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Masca – the Shangri-La of Tenerife |
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Written by Steve Andrews
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 Masca is also known as the “Forgotten Village,” and until 1991, there was no road to get to it in its mountainous location in the Parque Rural of Teno area of the northwest of Tenerife. Because of being so cut-off until recently, the village of Masca has remained unspoiled and is like stepping back in time, making it a “must-see” for all visitors to Tenerife island.
Masca is in the mountains between Santiago del Teide and the sea. On a
map it looks just a short distance from Santiago del Teide, however,
the road that has been built is a real marvel of modern construction
and has many hairpin bends and zig-zags up and down through the
mountains until you arrive in Masca, and it then carries on through Las
Portelas to eventually come to Buenavista del Norte.
Masca has steep cliffs on all sides and a barranco, which leads down a rocky pathway to the sea. Pirates who landed on the small beach below Masca once used this path, but nowadays it is a favourite walk for the more adventurous sightseers and anyone who loves to explore the wild places of Tenerife.
There are only some 150 people living in Masca and in the past the only way anyone could get to a neighbouring village was on foot or on a mule over the precipitous paths through the mountains. Because Masca has been so cut off many rare plants grow there, and it has a few species like the Masca Houseleek (Aeonium mascaense), which are only confined to its locality, and make the place a favourite location for naturalists and botanists.
Masca is often considered the prettiest village in Tenerife, and with its cobblestone paths, red-tiled roofs and houses and bar restaurants perched precariously on the flatter parts of the sides of the valley it is easy to see why. The cliffs and craggy rocks around Masca are often shrouded in clouds and really make it look like some Himalayan Shangri-La.
 Wild Canary Date Palms (Phoenix canariensis) grow in palm groves and there is much more lush green vegetation flourishing in the area. Lizards bask in the sun on the rocky ground and run about everywhere, whilst bees buzz and fly seeking nectar in the many wild and cultivated flowers of Masca.
Because it was so cut off farming was a major source of food for the Masca villagers and crops like potatoes, cabbage, grapes and almonds are all still grown there. Some of the restaurants in Masca even do cactus ice cream and cactus lemonade, made from the Prickly Pear cacti and you can buy cactus jam in the shops.
There is a minibus service run by the Titsa bus company of Tenerife, which runs the 355 to Masca from Buenavista and from Santiago del Teide, but many other companies also offer day excursions for tourists and on some of these there is the option of walking down to the sea through the barranco and then a boat takes you to Los Gigantes further down the coast.
A visit to Masca makes for an unforgettable Tenerife experience.
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Tenerife Island 
