Vilaflor: Heritage, Trails and Winegrowing

Vilaflor can be explored through several distinct themes: the history surrounding San Pedro Apóstol and Santo Hermano Pedro, the rural heritage of Casas Altas, geological landscapes and a long tradition of winegrowing. If you are planning a hotel stay in Vilaflor, these different highlights may influence your choice of destination. Consider whether you are particularly interested in historic buildings, routes or landforms.

Church and the history of Santo Hermano Pedro

The parish church of San Pedro Apóstol has been protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural since 1985. Its history begins with a chapel commissioned around 1530 by Pedro Soler and Juana de Padilla; the present church building was completed in the 17th century. Inside the church is a 16th-century baptismal font associated with the baptism of Santo Hermano Pedro. Several periods of history thus come together at this site: the early 16th-century chapel, the baptismal font and the church building, completed later.

The Santuario del Santo Hermano Pedro stands on the site of the saint’s birthplace. It houses a relic in the form of one of the saint’s vertebrae and the bell he used to summon the faithful. La Casa Inglesa is also part of the history of the church square: it was built in the 19th century beside the cypress trees in the square of San Pedro Apóstol church. Mary Edwards and the Reverend Thomas Gifford Nash lived in the building; today it serves as the parish house.

Casas Altas and historic trails

The historic site of Casas Altas is located in Jama and is shared by the municipalities of Vilaflor and Arona. It is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural and preserves traditional rural architecture in southern Tenerife. Its features include water channels, cisterns, ovens, paved paths, terraces and caves. The variety of these features gives a concrete picture of what the historic site comprises, rather than focusing on just one building.

A paved path through Casas Altas forms part of a historic Camino Real that connected Vilaflor with Tenerife’s north side and the lower-lying areas in the south. Casas Altas also contains groups of cup marks and connecting grooves that may be associated with pre-Hispanic culture. The Camino del Hermano Pedro starts at San Pedro church in Vilaflor and leads to the Cueva del Santo Hermano Pedro. Hundreds of pilgrims walk this route during the saint’s festival in April.

Landscape and geological formations

At Paisaje Lunar, pumice and whitish ash formed by eruptions several million years ago are exposed. The area is geologically significant, and its visible materials point to its formation in the distant past. A different landscape can be seen at the Monumento Natural de Montaña Colorada, where cones, domes, ravines, ridges and lava fields make up a varied volcanic landscape.

The protected forest offers another point of interest: within Vilaflor, the Parque Natural de La Corona Forestal contains the oldest pine forest in the Canary Islands. Different natural features can therefore be found side by side: geological formations at Paisaje Lunar and Montaña Colorada, and the pine forest within the protected area. This distinction can help you identify the landscape highlights that interest you, without combining them into a single route description.

Winegrowing and choosing a route

Winegrowing was introduced in Vilaflor around 1531 by Pedro Soler and continued over the following centuries through to the present day. Within the municipality, vineyards reach elevations of up to 1,600 metres; they are described as the highest-altitude vineyards in Europe. The approximate date of its beginnings and its long history give winegrowing its own historical dimension. For planning your trip, this is a different way to explore the area from its church and pilgrimage history or geological landscapes.

The routes also differ in their stated format and use. PR-TF 72 starts and ends at the main square in Vilaflor de Chasna as a circular route and is signposted as a Sendero de pequeño recorrido, or short-distance hiking trail. BC-5 Pinares de Vilaflor, by contrast, is a mountain biking and horse-riding route that passes through a large part of the municipality and is 13.78 kilometres long. Compare the circular format with the stated length and designated activities, and check local trail conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Escalona, Buzanada, Arico Viejo, Puerto la Madera, Punta Brava, Guía De Isora, Granadilla De Abona, Guaza.

For the main travel overview: Tenerife.