Irrigation canals in Malpaís de Güímar - Tenerife

Before the terrace construction that took place here on the edge of the Malpaís de Güímar until a few dozen years ago, there were stone walls, farms and water supplies.

The latter consisted of ponds, wells, the Cueva Honda (largely saline) and drainage ditches.

The water was collected in wells and comes from runoff from the higher areas . Keep in mind that this area receives less than 200mm of rain per year , the sun shines 2500 hours and the trade winds blow hard, causing the rain on the surface to evaporate quickly. But the little water penetrates into the porous soil and either returns to the surface via cracks and channels or flows to the sea. This rapid infiltration is the reason why water flows into the streams in the ravines only sporadically during heavy rainfall.

Willem Vandenameele