Unique mountain village Masca
a Tenerife pirate hide-out?

The mountain village Masca isn't a pirate recluse now.

Was it one in the past?

May be. Why? It had all it takes.

Click the photos below to enlarge them...

1. Ideal boat mooring in an almost secret bay
2. Easy village access from coast or land only for insiders

Sure is that Masca is the most tropical European hamlet because of its sheltered location within the gigantic Teno Massif.

White houses with terracotta roofs  are spread out below the  look-out by the village entrance. Some more are on slopes.

Two square km of the altitude settlement even include a gorge.

Where sleep ?

This picturesque Teno village offers hardly any tourist accommodation. You see why when you look around from an elevated car parking ground.

El Guanche Alte Schule Vegetarian Restaurant is the small complex with an attached roof top terrace that is depicted in the bottom part of the photo. The address is:

• El Guanche Alte Schule, Calle El Lomito, s/n
• 38689 Masca 
• Tel: 922 863027
•  Santa Cruz de Tenerife
  

Masca Mountain village climate and agriculture

Did you ever hear about a tropical, but pleasant climate? Well, Masca the rare mountain hamlet with its many palms has that. 

Day temperatures range from 24 to 35 degrees Celsius. At night, you may feel sometimes a little chilly, but never cold.

Subtropical and tropical fruit like Mangoes, Guavas, Passion fruit, Papayas, Pitayas, Avocados, all Citrus fruit and more grow there. Not to forget Almonds. Then there are Cabbages, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Corn and much of the rest of the vegetable family. Mind, there's not enough space for Wheat. The difficult terrain makes agriculture awkward. However, terraces solve most of this problem.

Macaronesian highland village winds

A roughly 20m gap between ocean cliffs of the Teno Massif  is above Masca Bay. There, Elysian winds enter from Northwest between March and September. This Macaronesian airflow is also responsible for the delicate,  rare plants and the bird life of the village.

Los Gigantes further down the coast shares the impressive cliffs. There, giant granite walls with heights of 750m at an 80 degree angle meet the eye. 

Did the TF 436 stop pirate traffic?

The mountain road the TF 436 put an end to mule cart transport and mule tourist safaris in 1960.  However, secret contraband traffic from the hidden Masca Bay would never have been an issue by then. The Tenerife piracy era had been over for a long time. Besides, there's no proof of it in Masca.  Again, enlarge the pictures underneath by clicking...

Find the helpful map for Buenavista del Norte with more roads and settlements. Spot Masca the mountain settlement, Los Gigantes and Los Silos. 

Famous Masca mountain mayor

Thanks to Don Jose Perez Gonzalez 11 km of electric cables soon connected Buenaviste del Norte with Masca.

 There is a statue at the entrance of the mountain village entrance in its honor. It also tells you that Masca was the late Mayor Don José's bride. That's how much he loved it.

Masca mountain settlement amenities

Masca has roughly 30 dwellings with 122 inhabitants. It has a town square for celebrations with a magnificent, shady tree and a small Catholic church In Canary Island style from XVII.  

Click the photos below to enlarge them...

The church name is Iglesia or 'Ermita de la Inmaculata Concepción'. It is decorated with flowers when the hamlet celebrates the Spanish National Holiday on October 12. Open air dances follow a mass.

The old Guanche School and museum

The tiny Guanche School museum doesn't exist any more. A restaurant by that name is in parts of its former building. There, a couple of tables and benches of the old class room remain. Photos commemorate the history of the popular Vegetarian eating place. There's no school now. Not enough students...

The article souvenirs Masca is about a most surprising gift shop and a much improved terrace restaurant.  There, also learn how to book hiking trips to the legendary shore. Mind its path may still be closed.

The mountain village Masca is a runner up for top attractions of the island after Mount Teide which is and will always remain number One.

Mountain village fire danger

This intriguing village of Spain's Canary Islands near Africa seems to be hugged by menacing peeks.  Steep slopes are all around. There, Pine forests and ancient Laurisilva burn easily. It happened last in July, 2007. Then many of the hamlet's scarce dwellings fell to the flames, as seen by surprising Tenerife details.

Popular cycling tracks past Masca and Baracán

Look out for cyclists that practice altitude training on this scenic mountain road.  Sometimes, they take a short break by the Baracán lookout which is 1005m above the sea. Mind the nearby Teno Alto is at 794 and El Palmar 830m.

Masca Tenerife rare birds

• Canary birds
• Useful rat catcher birds called Cernicalos
• Macaronesian blue doves Rabiche and Turqué
• Fish eagles
• Other eagles
• Prehistoric Gavilan hawk
• Endangered birds such as almost white doves and the Barbary falcon

Most important your Masca weather forecast

here or

Rain or sun by Masca Buenavista del Norte ?

Mind the two different weather forecasts above. Why? I spent most of the day in Masca on October 07, 2019 with extreme sun. Later by 6p.m., I encountered a total weather change at Buenavista del Norte by the sea where Masca belongs to. Buenavista in its Isla Baja was like a different gray world.  

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