Orotava South (GR131)

This is a circular tour based on La Orotava, which I reached from Puerto de la Cruz by the #352 guagua. I started my recording at the bus and finished it there, after returning via the historic part of the town. I recommend doing the tour clockwise so you finish this way.
From the bus station it was an hour and a half continuous climb along metalled roads and pavements until I reached the tree-line. I must admit I found this quite a slog. Once I was in the wood and on the track my cares and worries started to slip off my shoulders.
The route through the woods is a combination of broad forest tracks (perhaps used by vehicles) where the going can be quite fast and narrow paths, rocky in places, where travel is necessarily slower.
The first signpost you see is marked La Caldera. The next is a big signpost saying “Camino Natural Anaga-Chasna” pointing to El Portillo. It says that this is Section 4 of the GR-131. You will also see signposts saying “Camino La Orilla”. The path is indicated by coloured flashes of white, red and green. There is more than one route along this path and eventually you will be looking for white and red flashes, though I don’t think there’s any difficulty in navigation through the wood. Occasionally, you will see squat concrete marker posts saying MP27 or MP26, etc. At one point there is an enclosed water aqueduct next to you, a bit like the Laderas in Madeira.
I think it’s about an hour and a quarter through the wood before you reach a road and start making the long descent into Orotava. If the clouds have dispersed you should be able to see El Teide. If you can’t see Teide, you’ll certainly be able to see the coast as your altitude decreases. I think the descent took almost as long as the ascent.
I came into the town at Plaza San Francisco and from there onwards it’s the town’s historic zone, with House of the Balconies, cathedral, town hall and so many buildings with wooden balconies.
Eventually, this pretty area of town finishes and it’s then through modern shopping streets back to the bus station.
For me, the main attraction of the tour was walking along relatively flat terrain through the forest. However, I’m not sure that the effort getting there and back was totally worth it.