Path of the Centenary Guardians. Could there be a more suggestive name for a route? Who are these guardians? What do they protect? I invite you to discover this attractive path that, just by naming it, already sparks the imagination. Imagine what will happen when you step inside…
- Type: Circular
- Distance: 2.6 kilometers
- Difficulty: Low
- Accessible for: children (entire route), wheelchair users and the blind (the beginning).
- Detailed route on Wikiloc
If you travel to Tenerife, it is very likely that your plans include visiting Anaga, in the north of the island. The spectacular Anaga Rural Park carefully protects one of the scarcest natural treasures on the planet, a laurel forest that attracts visitors with the promise of a fairy-tale setting. And it delivers; a good example is the guided route through the Enigma Forest, but…
Where the Centenary Guardians path is located
… Beyond Anaga, there is another place in Tenerife that is less famous, but capable of offering you another fairy-tale landscape. I present to you the Path of the Centenary Guardians, the secret lair of magic in Tenerife which, for fear of being found in the famous Anaga, prefers to hide in this unknown corner.
You will find this simple but evocative route in the forest of the small town of Agua García, in Tacoronte, in the north of Tenerife. The Path of the Centenary Guardians runs within the Las Lagunetas Protected Landscape and begins next to the Agua García Heritage Information Center which is currently (2021) closed. In the ‘how is the route’ section, you have a detailed map.
Why the Centenary Guardians route is so special
The route’s own name already gives clues that it hides something special. And as soon as you step onto the path, you begin to feel those clues. Rays of light peeking through the trees creating a suggestive play of colors, a silence broken only by your footsteps crunching on a carpet of dry leaves in the middle of summer, wisps of clouds caught in the branches, the low and fleeting flight of what could be an owl crossing your path and it… the magic.
The magic that ends up asleep, leaning against a centenary guardian and wrapped in a blanket of moss. The same magic that, upon waking, flutters mockingly as a butterfly and brings an involuntary smile to your face.
And then there are them: the guardians. What do they protect? The centenary guardians carefully protect a true fossil relic of nature, a tiny stronghold of monteverde where you can still walk among laurel trees. This type of humid forest dates back to the Tertiary, more than twenty million years ago. The glaciations destroyed these beautiful tree formations, leaving only some touches of laurel forest that resisted in privileged places on the planet. And you, if you decide to take this path, will set foot in one of these places. How could magic not seek refuge in a place like this?
Laurels, heathers, fayas, lindens, yews or wild orange trees are some of the hundreds of different tree species that form this ancient jungle, also inhabited by ferns, shrubs, fungi, lichens, birds, insects and the long list of beings that form a unique ecosystem. Sustained by the humidity of the trade winds and wrapped in clouds is how the greenery of the monteverde is maintained.
But the real protagonists of this route are the viñátigos, trees characteristic of the laurel forest. On this path, you will find some specimens that are believed to be up to 800 years old. These viñátigos are the centenary guardians that give the path its name. Lords and masters of this forest, they watch over its survival from the serene wisdom that longevity provides. And between their curious trunks and in the hollows of their damp roots is where magic plays hide and seek.
How is the route: map, distance, difficulty and attractions
The Centenary Guardians route is a circular route of about 2.6 kilometers in distance and is perfectly signposted under the nomenclature PR-TF 25.4. At the entrance, you will find an explanatory panel with a map that simply shows the different routes. Along the way you will find signs and the classic yellow and white PR markings. In this case, we also pass through the Lomo La Jara recreational area, closed for security reasons due to the coronavirus (as of July 23, 2020).
Its difficulty is low and the path is perfectly maintained; so much so that the first part of the trail is adapted for people with reduced mobility and the blind. These first meters also have a wooden railing parallel to the Toledo ravine, whose bed we found dry in the month of July.
If you are looking for a hiking route in Tenerife to do with children, the Centenary Guardians route is perfect. Besides being very accessible, simple and without large slopes, the path is full of incentives that will spark the imagination of the little ones and inspire them with a thousand and one adventures. If you go with babies or very small children, keep in mind that there are several sections with steps, so forget the stroller and bring a baby carrier backpack. In this case, we completed the route in two hours with an 18-month-old baby who wanted to walk a large part of the way and a three-year-old child who did the whole thing walking.
The first incentive of all arrives as soon as you cross the wooden bridge over the Toledo ravine. To the right, you will see one of the oldest viñátigo specimens, so much so that it is believed to be of a similar age to the famous Millenary Dragon Tree of Icod de los Vinos. Its gigantic and peculiar trunk is striking due to the cavity formed under its roots.
Next to it is another key point of the path, the Toledo caves. They are also known as glass caves because they were excavated in the 16th century to extract trachyte from them, a volcanic rock used to make glass. Today, this underground labyrinth is another attraction of the Centenary Guardians route that children will love.
The same will happen to them with the tiny doors that they will come across in some nooks and crannies along the way, covered in moss and surrounded by a halo of mystery that will make the little ones want to look for magic in them. Could they be the home of nymphs, gnomes, or elves?
One of them is the entrance to the Madre del Agua gallery which, of course, could well be out of a fairy tale. Furthermore, its location, next to ‘La Cuna’, a viñátigo with its own name believed to be around 800 years old, and a beautiful curve in the path, makes this construction that still supplies water even more special.
Where to stay for the route
In my case, we stayed in Puerto de la Cruz and from there I traveled to do the Centenary Guardians trail, so I cannot recommend a specific place to sleep in the area. But you can look for hotels in Tacoronte and you will find some near Agua García, where the route begins. The three accommodation options that I have found closest to the start of the route are these: Finca El Pastel, Finca La Jaraca and the Limón y Sol country house. Of course, there are many others for you to search for the one that best suits your needs.
Where to eat in Agua García
Once the route is finished, you can go to eat on foot, without having to take the car, at some of the options offered by the village. Very close by is the La Sardinera II restaurant, at La Esperanza n°2, Agua García Main Road, Tacoronte, which I recommend without hesitation. In my case, among the different dishes ordered, I loved the black pudding and goat cheese empanadillas, which were delicious. As was the meat, a generous grilled ‘secreto’ more than recommendable.
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