Tenerife: Montana Negra

Whichever way you approach Volcan Garachico (Montaña Negra), it involves a walk through the beautiful Corona Forestal pine forest before the black cone and surrounding lava fields are suddenly revealed as the trees thin out. This volcano erupted in 1706 and destroyed large parts of the port of Garachico. I started my walk today from the San Francisco de Asis ermita on the road into La Montañeta. After taking a few photos of the ermita, I was soon climbing into the beautifully peaceful forest. After passing the Arenas Negras campsite, the trees suddenly dispersed to reveal the black cone of Volcan Garachico ahead. The return route is a superb romp through the lava fields to the north of the cone and the route returns once again via the Arenas Negras campsite meaning that the route completely encircles the volcano. The whole walk takes between 3 to 3.5 hours.