Lying at 1500 metres above sea level on Tenerife, Vilaflor boasts the title of Spain’s highest  municipality. Pine forests surround the town, creating the sort of landscape where you expect to hear the tinkle of goat bells and where nuns are apt to break into a chorus of “The Hills are Alive”. Vilaflor’s landscape is also sculpted into surreal platforms of creamy, jable-covered terraces that tap moisture from the clouds providing irrigation for potatoes and vines; the town’s trademark produce.

Popular legend has it that Vilaflor owes its name to a Spanish Captain of the conquistadores; Pedro de Bracamonte who upon seeing a beautiful Guanche girl in the forest above the town exclaimed “¡Vi la flor de Chasna!” – I have seen the flower of Chasna (the town’s former name).

Another Pedro, however, is Vilaflor’s most famous son. Brother Pedro was born in Chasna in 1626 and, having lived a humble and saintly life in a cave near El Médano, emigrated to Guatemala where he founded the first religious order in the New World, the Bethlehemites. He was canonised in 2002 and his image graces houses, plazas and fountains throughout the town.

Once a popular destination for scientists and explorers who travelled the Camino de Chasna from La Orotava, Vilaflor was the location of the first hotel in the south of Tenerife. Ironically these days most visitors to Tenerife pass it by in on their way to Mount Teide and in doing so, overlook a historic little town with flower lined streets and a friendly personality.

 

  • Restaurants in Vilaflor

    As is often the case with places not on the main tourist trail there are some great little restaurants in Vilaflor that combine local ingredients and serve a mix of decent basic fare, high standard traditional and creative contemporary cuisine.

  • Accommodation in Vilaflor

    Not for the beach brigade, the hotels in Vilaflor are rural and with individualistic design and character. These are hotels for visitors who want to explore the best of Tenerife – their secluded locations are pretty romantic as well.

  • The pick of what to do in Vilaflor

    Vilaflor is a beautiful base for exploring the hills of the south, Mount Teide and Las Cañadas del Teide. A must for anyone staying here is to head into the forest in search of the weird and wonderful Paisajes Lunar. There's a route from the town.


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Recommended Accommodation in Vilaflor: Hotel Spa Villalba

Romantic retreat or base for hiking, Hotel Spa Villalba is a beautiful rural hotel set in the pine forest above Vilaflor. It also has the added bonus of having a great spa; again perfect whether for a lazy,  romantic afternoon or for soothing muscles after a long hike.

Restaurants in Vilaflor: El Rincon de Roberto and La Vendimia

El Rincon de Roberto (+34 922 70 90 35, Av. Hermano Pedro, 27) serves the best of Canarian cuisine with a dash of style (and has a brick fire for those cool winter days when the cloud rolls in). We recommend the degustación menu. La Vendimia at Hotel Spa Villalaba has an imaginative and delicious menu and uses vegetables from their own garden.

What is Nightlife Like in the Town of Vilaflor?

Quiet. The night sky is beautifully clear above Vilaflor, sitting on a balcony with a bottle of wine might not  sound the liveliest of things to do of a night, but it’s soothing for the soul. There are regularly little quirky events related to local traditions, so check the town hall for info.