Sunflower Books: Landscapes of Southern TENERIFE & GOMERA: WALKS AND CAR TOURS
Southern Tenerife and La Gomera, 5th edition (2008), updated 08/11/2011
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Updates for walks and car tours (drives) in the south of Tenerife and on Gomera given below supplement those provided in the guidebook. It is vital that this Update is read in conjunction with the text of the book, but note that the Update applies only to the edition stated and not to any earlier editions. (If you have an older edition of this book and want to "upgrade" to the latest edition at half price, click here.)
Information has been forwarded to us by users of the book, and Sunflower Books offers the data in good faith but cannot be held responsible for any misleading or inaccurate content in the Update. Unless indicated otherwise, what appears here has not been verified by the author or publisher, so please allow due caution when new or amended routes are suggested. Each piece of information is dated; bear in mind that some of the older observations may have since been overtaken by events or further changes. If, during your holiday, you are using the current edition of the guide and are able to provide any additional updating to add to this page, we will be pleased to hear from you. Please send information, preferably in hard copy, by post, to Sunflower Books, PO Box 115, Exeter EX2 6YU (or if you prefer, by e-mail, to mail@sunflowerbooks.co.uk).
Getting about: The 'Garajonay Express' is no longer running between Tenerife and La Gomera (not last week anyway). The signs are still displayed everywhere but offices are closed up... If trying to get 'Linea 1' bus out of Valle Gran Rey, warn your readers that if it fills up at the first stop (bus station) then it does not stop at the other 3/4 stops (Borvalan / Vueltas / La Puntilla / la Playa / La Calera ) in Valle Gran Rey but heads straight out of town. The taxi drivers then go round the bus stops touting for business... Otherwise found your guide book very useful. (User, 11/08) + A service similar to the former 'Garajonay Express' is now operated by Fred Olsen - schedule to be found on Fred Olsen's home page. At the tourist office in Valle Gran Rey (in La Playa) you can get a bus schedule (horario) containing all the bus stops. The locations of the bus stops is useful knowledge when planning a walk. (e-mail, 2/10) + Extensive repair work on the road between Vallehermosa and Chorros de Epina has been completed and the road is open. The bus between La Dama and Vallehermosa operates normally. (User, 2/11)
Car Tour 6: The road between Vallehermoso and the turning for Alojera is closed. (From a distance it looked as if there had been a landslip though there are major roadworks along this stretch). There is no way through to Valle Gran Rey by car other than to retrace your route via Hermigua or take the road from Las Rosas through the National Park. (User, 3/10) [Yes, Gomera had bad storms in winter 2010, with landslips in this area. Hopefully repairs will be made in the near future. (Sunflower)]
Walk 4, Short walk: The map is not accurate at the Dornajor restaurant
at the start. There is a 4-way junction here. But you do want
to take the road just to the right of the restaurant as you face
it (that is, approaching the restaurant from the south, turn left
at the junction). Follow this road for 100m (not 50m), then turn
right on a track. After 70m (not 50m) along the track, where there
may be a faded signpost for Adeje, turn left on a trail that initially
follows a concrete water channel... (Sunflower, 5/11) + Walk
4 (short walk) :The start of the walk is easy to find as there
are now large white signs with red writting to "Barranco
del Infierno" opposite El Dornajo and by a new electricity
sub station where the walk leaves the road. From the second sign
the faded sign can be seen. I would also recommend the excursion
to the left at the crossroads of tracks signed "Mirador".
Pass the white building on the right and the threshing floor,
follow the crest of the ridge, ignoring the path down to the right.
There are splendid views to the coast as well as down into the
barranco. *User, 11/11)
Walk 5: p56 (45min-point): The Sendero 18 waymarks do continue,
they ascend the hill on the route described in the book as the
return up to the small col or pass, it then descends the track
described at the 50 min mark to rejoin the described route...
p57 At the 1hr mark there are no visible dots, but numerous cairns
show the way... Just before and just after the little shrine there
have been a couple of rock and tree falls. These are best negotiated
by going left above. The way is not always clear and care should
be taken to ensure you resume on the main path. No yellow dots
were seen. (User, 11/11)
Walk 6, Alternative: The circuit mentioned as a possible alternative return for the main walk is locally known as PR-TF 72 Camino de Chasna-Paisaje Lunar. We walked this circuit from Vilaflor to Paisaje Lunar and back to Vilaflor in October 2009. When you consider this circuit as an alternative return, pay attention that the circuit does not descend to Paisaje Lunar itself. You have two alternatives: ascending from Paisaje Lunar to a viewing point on the circuit or continuing the main walk until meeting a signpost indicating Vilaflor where you turn left. However, the going might be easier when you continue on the track. The part of the circuit you have to follow before you reach Vilaflor, is an old camino and the surface underfoot is stable, but at times very uneven. (User, 11/09)
Walk 7: The
local bus (355) does not stop at the viewpoint at Araza any more.
So it is difficult to do this brilliant walk by bus. (User, 3/10)
[Editor's comment: This user does not make clear if he ASKED the
driver to stop there and was refused. Try asking before boarding
the bus.]
Walk 9: The "garage topped with a trellis" is
a simple private one-car stand-alone garage. You won't see it
if you are trying to spot it while driving past. It is about 50
metres above the top of the parking area where cars park perpendicular
to the road. The path is between this garage and a convex roadside
mirror on a pole. Follow painted white arrows about 10 metres
into the path. You should have walking boots for this as there
is a lot of watercourse scrambling and rock hopping and it's easy
to turn an ankle. (User, 4/11)
Walk 11: Users had difficulty following the walk after crossing the Guaranet barranco. On page 77 the text should read "When you finally reach the BED of the barranco, follow the watercourse downstream for a while, to a crossing point by some terraces. A steep ascent follows... (Sunflower, 5/11)
Walk 12, etc, map on page 70-71: We found it rather useful that you display the PR
and GR numbers on the maps in the book. The "GR 132"
marks on the path from Gerián to Chipude are wrong. They
should instead be placed on the path going south from Gerián
towards La Dama (shown dotted in the map). The map should also
show the western (ignored) part of the tráck encountered
at the 50 min point in Walk 12 (cf. page 80). At this point the
track is heading east, coming down from a hill. (User, 2/10)
Walk 16: At the 20 min-point, text in parentheses: the
PR LG 15 continues to Imada - not to Guarimiar. (User, 2/10) +
The route of the final part of walk 16 (Short Walk 2) on pp 89/90
and map pp96/97, although physically much as described, is no
longer signed and waymarked as GR132 either at Targa or at the
Santiago exit - indeed, we saw no sign of any waymarking. This
caused us some uncertainty at the start of the descent from Targa,
especially as the book does not mention the prominent communications
repeater station which the track passes just before the descent
proper commences. The other possible confusion is that the map
seems to indicate the track lying west of the 702m peak rather
than to its east. Finally, the track is signed as "private
property" about half way down and again near the bottom exit.
However, it remains a very pleasant walk and we can only hope
it is not the intention of someone that it should be closed. As
far as GR132 goes, it now appears to leave the road at Targa downhill
nearly opposite PR LG 15.1 and, possibly, pass through Antoncojo.
(User, 2/10) + Short walk 2: The walk curves right and
follows overhead power lines, with the airport in view. When the
concrete water channel turns 90 degrees left away from you (nearly
at the end of the power lines) you must turn 90 degrees left off
the track past the old gate and follow the indistinct track to
the right of the ruined house, which soon widens again to an obvious
track. If you continue on the main track with the power lines
you come to a dead end. Walking boots are recommended as there
are large stones. (User, 4/11) + We did not see any GR waymarks
on the route. (User, 5/11) [Sunflower says: It appears that the
GR132 has been rerouted to now pass through Antoncojo, as described
by the user of 2/10 above. This route is shown on our map.]
Walk 25: (or Alternative walk 28): The GR 132 between Centro de Visitantes Juego de Bolas and Agulo has been hit by falling rocks but the path can be passed with a bit of care. Walking towards Agulo there is a NO ENTRY sign shortly after you have passed the TF711 highway. We just ignored the sign and had no problems in getting to Agulo... After passing Casas de Ambrosio one may alternatively take the GR 132 down to Vallehermosos (red/white road marking). This is a very beautiful walk and it takes you close to Roque El Cano before you descents to Vallehermoso on a fine old camino. (User, 2/11)