On the penultimate day of my trip to the Canary Islands, I felt like I needed a little more of Teide… and I was tempted to redo two hikes I had done in the past: the ascent of Montaña Blanca and a small volcanic loop at Sàmara. I had done the first on a not-so-great weather day, and the second, I had quickly explored one evening, leaving me with fond memories of the lighting and landscapes.
So, I decided to take my time with Montaña Blanca. The good news (and surprise) is that there’s still a lot of snow around, making the landscape even more eerily lunar! The volcanic rocks, with their orange hues, stand out even more against these white patches. A few days earlier, right after the snowfall, it must have been quite a sight!
I didn’t take the direct path up to Montaña Blanca but ventured a bit further north, towards Fortaleza. The catch is that it goes downhill, and then you have to climb back up towards Teide’s “eggs”. The volcano’s eggs are also snow-covered (excuse the pun)…
The summit of Montaña Blanca soon appears, accompanied by an extremely cold wind! I had planned to have lunch there, but that was a no-go. I ended up taking shelter behind one of the eggs to enjoy my packed lunch amidst this dreamy lunar landscape before heading back down to the parking lot.
Sàmara, or rather Volcan de Sàmara, is the next stop. The small parking lot is full, which is quite surprising. Not many people on the trails, though; I wonder where they all went! The landscapes are just as I remember, with a few clouds adding to the late afternoon ambiance.
Stunning lights, beautiful black sands, and the green of the pines contrasting – it’s always so beautiful and captivating in this part of the island. Pico Viejo and Teide appear around a volcanic cone, with a backdrop of jagged rocks in the middle of which stands a slender pine tree.
The clouds gradually take over, making the atmosphere even more mysterious. La Palma remains visible, at the end of the line of volcanic cones leading to Teno. I take a small detour before returning to the parking lot, discovering a lovely vantage point overlooking the horizon, as well as Teide and Viejo. It’s at this moment that I decide to climb Viejo again the next day… there must still be snow up there, right?
Photos from the Sàmara and Montaña Blanca hike:
