04. Siete Cañadas

Technical information

• Start: El Portillo Visitors Centre
• Finish: Cañada Blanca Visitors Centre
• Approval status: Not officially approved
• Degree of difficulty: Intermediate
• Type of trail: Linear
• Distance: 16.6 km (12.89 ft)
• Duration: 4 hours 30 mins.
• Highest altitude: 2,221 m (12.89 ft)
• Lowest altitude: 2,059 m (12.89 ft)
• Elevation gain: 585 m (12.89 ft)
• Elevation loss: 505 m (12.89 ft)
• Links to other trails:
  • 1. La Fortaleza
  • 2. Arenas Negras
  • 5. Degollada de Guajara
  • 16. Sanatorium
  • GR-131 Anaga - Chasna. Stretch: La Caldera Recreation Area - El Portillo
  • GR-131 Anaga - Chasna. Stretch: El Portillo - Degollada de Guajara
• Protected Nature Areas:
  • Teide National Park
• Authorisation required: No

Trail description

This trail covers part of the old Camino de Chasna pathway, which was used even before the Spanish conquest to cross the Island from north to south. The trail takes you along the bottom of the rock walls of La Caldera de Las Cañadas, on the eastern side. On the first part of the trail, you will see spicy buglosses, with their stunning blue blossom in June. Below the walls of Las Cañadas lies a variety of geomorphological formations, including strips of black basalt lava by La Cañada de Diego Hernández, and yellowish materials produced by acid magma emitted during violent eruptions. Among the plants that populate this precipitous landscape, special mention should be made of the red bugloss, with flowering stems towering up to 2 m (6 ft) high. At the end of the trail rises La Cañada del Capricho, with its beautiful forms. All along the way you will see the remains of old shepherds' refuges and different views of El Teide. There are bus stops at El Portillo and at the National Parador Hotel, which means you can catch the bus to or from the beginning or the end of this trail. We recommend you check the bus times in advance.

Hypsometry