Candelaria has a network of local footpaths approved by Tenerife’s Island Council and signposted according to international standards. To walk on approved trails means to trek on selected trails that preferably run through natural environments, which have been previously analysed, studied, conditioned, and signposted to offer safety, quality, and enjoyment along their route through spectacular municipal landscapes.

The layout of trails is a key factor. Along with them you can discover their inherent history, surrounding ecosystems, landscapes, ethnographic and heritage elements to be found along each route.
Candelaria has over twenty paths and trails. They belong to the local ethnographic heritage that is closely linked to a past and predominant traditional way of living until a few decades ago. It was mainly based on the agricultural sector.

For the peasantry, the orography was a key conditioning factor to overcome and obtain fertile land where agricultural work could be feasible. As a result, a wide network of local roads linked the municipality from the upper part to the coast and to the rest of the island.

To a better understanding of this network, we classify it as follows:

Pilgrimage routes: A very important legacy from prehispanic times related to the religious cult of the Virgin of Candelaria. Pilgrims from all parts of the island annually come to Candelaria. They use these routes and arrive on the eve of her festivity. These routes were originally used by Guanches for the annual celebration of the Beñesmén.

Cattle tracks.: They started to be built in the 16th century for a faster and more comfortable transit of people and pack animals that transported goods around the island. They were essential for land communications.

Carriage roads:They allowed the passage of wagons or carts to link the most important towns and agricultural areas. Like the cattle tracks, they were constructed with stone paving to avoid the deterioration caused by these means of transport.

Bridle paths: They were wide enough for animals to pass. Unlike the carriage roads, they connected secondary population centres with many agricultural areas mainly located in the midlands. In this case, those sections difficult to walk on as a result of slopes or water erosion were paved.

Paths or footpaths: These paths were only used by people who regularly walked between production and residential areas.

The lack of use and the subsequent plant colonization has resulted in many of these traditional bridle paths, carriage roads, or footpaths disappearing. However, the Department of Environment of Candelaria is working to recover and signpost a large part of traditional paths with the aim of integrating them in the Local Paths’ Network whilst preserving and promoting them as a tourist resource for visitors, thus increasing also the cultural and leisure offer for the local community.

In 2007, Tenerife Island Council and the Mountaineering Federation of the Canary Islands approved the harmonization of the Local Paths’ Network of Candelaria by adding seven paths that meet the optimum safety conditions, cleanliness, and signposting to enjoy trekking in nature.

We invite you to discover a very present past. With your contribution, it will have a better future.

For further inforheremation on trails, here.

Candelaria has an outstanding number of flora and fauna specimens which are protected for their ecological values. For this reason, Candelaria’s Environment Department has prepared the «Itineraries to observe nature in Candelaria».
Six guides invite you to explore its natural environment to appreciate and recognize the most outstanding flora and fauna species. To do so, they have used Candelaria’s Local Footpaths Network, along which these self-guided itineraries can be followed.

For further information:
Concejalía de Medio Ambiente (Environment Department)
Tel: +34 922 500 800 ext. 7102-7103

Itineraries to watch natural sites: Las Lagunetas

The moisture-laden clouds carried by trade winds to the north slopes of the island collide with the mountains, forming the well-known «sea of clouds», also called panzaburra (donkey’s belly), if seen from below. When the sea of clouds hits the mountain range, it flows over La Esperanza and moves along the southern slope towards the Güímar Valley. When this happens, fog floods the pine groove of Las Lagunetas and small water droplets condense on the tree leaves. The trapped moisture ends up falling to the ground. This phenomenon is called «horizontal rain». This forest acts as a sponge thus favouring the aquifer recharge, something evidenced by an abundance of water galleries in the area.

Itineraries to watch natural sites: Chacorche

To cross the Chacorche ravine is to make a journey into the depths of the mountain range called Dorsal de Pedro Gil. Over the last hundreds of thousands of years, no volcanic activity has occurred in this part of the massive volcanic edifice, thus allowing erosion to carve out this deep ravine. Its slopes are several hundred meters in height. They are like an open book for geologists, as the place enables them to understand part of its volcanic history. Volcanic lava flows are piled one on top of the other building up the volcanic edifice. Chacorche is also a refuge for the most valuable endemic vegetation of Candelaria.

tineraries to watch natural sites: La Mesa

Over the last centuries, man has deeply transformed the island’s territory, building terraces to transform steep slopes into suitable land for agriculture. Once tourism became the main economic driver, much of this former agricultural land was quickly abandoned. Ever since nature has slowly begun to retrieve its former domain. La Mesa landscape is a clear example of abandoned agricultural terraces which have been slowly retrieved by natural vegetation.

Itineraries to watch natural sites: Los Brezos.

About 800,000 years ago, Arafo’s massive stratovolcano suddenly collapsed on its southern flank. It was formerly located in the current Dorsal de Pedro Gil. The landslide material was dragged down to the sea causing one huge massive that swept the west coast of Gran Canaria away.
This is how the Güímar Valley was created. Although it was partially filled in by later eruptions, today we can still observe enormous scars of a sinkhole on both the Güímar and the Chafa slopes. Sheltered by the latter, this route runs along Monte de Los Brezos.

Itineraries to watch natural sites: Las Goteras

In the midlands and halfway between the coastal scrub-land and the forest area, there is a plant formation known as thermophile forest. Small trees like junipers, wild olives, and mastic trees shape an open Mediterranean-like forest. Unfortunately, this forest was almost completely destroyed by man, who transformed its natural territory into farmland and hamlets. Today only small samples of thermophile forests remain in places that are difficult to access. In the ravine Barranco de Las Goteras a few survivors bear witness to what their domains once were.

Itineraries to watch natural sites: Samarines

Linked to the origin of the Canary Islands that happened millions of years ago, lava, and sea have fought a tough battle. The lava tries to gain ground, and the sea
struggles to recover what is hers. The war has a sure winner. Once the volcanic activity is exhausted, it will only be a matter of time before the island disappears under the Atlantic Ocean. But that won’t happen for millions of years. In the meantime, the eternal confrontation between volcanoes and the ocean continues to happen. This it is perfectly reflected in landscapes such as the coast of Samarines.

Protected Landscape of Las Lagunetas

The protected landscape has a surface area of 3,800 hectares. This mountain landscape with gentle slopes is crossed by deep ravines and part of the mountain range called Dorsal de Pedro Gil. It is a valuable forested landscape that plays an important role in groundwater recharge and soil conservation. This area is shared by several municipalities. However, in those lands of Candelaria there is an outstanding evergreen forest and pine forest, both natural and repopulated, and undergrowth of narrow-leaved cistus (Cistus symphytifolius), broom-like shrubs such as Adenocarpus foliolosus and Chamaecytisus proliferus.
Among its fauna, invertebrates are mainly represented by terrestrial molluscs and the main vertebrates are birds such as the blue chaffinch (Fringilla teydea), the blackbird (Turdus merula cabrerae), or the canary (Serinus canario).

Natural Park Corona Forestal

As for the municipality of Candelaria, this area includes a sector that runs from its boundary with Las Lagunetas Protected Landscape to the summit. This area is protected because «it is an important part of a largely forested area that surrounds the ‘Teide National Park’. It also houses Tenerife’s best pine forests and high mountain scrub-land. Pine forests grow at the top of large ravines that configure a drainage network. Thus, they play a key role in water harvesting and soil conservation against erosion. Fauna and flora are highly biodiverse and include protected species.

‘Siete Lomas’ Protected Landscape

Siete Lomas is a picturesque, agricultural landscape with transformed vegetation where several endangered and protected species such as Crambe arborea still survive among cliffs or gully beds. It covers 1,013.9 hectares and is shared by the municipalities of Candelaria, Arafo, and Güímar. Deep ravines extend from the summit to the sea and cut the terrain perpendicularly; seven small hills (Siete Lomas) stand out in this landscape.

Festivities and traditions

1^st and 2^nd February Virgin of Candelaria. It has been celebrated since 1497 when Alonso Fernández de Lugo, conqueror of Tenerife, celebrated the first «Fiesta de las Candelas» on the same date as the «Festivity of the Purification of the Virgin». On this day, candles play an important role: they symbolize Jesus as the light of all men. A procession takes place on the night between the 1st and the 2nd of February, which is popularly known as «Procesión de las Cadelas»; lights of the town center are extinguished while the parishioners march with candles and pray the Rosary.

14^th and 15^th August. Celebration of the most popular and main events in honour of the Patron Saint of the Canary Islands. This festivity coincides with others like the Mary Ascension Day, the ancient «beñesmén», a Guanche celebration, and the harvesting festivities. Pilgrims from all over the island cover long distances to reach Candelaria. All deeply-rooted Canarian traditions have an appointment on these days. The streets of Candelaria are dressed up with colour and joy. Canarian wrestling matches and traditional games are organized. Other events like the appearance of the Virgin to the Guanches, the fireworks display, the pilgrimage and the folkloric-floral offering also take place.

16^th and 26^thJuly. Festivities in honour of the Virgins Carmen and St Anne. Highlights include the boat and maritime procession of the patron saint of fishermen, the open-air dances, the dance of farmworkers and fishermen, the bolero festival, and the election of the queen. Carnival takes place in February and stands out for its joy and colour. The regional meeting of street musicians «Encuentro Regional de Murgas» brings together the winning groups of both provincial carnivals.

During Holy Week a unique event takes place: The Passion of Jesus is represented. The square Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias is a living stage where the last twelve hours of Jesus’ life are represented.

Otras fiestas:
Marzo:
March 19^th: pilgrimage in honour of St Joseph, in Barranco Hondo.

May:
First Sunday: Festivity of St Rose, in Las Cuevecitas. Last Sunday: St Isidro Pilgrimage in Los Brezos Recreational Area, Araya.

June:
June 13^th: Festivity of St Anthony, in Malpaís.
June 24^th: Festivity of St John, in Playa de la Viuda, Igueste de Candelaria y Araya.

July:
Second Sunday: festivity of the Holy Trinity, in Igueste de Candelaria. Last August weekend: festivity of the Virgen del Mar, in Bajo la Cuesta de las Tablas. Last August weekend: Festivity of St Mary Magdalene, in Las Caletillas.

August:
Second Sunday: festivity of the Holy Trinity, in Igueste de Candelaria. Last August weekend: festivity of the Virgen del Mar, in Bajo la Cuesta de las Tablas. Last August weekend: Festivity of St Mary Magdalene, in Las Caletillas.

Octubre:
October 13^th: Anniversary of the Canonical Coronation of the virgin’s Holy Image.
October 22^nd: festivity of St. Rita, in Araya. Second Sunday: Festivity of Our Lady of Dolores in Barranco Hondo.

November:
November 30^th: Festivity of St Andrew, in Las Cuevecitas.

December:
December 8^st: festivity of the Inmaculada Concepción (the Blessed Virgin);
December 31^st: Sylvester’s Day in Candelaria.