Árbol Garoé

From La Restinga, we had driven up to the Mirador de Las Playas. The playas (beaches) were about 1,000 metres below us and the view was spectacular. Even short after sunset, we had a good view of La Gomera, Tenerife and especially the Teide. We were already back at the car, when the colours of the sky changed and suddenly the full moon appeared. One of the best moon rises ever!

The next day was overcast and rainy, but we managed a hike where we only got slightly wet. Occasionally, it cleared a little and even looked as the sun was coming through, the next moment we were closed in by dense clouds again – typical mountain weather on these islands.

We were hoping for better weather the next day, and had moved close to the abandoned village of La Albarrada. Two locals had recommended the village for its dry walls covered with lichen.

From the village, only the walls of the fields and few parts of former houses stand. But you can clearly make out the layout of the village. The location was chosen so that the village was not visible from the sea, to prevent pirate attacks. Fields were protected from livestock, which grazed around the village, by dry walls, which are today the home to many little plants, lizards and other insects.

From the village we hiked to the sacred tree of the island, the Arbol Garoé, which has saved the lives of many locals during droughts, as the legend tells us.

The Garoé was the sacred tree of the indigenous people (Bimbaches) of El Hierro. The coat of arms of El Hierro depicts it as a tree with clouds in its crown.

Due to its high altitude in the mountains, exposed to the north-east trade winds, the Garoé constantly condenses moisture from the low-hanging clouds on its leaves and branches, as do of course many other trees on the island.

The original tree is said to have been very tall with a dense, leafy crown. It ensured the survival of the indigenous people, known as Bimbaches on El Hierro, as it was able to provide water even in times of drought. It is said to have provided many litres of water per day. At that time, the entire island could be supplied with water that condensed in trees.

The original tree was uprooted by a storm in 1610. In 1945, a stink laurel tree was planted in place of the original tree. It is now covered with moss and lichen and stands in a rock niche. Even today, water still condenses on the seven-metre-high tree and drops down, captured in little pools around the tree.

It was enough time spent in the clouds, we will head now to the El Golfo Bay, and hopefully the sun too. More next!