After our very impressive hike over the new volcano, we had decided to go further south to discover more of them. Our destination was Fuencaliente, where we drove all the way down to the sea and the lighthouses. From there, we intended to explore the area.
The next morning, we took the bus from the lighthouse all the way up to Fuencaliente, where we started at the San Antonio volcano. There is a visitor centre, which also had an earthquake simulator you could step on. A short walk led us to the rim of the caldera.
The San Antonio eruption created land, which is now used for banana plantations and a small fishing village.
From the San Antonio crater, we started our hike down to the lighthouse, past another crater and through a fascinating landscape.
We reached the Teneguía volcano, which had erupted in 1971, causing not much damage, but creating more land again. Passing an area with vineyards, we soon walked through the lava fields.
After about 3 hours, we reached the lighthouses and the salt works. We had enough time for a quick shower, before we had to be at the restaurant, where we had booked a tasting menu. We can highly recommend it!
The salt works were a fascinating place. Not only is salt extracted in hand-made basins still with the traditional method, but they also offer a place for birds we hadn’t seen until now on the Canary Islands.
We stayed a couple of days near the lighthouses, exploring the coast and the village of Fuencaliente, where we also visited a vinery and discovered another very recommendable restaurant: Restaurante la Era with good service and more traditional food.
Next, we will be going back to El Paso, where we are looking into the silk production.