Vilaflor: Churches, Vineyards and Volcanic Landscapes

The parish church of San Pedro Apóstol has been protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural since 1985. Its history stands alongside rural architecture, traditional viticulture, historic paths and striking volcanic landscapes.

Culture and History

The present-day parish church of San Pedro Apóstol developed from a chapel commissioned around 1530 by Pedro Soler and Juana de Padilla; the current church building was completed in the 17th century. The church contains a 16th-century baptismal font associated with the baptism of Santo Hermano Pedro.

The Santuario del Santo Hermano Pedro stands on the site where the saint's birthplace was located. The sanctuary contains a relic in the form of one of the saint's vertebrae and the bell he used to call the faithful together. During the saint's festival in April, hundreds of pilgrims walk the Camino del Hermano Pedro.

The historic Casas Altas complex in Jama is a Bien de Interés Cultural and is shared by the municipalities of Vilaflor and Arona. It preserves traditional rural architecture in the south of Tenerife and includes, among other features, water channels, cisterns, ovens, paved paths, terraces and caves. Casas Altas also contains groups of cup marks and connecting channels that may be associated with the pre-Hispanic culture.

A paved path through Casas Altas forms part of a historic Camino Real that connected Vilaflor with the northern side of Tenerife and the lower-lying areas in the south. La Casa Inglesa was built in the 19th century beside the cypress trees in the square of the church of San Pedro Apóstol, inhabited by Mary Edwards and the Reverend Thomas Gifford Nash, and now serves as the parish house. La Roseta and El Encaje de Vilaflor are handcrafted works that continue the town's tradition.

You can also include Escalona in your further travel plans.

Nature and Landscape

Paisaje Lunar is a significant geological area where pumice and whitish ash from eruptions millions of years ago are exposed. In Vilaflor, the Parque Natural de La Corona Forestal includes the oldest pine forest in the Canary Islands.

The Monumento Natural de Montaña Colorada features a diverse volcanic landscape with cones, domes, ravines, interfluves and lava fields. Within the area of Vilaflor de Chasna, the Paisaje Protegido de Ifonche covers 602.2 hectares, equivalent to 77.73% of the protected area. The Pino de las dos Pernadas is 56 metres tall. Outside Vilaflor, there is a monument at a well-equipped viewpoint with ample parking and benches.

Viticulture and Agriculture

Viticulture in Vilaflor was introduced around 1531 by Pedro Soler and continued over the following centuries to the present day. In the municipality of Vilaflor de Chasna, vineyards reach elevations of up to 1,600 metres; they are described as the highest vineyards in Europe.

In the area, potatoes, vines and fruit trees have traditionally been grown mainly in Jable fields. The use of Jable is considered essential for agricultural activity because it enables greater water savings.

Paths and Routes

The Camino del Hermano Pedro begins at San Pedro Church in Vilaflor and leads to the Cueva del Santo Hermano Pedro. The path from San Pedro Church climbs uphill to the Ermita de San Roque. During the ascent, the route from Vilaflor enters the Parque Natural de La Corona Forestal.

The PR-TF 72 is a circular route that begins and ends in the main square of Vilaflor de Chasna. It is signposted as a Sendero de pequeño recorrido, meaning a short-distance hiking trail. The Vilaflor–La Florida–Paisaje Lunar route begins at the Plaza de la Iglesia de Vilaflor in the town centre.

BC-5 Pinares de Vilaflor is a mountain biking and horse-riding route that runs through a large part of the municipality of Vilaflor and is 13.78 kilometres long.

To the main travel overview: Tenerife.

More Destinations

More places at the same destination:

Las Vegas, Candelaria, El Pris, Charco del Pino, Ifonche y Benitez, Guía De Isora, Fasnia.