A forest stopped in time, where life sprouts in every corner.

In 1508, the Adelantado Alonso Fernández de Lugo, governor of the time, granted the mountains of Tacoronte and the springs they housed to the settler García de Morales. Five hundred years later, this area is still known as Agua García.

Despite the vicissitudes of history, this place still retains its original appearance in the beds of the Barrancos de Toledo and Salto Blanco. They are home to nothing less than the richest natural community in the Canary Islands: the monteverde.

It is a forest made up of about twenty evergreen trees, such as the laurel (Laurus novocanariensis) or the vinatigo (Persea indica). Among its branches, several dozens of smaller species seek light, such as the starflower (Gesnouinia arborea) or the cockscomb (Isoplexis canariensis).

The fauna is dominated by insects, both for their diversity and their abundance. However, the birds will surely attract your attention. Among those that live here are the small birds – the soundtrack of the forest – the turquoise pigeon (Columba bolli) and birds of prey, such as the sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus).

To this display of life must be added the mosses and lichens that cover rocks and bark with color, and the fungi that, in autumn, complete this magical scenery. Today you have the opportunity to be part of it through two short routes. One of which is suitable for people with reduced mobility.

More Information

If you want more information, the City Council of Tacoronte through the Department of Tourism, offers a service of self-guided routes coordinated from the Information and Tourism Office of Tacoronte and the Heritage Information Center of Agua García, with a team of local informers who will guide you, upon request, through the different itineraries that are in the forest, showing you the most relevant aspects of the natural and cultural heritage of the area.