Where heaven and earth meet

La Cruz del Carmen is a crossroads located about 900 meters above sea level, in the Anaga Massif, within the Rural Park that is now a Biosphere Reserve. In the past, it was an important point for the flow of people and trade, since La Laguna was once the capital of the island, and through this place, livestock products and crops came and went from the towns of Las Montañas to the Ciudad del Adelantado.

Today, in the Cruz del Carmen there is a fantastic viewpoint from which you can appreciate a spectacular view of El Teide and a fabulous panoramic view of La Laguna. When the day is clear, you can’t pass up the opportunity to go and have a look around. There we also find a chapel, dedicated to Nuestra Señora del Carmen, the Anaga Visitors Center (inaugurated in 1995) and the farmer’s market.

But the most visited of this enclave is, as we have mentioned, its viewpoint, which was inaugurated in 1934. As a curious fact, the cross (del Carmen) was placed in 1836 in order to bless the walkers who passed through this crossing and ended up giving its name to the place.

Another attraction of this enclave is that it is an information point and starting point for several hiking trails. Let’s talk on this occasion about the Cruz del Carmen – Punta del Hidalgo trail, the first one that was homologated in the whole island. It is a hike of about ten kilometers downhill and the landscape that we will find in our path has it all: starting with a thick laurel forest, through more arid areas, cliffs, rocks and coastal scenery … It is advisable to be in good physical shape, because although it runs downhill, it is a path of medium difficulty and is estimated to last about four hours.

The route: the trail begins at Cruz del Carmen, to the right of the restaurant, following the signs that read “Chinamada and Punta del Hidalgo”. Here begins the descent through the laurel forest; it is a humid area, of an enormous scenic richness, in which it is advisable, by the way, to pay special attention to possible slips.

After some asphalt stretches, through the road itself we will arrive at the crossroads of Las Carboneras with Chinamada, and from here we will be able to have impressive views of the Anaga Massif.

This point is about halfway along the route, we will have been on the road for about two hours, so Chinamada is a good place to take a break to refresh ourselves. After the rest, we will go through a nice narrow stone path. In this part, the landscape changes completely with respect to the first section, we will see the impressive cliffs, the sea and enjoy beautiful views over the village of La Punta (as we call La Punta del Hidalgo locally and abbreviated). The end of the route can be done perfectly at the seashore, where you can enjoy a well-deserved and relaxing bath, for example in one of the puddles, which are counted by dozens at this point of the north coast of Anaga.