Tindaya: Mountain, Rock Engravings and Hiking Routes

Tindaya is defined by Montaña de Tindaya, historic buildings and several named hiking routes. For planning your trip, there are three different perspectives to consider: the protected volcanic landscape, the local cultural heritage, and the trailheads and landscape features along the routes. It is important to distinguish the closure of the natural monument from the route descriptions.

Montaña de Tindaya and Rock Engravings

Montaña de Tindaya is a 400.48-metre-high trachytic volcanic plug. It rises from the Llano de Esquinzo plain and has been protected as a natural monument since 1994.

There are a total of 111 rock engravings on Montaña, comprising approximately 244 podomorphs and eight linear incisions. Podomorphs are foot-shaped rock markings. The engravings are concentrated mainly near the summit; two are located on the southern ridge. This provides a sense of both the different forms and their distribution on the mountain.

Visits to the Montaña de Tindaya natural monument are closed under Resolution CAB/2019/6143 of 30 December 2019. Before planning a visit, check whether a reopening has since been announced. When planning, distinguish this restriction from the information about the hiking routes.

Architectural History and Cultural Heritage

The Ermita de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad was built in the first half of the 18th century. The first documentary mention dates from 1765. The construction period and the written reference are two different historical details: 1765 should not be taken as the exact year of construction.

Casa Alta de Tindaya is a traditional Majorero manor house. It houses exhibition and interpretation areas about the values of Montaña de Tindaya and its surroundings. If you wish to visit these areas, check the current visiting arrangements in advance, as access may change.

Hiking Routes and Landscape Features

The PR FV 9 hiking trail starts at the Ermita de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad in Tindaya. Check local trail conditions before setting off. The trail leads into the Vallebrón Protected Landscape, where hikers can see the knife-edge ridges characteristic of Fuerteventura. It then crosses the valley between Montaña de En Medio and Morro de Tabaiba. There, you can see extensive tabaibal formations (Euphorbia sp.).

The Vallebrón route starts in Tindaya and ends in Tefía. It is distinct from Stage 3 of the Camino Natural from La Oliva to Tefía: this stage passes through the village of Tindaya, runs west of Montaña de Tindaya and reaches its foot. A path leading up begins there. However, the stated closure applies to visits to the natural monument. After leaving Tindaya, the stage crosses the volcanic Malpaís del Sobaco to Montaña Quemada and continues on to Tefía.

Different features are useful when comparing the routes: for the PR FV 9, the starting point at the hermitage and the landscape in Vallebrón are important. The Vallebrón route can be identified by its endpoints, Tindaya and Tefía; Stage 3 follows the La Oliva–Tefía direction and passes through Tindaya along the way. This lets you distinguish the named routes by their course and landscape, rather than focusing only on the place name they share.

Discover more destinations: Ajuy, Puerto Del Rosario, Jandia, Castillo Caleta de Fuste, Valles de Ortega, Pájara, Agua de Bueyes, Tesejerague.

For the main travel overview: Fuerteventura.