beautiful views, from Bilm Mountain (1,372 meters), up to sections in which the unmistakable cone of the Mount Teide (3,715 meters) coexists with Old Peak (3,135 meters) and with the Chinyero , an image difficult to forget.
If you go with time and strength, in addition to the circular route mentioned, you can also choose a variation of it, continuing to the neighborhood of Arguayo -in that case it would be about 9 kilometers-, and returning to Santiago del Teide by public transport from Arguayo , or retracing what has been walked, turning the route into an all-day adventure of almost 20 kilometers.
Another easier option that also allows you to enjoy the flowering of the almond trees is to choose a shorter route, such as the one part of the Calvario de los Baldíos, in the Valle de Arriba . Built in honor of the Holy Christ who, according to legend, was the one who made the destructive tongue of lava thrown by the Chinyero stop, on this route there are also options to enjoy endemic species from the highlands of the islands, such as fistuleras or morgallanas .
During the walk you can discover and identify the blue Finches, an endemic bird of the Tenerife pine forests and the most important animal symbol of the island. In addition to these hiking trails, in times of "no pandemic" there are also gastronomic routes that allow you to enjoy the native delicacies made with almonds.
Almond blossom in the vicinity of Arguayo
These nuts are highly relevant in Canarian gastronomy -the basis of desserts such as bienmesabe or almond cheese- and the island's rural traditions include almond picking party, in which in the warmer months the trees were shaken to collect their fruit, an activity in which everyone participated, including children.
In addition to Tenerife, almond trees also have a strong presence in high-rise municipalities on the other islands, especially in The Palm , particularly in Puntagorda, and in Gran Canaria, in Tejeda and Valsequillo . In this last place, a reforestation project has been carried out just five years ago in which 4,000 specimens have been planted.
Routes are available at any time of the year , and although the beauty of the flowering of the almond trees is ephemeral, that of the landscape that surrounds them remains.
Almond trees in bloom in Tenerife