A historic reservoir, a self-guided route to the Ermita de Pino Alto and recurring January traditions offer several specific ways to explore La Florida. This gives you different points of focus when planning your trip: landscapes and trails, farming heritage, and the dates of the fiestas.

Walks and Historic Trails

The La Orotava SlowTours collection, published in 2025, features La Florida-Pino Alto as an educational, self-guided walk. It starts at the Charca de Ascanio and ends at the Ermita de Pino Alto. The route is accessed via Cuesta de La Villa road (TF-21).

The historic Vereda Lomo La Peña, which connects La Florida with Cruz de La Lajita, is a different route. A 2019 municipal study describes the mapped section from El Horno to Cruz as a difficult 2.28-kilometre route with an average duration of about three hours. Check current trail conditions before setting out. This helps distinguish information about this historic trail from the description of the self-guided walk to Pino Alto.

Landscape and Farming

La Florida-Pino Alto lies at the foot of the protected landscape of La Resbala. La Florida itself lies at the foot of the Ladera de Santa Úrsula, a large escarpment east of the Valle de La Orotava. These geographical references describe different aspects of the area and should not be confused with one another.

The Los Gómez section passes through an agricultural landscape shaped by vineyard terraces. The terraces reflect the area’s farming character; the Cordón Trenzado is the most widely used grapevine training system in the Valle de La Orotava and the local agricultural landscape. Potatoes are also part of the local food culture: in this traditional farming landscape, they remain the most highly valued gastronomic product.

Water Engineering and Local History

The Charca de Ascanio is a historic reservoir and the only dam in Tenerife located outside a watercourse. Construction began in mid-1914. The Ascanio brothers sponsored the project to supply irrigation water to the banana plantations in the lower Valle de La Orotava.

The Iglesia de La Florida was inaugurated in 2013, almost two decades after construction began. Historic stone walls from terraced fields have been preserved in the Maestre Juan area. They made it possible to cultivate sloping land. The Maestre Juan architectural ensemble also includes one of the best-preserved threshing floors in La Orotava. The name of the Hacienda de Maestre Juan, after which the area is also named, appears in historical documents dating from the late 16th century.

Cruz de La Lajita is located on the summit of the Ladera de Santa Úrsula. People with ties to La Florida maintain and decorate it every year. This is a local cultural practice; it should not be confused with a confirmed public event.

Fiestas and Traditional Customs

The annual fiestas in honour of San Antonio Abad and the Virgen de La Esperanza take place in La Florida during the last week of January. In 2018, they were recognised as a Fiesta de Interés Turístico de Canarias (Festival of Tourist Interest of the Canary Islands). The Feria de Ganado La Florida is one of the neighbourhood fiestas; it has been held since 1970 as part of the celebrations in honour of these two saints and takes place on the last Saturday in January.

A report by the Canary Islands Government dated 25 January 2025 notes that the Puchero de La Florida has been held for more than 50 years as part of the same celebrations. The Bajada del cisco, pinocho y leña has also been reenacted as part of the fiestas. If you are travelling for a specific event, check the programme for the relevant year.

Traditional cultural life also includes Canarian wrestling, the ribbon dance, the Tango de La Florida and Canarian ball games. These traditions offer another perspective on the area, alongside its trails and traces of farming. Together with the historic reservoir and the fiestas, they show the variety of ways to explore La Florida without combining the individual attractions or traditions into a single visit itinerary.

Discover more destinations: Aguamansa, La Perdoma.

Return to the main travel overview: La Orotava.