Buenavista del Norte

Bus Routes: 483[Los Cristianos, Las Americas Est], 460 [Guía Isora, Icod] to Icod, 363 [Buenavista].
Return: 383 [Icod, Puerto Cruz] to Icod, 460[Guía Isora, Las Americas Est] to Las Americas, 483[El Medano] to Los Abrigos.

We are still having some rough seas around here so I hopped out for the 08:41 483 to Estación Las Americas having decided to complete another bus journey to see what is there, this time completing the route to the extreme north-west of the island, namely Buenavista del Norte. Because of the way the island lies we are at the south, Santa Cruz is way up the east coast then we have the north-east (which to me always seemed north) which we visited a while ago, the north is approximately where Puerto de La Cruz is which we have also visited then we have Buenavista del Norte at the extreme north-west. We have been on the bus journey as far as Garachico last November so this takes us up to the end of the line. Whilst passing through Santiago del Teide the 355 was waiting, as usual, for passengers to Masca so I asked the driver if I could catch it to Buenavista however it was only going to Masca so it was on to Icod as planned and then a short wait for the 363 from Puerto de la Cruz to Buenavista.

The 355 route timetable

The new harbour at Garachico

Travelling along the approach to Garachico I managed to get a shot of their new marina. As I mentioned in my blog the main very busy and profitable harbour was destroyed by the lava flow from a volcanic eruption centuries ago so history was made in 2012 when a new harbour was completed. Some fifteen minutes later we arrived at the bus station in Buenavista del Norte at about 12:30 just in time for lunch and I must say that I had the best tasting 'American' hamburger I have had so far on this island. Just outside the 'Estación' is a street map from which I eventually worked out that I had to turn right to walk into the main part of the town. I actually crossed the road and went up the small hill before turning right just to be different. I wandered along the street and at the end saw the sign for Masca and Santiago. Enquiries at the bus station before I left had revealed that you can get a bus from Buenavista to Santiago but not the other way around. This takes you on a steep, winding route through the mountains, have some dinner at Santiago then catch the 460 back to Las Americas if you have the time and would like to vary the route.

Wandering on down into the town I was struck by how peaceful the place is. It is a mixture of the old and the new which sit comfortably side by side. The roads are metalled then cobbled for no apparent reason than it may denote the old town but I guess. The building housing the 'Guardia Civil' reminded me of the mini fortresses I have seen in Mexico thought the place seemed peaceful enough perhaps they were troubled by pirates and smugglers in the old days. There were some old bits of wall which did not seem worthy of a photograph next to this which were the ruins of the old Franciscan monastery built in 1648, destroyed in the 19^th century. It was on my return to the bus station via a different route that I saw the portico in the photograph. I wandered around the sports field and down the street into the main plaza. A very pretty tranquil area where the Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios is located. You can also find the Tourist Information Office here staffed by a very helpful young lady. She gave me a map and a route down to the sea. The photographs show that Buenavista is ringed by mountains which rise steeply from the end of the streets, the remaining side is bounded by the sea. The whole area is part of the Teno Rural Park. Apparently the rough volcanic rock is all that is left of volcanoes which erupted in the past and have been worn down by the ravages of time though looking at the rock you would think it invincible.

I walked down the road to the right of the cemetery but this led to the plantation gates, thus a dead end. I retraced my steps and followed the road to the left of the cemetery and found myself heading down towards the coast and the Buenavista golf course, this road also leads on to Las Arenas beach. After exploring the bottom of the barranco where the hermitage is located, take a bottle of water with you it is very hot on a summer afternoon, I retraced my steps up to the town. I selected a different route down some of the side streets ending up back in the main plaza where I enjoyed a cooling lemon & 'nada' drink followed by a Dorada beer. It was here that I noticed that we British are not the only ones who label our street furniture such as lamp posts and post boxes with the details of the reigning monarch. I had debated returning via Masca but decided that I was to tired for a late night, it was extremely hot, so it was back the way I came. I have added the main events in the area to the 'Timetable' page.

View my 'Buenavista del Norte' Photo Album

If you look at a map of Tenerife you will see that we have hit most of the key spots up the west coast and around the island, there are some blanks to fill in between Icod and Puerto de la Cruz and the north-east of the island before I head up the hill to 'Teide'. I have a feast to look forward to this weekend, the various restaurants and bars in Los Abrigos have a food and drink fair in the village square on Saturday starting at 11:00. Each item is 1€, live music and partying till the early hours!

Till next time....