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El Contador PR TF-86.2 hike in Arico, Tenerife – Canary pine forest, ravine viewpoints and historic waterway

El Contador is a classic mid-altitude hike in the municipality of Arico (Tenerife, Canary Islands). This route follows parts of the waymarked trail PR TF-86.2, crossing Canary pine woodland, old terraces and stony ridges with outlooks over deep barrancos. The sequence below takes you from broad panoramas to foggy forest scenes, a historic irrigation channel and dramatic ravine viewpoints.

Wide panorama over the El Contador pine forest with terraced slopes and clouds lifting after the trade-wind mist.

This overview shows how the forested slopes open to terraced benches carved into the volcanic hillsides. On clear spells between passing clouds, the scale of the valley and the mosaic of pines become obvious.

Trail junction signposts on PR TF-86.2 indicating directions to Arico Nuevo, Lomo de Tamadaya and El Contador.

Wayfinding is straightforward thanks to wooden signposts and yellow-white PR markings. Distances toward Arico Nuevo and Lomo de Tamadaya confirm you are on the PR TF-86.2 line from El Contador.

Sunny clearing with Canary pines and volcanic rocks near the ridge above El Contador.

Short ascents reach airy clearings on the ridge, perfect for catching sunshine when cloud cover breaks.

Sign to Casa Forestal and stone picnic grills among Canary pines on the El Contador route.

Near the Casa Forestal area you’ll find picnic infrastructure and stone grills tucked between tall pines—useful if you plan a longer stop.

Misty Canary pine woodland at El Contador with low cloud drifting across the slope.

Trade-wind cloud often drapes these mid-altitude woods. The humidity feeds the understory and creates atmospheric scenes among the pines.

Open valley at El Contador covered with scattered Canary pines seen after a light drizzle.

Even under cloud, visibility opens across gentle valleys speckled with young and mature pines rooted in volcanic soils.

Terraced volcanic slopes above El Contador with lines of dry-stone walls and pine trees.

Lines of old dry-stone walls reveal historic cultivation terraces that survive within the forest edge.

Narrow concrete irrigation channel carrying water along the slope near El Contador.

A legacy of traditional water management, this narrow acequia or canal threads the hillside—evidence of how settlements once captured and guided precious runoff.

Hiker on a rocky singletrack bordered by stones in the El Contador pine forest.

Underfoot the path alternates between packed volcanic ash, pine needles and rock steps—light hiking shoes with grip work well here.

Small rural bar and houses near the El Contador trail on a misty morning.

At the edge of the forest, a tiny hamlet with a bar makes a handy rendezvous or end-of-walk refreshment stop when it’s open.

Cliff-rimmed ravine with vertical volcanic walls and Canary pines clinging to ledges near El Contador. Stony ravine floor and weathered lava outcrops along a dry watercourse near El Contador.

Two viewpoints peer into a rugged barranco: first from the rim across vertical tuffs and then from the bed of the dry watercourse where sculpted lava forms natural steps.

Fog lifting over rolling forested hills as the trail contours below the ridge near El Contador.

As the route loops back, clouds lift and the forest reveals its full extent—one of the most rewarding mid-altitude circuits in southern Tenerife when you want shade, scenery and solitude.

Good to know: Surfaces are rocky and can be slippery when damp; carry water, respect fire restrictions near picnic grills, and follow the PR TF-86.2 waymarks.