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SL FV 53: Montaña Cardón - El Tanquito
Description
Climb to Mount Cardón
This local track begins at the village of El Cardón and climbs the mountain of the same name, named a Natural Monument, at whose base there is a small shrine dedicated to the Virgin of Tanquito, in whose honor a popular pilgrimage takes place every year in early May.
The climb to Mount Cardón follows a local track that starts in the village of El Cardón and ascends the valley, between Montaña Cardón (Mount Carón) and Montaña Redonda or Hendida (Round or Cleft Mountain), until it reaches a detour that goes up the mountainside, from where we can see the valley.
If we follow this route by Filo de los Tanques (Tank Edge), we will finally reach a small esplanade in which there is a post with a base in the middle of a circle of stones; this esplanade is used during the pilgrimage of El Tanquito, when the pilgrims take the image of the virgin up from the village. From this point, the track follows the north side of the mountain, offering spectacular views of the north coast, and even a glimpse of the coast of Cofete.
At the end of the trail, on the base of Montaña Cardón, we find a place specially prepared to welcome the pilgrims and house the image of the Virgen del Tanquito in a shrine consisting of a small cave dug out for this purpose next to a natural spring. In the vicinity of the shrine we also find a bread oven, several barbecue grills and a water well, as well as benches and recreation areas.
Every year, in early May, the people of El Cardón, accompanied by music and dances, carry on their shoulders the image of the Virgen del Tanquito from the village up to the shrine, where they worship the image while enjoying a meal for a huge crowd, consisting of roasts and other dishes typical of Fuerteventura, after which they return to the village in the afternoon. The origin of this pilgrimage dates back to the first settlers of the island.
Profile
MIDE (Method for the Information of Excursions)
Harshness of natural environment- 1. The environment is not risk-free
- 2. There are more than one risk factors
- 3. There are various risk factors
- 4. There are quite a lot of risk factors
- 5. There are many risk factors
Guidance along the route- 1. Well defined trails and crossings
- 2. There is a clearly marked trail and signage
- 3. Requires the identification of geographic features and cardinal points
- 4. Requires off-path navigation
- 5. The trail is interrupted by obstacles that have to be gone around
Route difficulty- 1. Walking on a flat surface
- 2. Trails with different types of path
- 3. Walking on stepped paths or irregular terrain
- 4. The use of hands or jumping over the terrain is necessary
- 5. The use of hands is required to progress
Amount of effort needed- 1. Up to 1 hour of continuous walking
- 2. Between 1 and 3 hours of continuous walking
- 3. Between 3 and 6 hours of continuous walking
- 4. Between 6 and 10 hours of actual walking
- 5. More than 10 hours of continuous walking
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Further information
Natural Monument Montaña Cardón
The Natural Monument Montaña Cardón covers an area of 1,266.8 ha in the municipality of Pájara. It is a mountainous massif characterized by jagged surfaces carved by erosion, with its highest point being Montaña Cardón, 691 m.
Montaña Cardón is also remarkable for its flora wealth, particularly with regard to rupicolous or rock-dwelling species, some of which are threatened and most of them protected, which makes this a place of great scientific value. On the slopes of the mountain grows a bush endemic to the island, the jorjado or gold coin (Odontospermum sericerum), which thrives in the highest regions of Fuerteventura, particularly on those slopes most exposed to the winds.
This protected natural area also provides important scenic resources, particularly on the eastern slopes, where the hills rise from plains almost completely devoid of any similar geographical features.
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