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Seaside

In the northeast side of Tenerife, nestled between the Anaga forests and the blue of the ocean, lie the villages of Bajamar and Punta del Hidalgo.

Despite being major tourist spots of La Laguna municipality, they have managed to preserve the peace and charm of small seaside towns, where agriculture and fishing are still major elements of their economy and culture.

The area has a spring-like climate with an average yearly temperature of 21º C, ideal for outdoor and sea activities. These villages offer a wide range of options: sand or rocky beaches, swimming pools to enjoy the sea and the sun; peaceful strolls by the seaside; practising sports like fishing, surfing or scuba-diving. Plus footpaths that lead into Anaga Country Park.

These are privileged spots for people who value the offer related to health and well-being when going on holiday.

Some of the attraction include Troche, San Juan or El Arenal beaches, plus Bajamar or El Arenisco pools to enjoy a quiet swim in this area of heavy swells.

The villages have lovely spots that tell of their evolution and remind us of memorable local characters. Plaza Sebastián Ramos, ermitas de San Juanito and del Carmen in Punta del Hidalgo, and Gran Poder de Dios and de San Juan, in Bajamar, are some of the must-see places.

There are some footpaths that start from Punta del Hidalgo and Bajamar leading into the Anaga mountains and valleys. Walking up these paths will take you to some of the oldest geological zones on the island and to hamlets like Chinamada or Bejía, which in the 19th century were part of the former municipality of Punta del Hidalgo.

The area also has many different restaurants where you can enjoy delicious traditional dishes. Fresh fish and shellfish are the best options to enjoy the flavour of fishing villages.

In a limited space the area showcases a wide range of landscapes. From the coast to the summit, pools, rocks, arid areas and evergreen forests blend together.

Bajamar’s and Punta del Hidalgo’s coastline has a wide platform made up of rocks and fairly shallow pools that are visible in low tide. These pools are small worlds where different bird species that visit the area feed on young fish and molluscs. They come particularly in winter, either to stay or as a stopover in their migration.

A few metres up we reach the domains of the cardones and tabaibas, which are experts in making the most of the little damp available in the lower sides of ravines.

In the upper part of Bajamar, dragon trees co-exist with palm trees making up one of the best- preserved examples of thermophilic forests that remain on the island. This type of forest used to stretch across the island’s midlands, but it is now only found in areas that are difficult to reach, like this one. The Anaga massif has quite an impressive landscape including deep ravines and challenging rocks. This craggy area is home to Monteverde (a very leafy subtropical forest). It is a vestige of the forests that once covered southern Europe and the North of Africa, during the Tertiary period.

Before the conquest, Punta del Hidalgo was an independent menceyato (kingdom) ruled by Aguahuco, son of Mencey Tinerfe and later inherited by his son Zebenzuí. After the conquest, the population gathered in the neighbourhoods of El Hormicián and La Hoya, which were initially small hamlets whose residents were farmers or fishermen.