Masca

Masca
Masca in Tenerife
Masca in Tenerife
Masca is located in Canary Islands
Masca
Masca
Location in the Canary Islands
Coordinates: 28°18′19″N 16°50′25″W / 28.30528°N 16.84028°W / 28.30528; -16.84028
Country Spain
Autonomous community Canary Islands
ProvinceSanta Cruz de Tenerife
IslandTenerife
MunicipalityBuenavista del Norte
Population
 (2013)[1]
 • Total99
Time zoneWET
 • Summer (DST)WEST
Official language(s)Spanish
View of La Gomera from Masca
Shell of Hemicycla mascaensis, an endemic land snail of Tenerife, named after the village of Masca

Masca is a small mountain village on the island of Tenerife. It was originally a Guanche settlement before the Spanish conquest in 1496. The village is now home to around 90 inhabitants. The village lies at an altitude of 650 m in the Macizo de Teno mountains, which extend up to the northwesternmost point of Tenerife.

Forests including cypresses and palm trees abound. The village lies at the head of the Masca Gorge. The trail from the village down the gorge to the beach on the Atlantic Ocean is a popular, though strenuous, hiking route, which takes about 3 hours each way. [2] These "hiking routes" are not just demanding, but also strenuous with, conditions that can very easily claim your life, should you venture into them unprepared.[3]

  1. ^ Instituto Canario de Estadística Archived 2014-04-16 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Klaus Wolfsperger (2010). Tenerife. Rother Walking Guides. pp. 88 to 91. ISBN 978-3-7633-4809-1.
  3. ^ "Fire outbreak in Masca near search area for missing Brit Jay Slater". Canarian Weekly. 30 June 2024.