Bejía Baja - Anaga

Hiking along a no longer used canal on the edge of the rocks.

Anaga Park in the north of Tenerife has many amazing hiking trails, and one of them is located in the Bejía area. This path leads through an unused irrigation canal along the rock and is not difficult.

We were leaving La Laguna and driving into the Anaga forests. We were getting lost in the greenest part of the island full of forests, valleys, gorges, mountains and beautiful views. We did not go all the way to the Cruz del Carmen viewpoint, but we turned to the left to Bejía. Along the way we came across Mirador del Escobón with a breathtaking view.

Obviously, we are in the Canary Islands and the roads here are very zigzag. It means that sick might feel even those who are not normally feeling sick in the car. We were approaching a very small village quite cut off from civilization with a few houses and fields. Overall, there was such a gloomy weather that day. We parked right at the beginning of the village and as soon as we got out of the car, it started to rain. That didn't discourage us at all, we put on hooded jackets and set off on the way.

Between the houses and various gardens there were concrete steps and paths leading down. The whole place was surrounded by all sorts of greenery and along the way we came across an endemic flower of the Canary Islands - Canarina canariensis (photo below). We were amazed by the beauty of nature all around.

We moved on, but we didn't know exactly where our journey shall begins. So we asked the locals in a passing truck, how to get to the Bejía Baja canal. Fortunately, they guided us correctly, and they drove us a bit in the cargo area, which was a lot of fun. We jumped out of the car and found a path between the bushes leading steeply down the rocks.

Along the way, we noticed almost dry puddle that remained there after a waterfall, which had to flow from the rock above them. After a while, we finally found the beginning of the concrete channel, which we continued along. After a short walk we came across a dark tunnel, where we had to turn on the flashlight in our phones and walk through. At the end of it, there were still a couple of gardens, which soon dissapeared and the gorge next to the canal began to deepen more and more. The canal we walked on was built along the rocks and the whole path was still in one height level.

The path through the canal was not dangerous at all, but we must have been careful anyway. In some parts, the corridors and passages were carved into the rocks, and once the rock interferes from above, so we had to squat to pass through, but nothing difficult.

Along the way we enjoyed the views to the other side of the gorge and its greenish mountains. Soon we could see the blue ocean in the distance. When we went around the last turn, we also saw a piece of the village of Punta del Hidalgo. At this point, we sat on the grass next to the canal and ate a little snack with the view. Since we arrived by car to Bejía, we had to come back the same way. If you want to extend your trip, you can continue to Punta del Hidalgo.

Tips for you

• The best way to get to Bejía is by car from La Laguna.

• From Bejía you can walk to Punta del Hidalgo or return the same way.

• The journey to the view of Hidalgo and back took us about 3 hours.

• Bring a snack and a drink, a hooded jacket or raincoat, as well as sunscreen.