Integral Natural Reserve of El Pijaral

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Leisure · Subcategory: Green spaces

The Natural Reserve of El Pijaral is located on the northern face of the central area of the Anaga massif, where mountainous slopes with steep inclines are densely populated by forest communities that noticeably prevent soil erosion.

El Pijaral is situated between 700 and 1,000 metres above sea level, a territory directly exposed to the onslaught of the moist trade winds. This is why here we find one of the best examples of the hygrophilous laurel forest of the Canary Islands, with an undergrowth formed by fern communities that reach spectacular proportions.

Among the abundant endemics there are many threatened species, such as the monte oleander ( Euphoria mellifera ) and the elderberry ( Sambucus palmensi ), among others. For some of these species, the reserve harbours most, if not all, of their population, as is the case with the Anaga violet ( Viola anagae ). The area also has good populations of laurel forest pigeons ( Columba bollii ), along with other characteristic bird species of this forest.

The site is of very rare natural and landscape diversity. It contains abundant natural springs that emerge from the walls of slopes that capture the moisture carried by the oceanic winds.

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