From the pilgrimage site of El Socorro to the volcanic cone of Malpaïs de Güímar

The intention is to cross the Malpais de Güimar Nature Reserve between El Socorro and Puertito de Güimar.

In any case, the advantage is that a stop can be made in Puertito in the shade of the terraces available . This may be necessary because there is no shade during the walk. The wind can provide some cooling, but in the windless places it can get hot, partly because of the lava stone subsurface that retains the heat.

The walk first goes along the coastal path because the wind that is usually present there mainly comes from the northeast . This makes this part a 'tailwind'.

The most popular pilgrimage of the entire Canary archipelago takes place in El Socorro every year. When we return we take a moment to think about it...

But start along the beach of El Socorro where we soon arrive at La Entrada , which can be black from the temporarily washed-up sand in the months of September/October.

After two kilometers it goes uphill to the Mirador Montaña de la Mar , a remnant of a previous volcanic eruption.

Continue along the coast to arrive at the Salinas where salt extraction was carried out and the old fishermen's houses.

Arrived in Puertito de Güimar notices the monument to the radio amateurs . We walk around to the chapel in honor of Santiago Apostol, the patron saint of the fishing community.

After the necessary refreshments we continue the road to Montaña grande. We pass by gigantic Euphorbia canariensis (not cacti!) and see the remains of the irrigation canals , terrace walls, and a pump that bear witness to the attempts made to grow crops here . We have to deviate for a moment to view the Cueva de los Burros ( the donkey cave) where the bones of the corpses of the dead cattle that were brought there can still be seen.

We climb up a section of Las Morras del Corcho , which together with Montaña de la Mar is a volcanic peak that was formed during a previous eruption of lava from the volcano. We descend and head towards El Socorro.

We arrive at the Ermita del Soccoro where the pilgrimage to the Virgin of Candelaria takes place in September. Some other witnesses to this pilgrimage are the Lago de la Virgen and La Cruz de Tea, which we see a little further on.

03/2024