La Montaneta de Los Frailes for Tenerife things to do
La Montaneta a volcanic cone better known as Montañeta del Fraile or de Los Frailes or Meson Monasterio is most popular with tourist hikers and as a view-point for Tenerife North.
There's also a pilgrimage Romeria Fiesta de la Cruz on May 03 every year to the chapel on top of this mount. Traditional folk groups with musicians and dancers of the nearby village that's named like the elevation climb it. They come with decorated wagons and ox-carts that have attached barbecues. There is free food and all ends with fireworks at night.
More facts about the little mountain of the Monasterio monk (Montana del Fraile) of Los Realejos
- A national natural monument of Los Realejos since 1987
- A height of about a tenth of Mount Teide
- A volcanic cone with an ellipsoid closed crater that erupted with fast pyroclastic Lava currents
- A protected space for scientists for volcanic and botanical studies
- Dates back to volcanic eruption of 1430 by Guanche hearsay together with two more nearby elevations called Las Arenas and La Gañadia (now turned into a water reservoir)
- Made up of flora that grows on slag Escorias Lapilli which are little stones
- An Important panoramic look-out to several Tenerife towns and villages, Atlantic coast and mountains that include Teide
- A hiking path of medium difficulty
- A rare volcanic Mount that has a chapel on top
- Volcanic mountain of Tenerife of 25,7ha owned privately by Messrs. Columbus S.A.
- A protected space with endemic flora and fauna
- Has enchanting wayside Calvario altars
It's a most unusual green volcano thanks to moist Elysian winds during the warmer seasons of the year.
Access the elevation's West slope from Calle La Higuerita of the hamlet El Jardin. Ferns grow on it but, also huge fields with the Paris Daisy, Wild Lavender and more.
The abundance of green plants render the small mountain pleasant for walking in Tenerife.
What makes it an exceptional stratovolcano for climbing?
- A cone height of only 371m with a most prominent roundish shape of 300m diameter
- Easy to find from the TF5 freeway at exit La Montaneta and then via the TF 333 road
- North of Meson Monasterio where walkers gather
- An easy to access path of 571 m from the North of Meson Monasterio
Spot a Via Crucis below which starts in a stunning, man made park with xerophytic and other plant landscaping...
Eight stations of the cross Via Cruxis provide pleasant climbing breaks on the rough volcanic mountain road.
- Magic panoramic views almost all along the way with Mount Teide on the horizon
- A last steep ascent before the summit of the green volcanic cone where a walking stick is a must
Again no trees, but only low growing
shrubs and cushions of Canary Island daisies along the horse trail.
Finally the climb ends by the chapel Ermita de la Cruz on the mountain
top with magic views all around.
More photos of endemic flora of the volcanic cone of the monks
Fauna at the natural monument of the monks
- Falcons
- lizards such as the giant Galotii
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Goats in Guanche times but, not now
More things to do after the descent of La Montaneta
There's a wealth of things to do and to see at the foot of the volcanic cone by today's Monastery of El Fraile of Realejos the Meson Monasteria with its many restaurants, shops, orchards and farmyards where pheasants walk on roof tops.
Not to forget the amazing history of the place down memory lane that may set our mind spinning.
Origin of the name of the small volcanic mountain
It comes from a monk i.e. the friar El Fraile Antonio a lay priest from La Gomera. He bought it in 1771 as Montana de la Luz by trading in Tenerife donations to build a sanctuary for Our Lady of Candelaria
He built a small Monastery with a Bodega and wine cellars on its
east side and added shelters for live stock. Friar Antonio
who was friends or did business with Augustine monks of Los Realejos and
La Orotava died in 1811.
In
1826, the farm of La Montaneta de los Frailes was a place of refuge to
monks of the region as well as to others. This happened during the worst
storm and floods of the history of the Canary Islands. Casualties of
men and beast were very high during this fatal Hurricane Bethencourt y
Gonzalez when the Montaneta with its Monasterio was a safe place.
From La Monataneta de frailes back to Los Realejos
Credit is given to a PDF information in Spanish by the Gobierno de Canarias a page that has disappeared online on facts about the Volcanic eruption of the Mountain of the Frailes as well as to a web the townhall of Los Realejos
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