Visual stories

Guajara was a Guanche princess, daughter of Beneharo, ruler of one of the kingdoms into which the island of Tenerife was divided, and wife of Tinguaro, the brother (or possibly half-brother) of Bencomo, the ruler of another kingdom. The Guanches were the original inhabitants of Tenerife, a stone-age culture when the Spanish Conquistadors finally took the island for the crown of Spain after fierce fighting. The Guanches fought hard and long, andTenerife was the last island of the Canarian archipelago to fall. One of the heroes of the battles was Tinguaro, who was slain, after ferocious fighting, at the battle of Aguere (the present-day La Laguna) in 1495. Heartbroken, Guajara withdrew inland, and finally, in her despair, threw herself from the peak of the mountain which now bears her name. That she met her end in that way can never be confirmed, but the story is in keeping with others relating to the time following the Conquest.

Copy credit: Islandmomma

This mountain trail takes you up from La Degollada de Guajara to the peak known as Alto de Guajara, which, at an altitude of 2,715 m (8,907 ft), is the highest point on the walls of La Caldera, and the third highest in the National Park. From here you will get the best view of El Teide, Pico Viejo and Montaña Blanca, as well as a panoramic view of La Caldera de Las Cañadas. This excellent vantage point is a perfect place from which to see each different tongue of lava and the flatlands known as Las Cañadas. At the peak, you can still find the remains of the cabin used by French astronomer Jean Mascart during his stay here, where he was studying Halley's comet on its way past Earth in 1910. The south face of the Island will be visible during the entire climb. And, on clear days, you might see as far as the other islands in the Canarian archipelago.

Copy credit: Tenerife tourist board