When you catch your first breathtaking view of Masca, you realise why it’s Tenerife’s second most popular tourist destination after Teide National Park, and why it’s known as Tenerife’s prettiest village. Clusters of white buildings nestle in small communities mostly hidden by lush vegetation, sandwiched between the Masca and the Madre del Agua gorges. The mountains tower above the village on three sides, with a deep ravine running along the valley floor to a ‘V’ on the horizon which frames the Atlantic Ocean and the distant outline of La Goméra.

Masca was one of the Guanches last refuges from the Spanish conquistadors in 1496. Its extraordinary position, virtually isolated until the roads from the north and south were constructed in the 1970s, has meant it has had to be self sufficient, growing crops of potatoes, tomatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, vines and fruit trees.

To get the most out of your visit to Masca make sure you have your copy of Real Tenerife  Island Drives OR The Real Tenerife Guidebook.

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