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Tierra del Trigo – a unique Tenerife mountain village |
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Written by Steve Andrews
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 Tierra del Trigo is a pretty village in the mountains overlooking La Isla Baja (“Low Island”) area of Tenerife northwest, and a tower stands on a hillside overseeing both the village and the valleys below. Tierra del Trigo means “Land of Wheat” in Spanish, and this is one of the crops that have been grown in the area.
Tierra del Trigo is 3km from the Tenerife town of El Tanque where the road to it is clearly signposted and the tower can be seen in the direction you would take. This tower was apparently built as a defence against pirates and a lookout point over the Los Silos coastline below.
 Below the tower is a small wood of Canary Pines (Pinus canariensis) and Tasmanian Blue Gum trees (Eucalyptus globulus). From this wooded Tenerife hillside the views are spectacular over the steep mountainsides and you can see the Montaña de Taco volcanic cone that seems to stand guard over Buenavista and which has a reservoir created in its crater.
 Although, Tierra del Trigo is a comparatively small village and one that many people have not heard about, it nevertheless boasts its own cultural centre. But what makes Tierra del Trigo of particular interest to anyone finding out more about Tenerife, in addition to the landmark of its tower, is the incredible road that goes down to the banana plantations and fincas near Los Silos.
 This road has a warning sign stressing that it is very difficult one and one that also may have the danger of falling rocks at times. Nevertheless, it is well worth taking, although cars, bicycles and pedestrians will all find it a real struggle.
 Some cycling websites describe it as one of the steepest roads, not just in Tenerife, but also in the world. And it is not just the incline, but also the amount of hairpin bends and sheer drops that perhaps make it only rivalled by the incredible mountain road from Santiago del Teide to Masca.
 Botanists and naturalists will find much of interest along the road into and out of Tierra del Trigo. Many interesting succulents such as species of Monanthes and Aeonium cling to the rocky Tenerife cliffs, and the rare Canary Island medicinal herb Palo de Sangre (Marcetella moquiniana), can be found on the ground bordering the road.
 There are also many groves of the endemic Canary Palm (Phoenix canariensis) growing in their natural habitat and they look so majestic against the tugged backdrop of the mountains of this part of northern Tenerife.
The walk from El Tanque through Tierra del Trigo and down to Los Silos is a very memorable experience, and walking downhill is far easier that the uphill climb from below. There are regular Tenerife buses both to El Tanque and Los Silos but none to Tierra del Trigo itself.
Tierra del Trigo may be a bit off the beaten track but if you really want to experience some of the best Tenerife countryside it is well worth investigating.
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Tenerife Island