Cerro Carrizales

By cole, 14 January, 2023

The green hillsides of El Parque Rural de Teno was my favorite experience up until this point on the Grand Tour, so I decided to go back. I meet the same steep, narrow, and winding roads again, this time with a bit more confidence. I didn't venture as far into the park as before. This time I drove to the trailhead of the Cerro Carrizales. The trail mirrored the roads on my drive. It was narrow, winding, and steep at times, with rock-hewn stairways that were cut precariously close to the edge of vertical cliffs that lined the trail. The rock stairways were a welcome change from all the dirt paths I'd been on so far. It felt like I was venturing through an ancient path cut into the mountainside by a long dead civilization. The feeling struck home when I reached the end of he trail to find a ruined, rock-walled shack with an amazing view of the ocean. Maybe I should have moved-in and stayed for a good long while. After finishing the hike, I stopped at the mountain village of Masca. It was my second visit there. This time I stayed a while and walked some very steep streets to view the various wares of local street vendors. The views were incredible. Maybe this town would be a better fit for long-term relocation.

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