Malpaís: Hiking Trail, Landscape and Local History

Malpaís brings together the local SL-TF 294.1 El Moralito hiking trail and a volcanic landscape that includes woodland and dry-farmed agricultural land. The Church of San Antonio de Padua, an annual celebration and architectural remains also offer tangible points of cultural interest.

Hiking and getting there

The local SL-TF 294.1 El Moralito hiking trail starts at the Church of San Antonio de Padua in Malpaís. Access to the trailhead is at Parroquia San Antonio, Calle San Antonio 67, Malpaís, Candelaria. Check local conditions before setting out.

Line 4 connects central Candelaria with Las Cuevecitas/Malpaís. Check the timetable before travelling if you plan to use this service to get there.

Landscape and protected areas

Malpaís has a volcanic landscape, alongside woodland and dry-farmed agricultural land. A 2021 municipal assessment describes how a large part of Malpaís’s natural area is included in the Corona Forestal Natural Park, the Siete Lomas Protected Landscape and the Chivisaya Public Utility Forest. Check local access conditions before visiting.

Malpaís de Güímar, which is designated a Special Area of Conservation, is also located near Malpaís. It is a nearby, separately named point of interest, distinct from the landscape designations for Malpaís’s natural area. The three types of area differ: a natural park, a protected landscape and a public forest.

Church and historical traces

The Church of San Antonio de Padua is in the Malpaís neighbourhood and was built in 1962. The image of Saint Anthony of Padua is honoured every year during the festivities named after him. The construction date places the church in time; the celebration points to a religious tradition that recurs annually.

At Charca del Pino, the remains of an old house stand beside a threshing floor and a stone oven. A threshing floor is where grain is threshed; together with the stone oven, it adds two clearly identified architectural details to the house remains. Unlike the church, the focus here is on the proximity of these features. Threshing separates the grains from the ears and the stalks.

Another historical connection leads to Arafo: until the mid-19th century, the Dominicans owned, among other properties, the estate “los Cuchillo en el Malpaís.” The dates reflect different time frames: a specific construction year for the church and a history of ownership in Arafo that extends to the mid-19th century.

Discover more destinations: Igueste De Candelaria, Las Cuevecitas De Candelaria.

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