Friday, 23 December 2011
El puertito de Guimar to Montana Grande
Today was another hot day - a pattern is emerging. However up on the mountain there were clouds. We decided to take a walk furhter up the coast at Guimar. It is a short run up the motorway, and then we turned down to Puertito (little port) of Guimar.
Having left the car, it became clear that the village was built on a lava flow. Indeed the flows stopped artificially at the roadside. Further on they ran directly in to the sea, where small shanty type houses had been built directly where the flows hit the waves. The paths so far have been well marked with a lot of interpretation boards. This route was across the Malpais (badlands) of Guimar. This was a lava flow created when the nearby Montana Grande exploded 10,000 years ago. Now the landscape is being overtaken by candelabra cacti and other bushes that love this inhospitable territory.
The path initially skirted the water, as it crossed the lava field. There were some salt pans where locals used to pour in salt water, leave it to evaporate and then harvest the salt. Further on there were some small lava caves at the edge of the water. We met a few other walkers, including a man in flipflops who decided to go back as the way was so rocky. On the horizon we could see a freight ship.
The path then climbed to a promentory before turning inland towards the volcanic cone. We saw several lizards. At the foot of the volcano we ate lunch before heading seewards again, near a water channel ("levada"). It was still cloudy inland but started to clear as we drove home.
As shops close early for Xmas tomorrow, we stocked up with supplies both for Xmas day itself but also for our party on New Year's Day.
Dinner was eaten on the verandah - a tomato and mozzarella tart with the local speciality of papas arrugadas (wrinkled potatoes) with a mojo verde (green sauce).
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