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Tenerife Sur: Short Walks Under 10 km San Miguel to Caserio de la Hoya Circular (San Miguel)

Route Summary An informative and scenic walk back in time from San Miguel to below El Roque, overlooking the south coast. Duration: About 2.5 hours.

Route Overview Duration: About 2.5 hours. Transport/Parking: Titsa 416 from Los Cristianos. Easy parking in San Miguel. Spaces outside the church and Correos where the walk starts.

Length: 6.600 km / 4.13 mi Height gain: 250 meter Height loss: 250 meter Max Height: 625 meter Min Height: 462 meter Surface: Rough (in places) Child Friendly: Yes Difficulty: Easy Dog Friendly: Yes Refreshments: Lots of options in San Miguel.

Description This walk transports you back in time to the origins of an agricultural society in the south of Tenerife after the Spanish conquest. Our destination, the hamlet of Caserio de la Hoya predates San Miguel. In the 16th Century, it appealed to the settlers as it was hidden from the coast where pirates were a constant threat, and had good access to a supply of water. The walk, mostly on a stony old camino, descends in and out of the Barranco de los Erales and passes the site of an old water source (fuente) and a well-preserved tile kiln. There are several information boards on the route with interesting narratives about the history of the area. The path continues on to Aldea Blanca, but we turn back at a fine Casa Rural in Caserio de la Hoya. Wonderful open views down to the coast, east and west, a great perspective on the Roque de Jama, and upwards to the pine forests and mountains.

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Waypoints (1) Start at Senderos Board beside Correos (28.09873; -16.61549) We start from the walks information board outside the Correos in San Miguel, beside the church, on Calle la Deseada. From there we turn and head for the front of the church.

(2) Church doors behind you (28.09866; -16.61597) Either at the beginning of the walk, or at the end, you will want to check out the area around the church, buildings, views from the plaza, information boards, etc. From the steps in front of the church, with your back to the church, you will see immediately ahead of you the old narrow street, Calle de la Iglesia. This is the start of the walk, proper. (48 m)

(3) Walk down Calle de la Iglesia (28.09867; -16.61626) There are many fine buildings to take note of as you proceed down Calle de la Iglesia, also interesting information boards describing the history of the street and of San Miguel.

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(4) Carry straight on here (28.09672; -16.61969) After about 484 m, as you near the end of Calle de la Iglesia, keep going straight ahead as you pass a small plaza and children's play park on your left here. (484 m)

(5) Pass Ermita on your left (28.09647; -16.62029) After a further 56 m you will want to check out the Ermita on your left, and information boards on both sides of the street and in a little plaza on your right. When ready, you will carry on straight ahead with the Casa El Capitan and Calle El Calvario on your right. (540 m)

(6) Turn left here (28.09410; -16.62250) After a further 347 m, now on Calle Tamaide, turn left here at this obvious junction, into a small side street. You will be turning right at the end of the side street. (887 m)

(7) Turn right here (28.09387; -16.62240) At the end of the side street you arrive at a T-junction with a walks sign indicating that the route for Aldea Blanca is to your right. That is the route we are following. (919 m)

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(8) Veer left onto sandy path (28.09328; -16.62324) After about 100 m veer slightly left and follow the obvious path as it heads downhill past the abandoned waste water treatment plant. Good views of terraces and houses on your right. Note the interpretation board concerning the old quarry on your left. (1 km)

(9) Pass house on your right (28.08975; -16.62646) After a further 600 m you pass, on your right, a house with interesting metal sculptures in the garden. (1.6 km)

(10) Turn left at tarred road (28.08907; -16.62699) After another 100 m you will reach a tarred road. Turn left here for a very short distance. (1.7 km)

(11) Leave tarred road here (28.08869; -16.62698) After only another 40 m, or so, you reach a Y-junction with rubbish bins and mail boxes on the left side. You take the right fork which soon reverts to the stony path and you continue downhill. (1.8 km)

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(12) Keep left here (28.08777; -16.62755) Soon, after only 65 m, you reach a signed junction on the path. You continue on ahead, ignoring the path turning off to the right. You will return on that path later in the walk. (1.9 km)

(13) Descend to the Fuente (28.08636; -16.62821) After another 300 m the path descends to the fuente, the old water tank, passing an information board. Your path is heading behind the huge boulders to the left and just beyond the water tank. (2.2 km)

(14) Clamber over rocky path (28.08630; -16.62838) At this point the path is indistinct. For a few metres you need to clamber through and over the gaps between the huge boulders before you reach the normal stony path again. (2.2 km)

(15) Turn right here (28.08476; -16.62853) After 200 m, ascending from the fuente, you will reach this sharp right turn, with information board. Do not veer left, walking over the blocking boulders, as that path is a dead-end. (2.4 km)

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(16) Veer left here (28.08538; -16.62905) After about 100 m, veer left here uphill on the rough road. (2.5 km)

(17) Reach Caserio de la Hoya road here (28.08573; -16.63064) Ascending up the rough road for 200 m you reach the T-junction with the tarred Caserio de la Hoya road. There is another information board here. This minor road goes uphill to El Roque and downhill to Aldea Blanco. Turn left here and walk a short distance before turning right off the road. (2.7 km)

(18) Turn right down paved road (28.08532; -16.63082) Turn right off the tarred road towards the information board and take the narrow paved road on the left of the board. (2.7 km)

(19) Approach Casa Rural (28.08523; -16.63219) Continue walking down the narrow road, passing old buildings and an abandoned old tractor on your right, as you approach the Casa Rural. Pass the Casa Rural and another house next door to it. (2.8 km)

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(20) Turn back on yourself here (28.08569; -16.63339) After the Casa Rural houses the path to Aldea Blanca starts to descend into the valley under the impressive mass of Roque de Jama. Just below you, in less than 100 m on the path, is the Fuente de La Hoya (spring), with information board. You may wish to extend the walk a little to visit the spring. The Fuente is passed on another of our walks – Walk 33 – Aldea Blanca-La Hoya Circular. After taking in the views, turn back here to re-trace your steps. (3.0 km)

(21) Turn right on reaching tarred road (28.08523; -16.63089) After 300 m you will have returned to the tarred road, where you turn right under the solar-powered street light, passing another information board as you head towards the stone building on the right further down the road. (3.3 km)

(22) Old Tile Kiln (28.08451; -16.63129) After walking 100 m, or so, down the road you arrive at the impressive old tile kiln, a good place to have a break. You will notice that on the information board all the text is in Spanish - a mistake, clearly! Now, start re-tracing your steps back up the tarred road. (3.4 km)

(23) Keep on ahead here (28.08578; -16.63071) After 100 m, or so, you reach the point on your right where you originally emerged onto the tarred road. Carry on straight ahead here. Do not turn right onto your original path. (3.5 km)

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(24) Turn right onto path here (28.08708; -16.63045) Having carried on straight ahead on the tarred road for about 200 m you will arrive at walk signposts. Leave the tarred road and take the path on the right signed for San Miguel. (3.7 km)

(25) Turn left and re-join outward path (28.08777; -16.62766) You will descend into the Barranco de los Erales again and emerge out of it after about 400 m where there are some rural structures with chained dogs. You have arrived back at a junction you passed earlier in the walk. Now turn left and begin re-tracing your steps from the earlier part of the walk, but with a different viewpoint now, of the hillside and mountains above. Continue walking until you reach San Miguel and the Ermita across the road from the Casa Capitan (see next Waypoint 26). (4.1 km)

(26) Turn left at Casa Capitan onto Calle Calvario (28.09649; -16.62043) After 1.4 km you will have returned to the Ermita you passed early in the walk. Turn left here, passing (or visiting!) the historic Casa Capitan as you ascend Calle El Calvario where you will turn left at the top and walk a short distance to the viewpoint and parking area on your left. (5.5 km)

(27) Salto del Pastor viewpoint (28.09682; -16.62161) After a further 300 m you will have arrived at the Salto del Pastor viewpoint with its fine modern sculpture showing how rural people could move around even the most rocky of terrains in previous times. Great views down to coast here, too, of course. When you are ready, turn back along the main road heading into San Miguel. You will see the church spire and bell tower on the skyline, indicating where you started the walk. There are numerous opportunities for a drink/snack (a South American areppa perhaps?) on the main street of San Miguel. (5.8 km)

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(28) End walk at church (28.09881; -16.61571) After 800 m you will have turned off the main street on your right just after the Disa filling station and follow Calle de la Deseada back down to the church where you started. (6.6 km)

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Route Map

Links: Photos from walk Download GPX file (GPS Exchange Format) Download Route Guide PDF (with illustrated Waypoints) Access Walk on Viewranger