Stage 2: Puerto de la Estaca - Valverde
Description
Another Route through the Municipality of Valverde
The second stretch of the GR-131 trail is in fact a branch of the same trail, and also connects the capital of the island with the eastern coast. The trail starts at Puerto de La Estaca, main hub of maritime communications of El Hierro, located within the municipality of Valverde.
The second stretch of GR-131 starts from Puerto de La Estaca, the main port of the island of El Hierro, which is a hub for the maritime transport of goods and passengers. Puerto de La Estaca is situated on the northeast side of the island, within the municipality of Valverde. Next to the port, we find Varadero beach, characterized by its tranquility and the fact that there are no large crowds visiting it, as is the case with most of the beaches on the island.
A small population center has been created around the port, and the trail starts there. The route begins at a vertical information panel that describes the different tracks. We will start the trail in the direction of Valverde along calle García Escámez, where we will be protected from the traffic, in some parts of the trail, by a wooden railing.
As we go up, we can see a panoramic view of Puerto de La Estaca and Cueva del Diablo (Devil’s Cave), in the region of Mojara, a quiet place where we can enjoy the coast and which is easily accessible at low tide.
If we ascend a few meters, we come to a road which we must follow, taking care to keep to the left side of the road, until we reach a large parking area. A steep cobblestone path goes through abandoned farmlands which have been invaded by vinagrera or Canary Island sorrel (Rumex lunaria), spurge (Euphorbia sp.), thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and verodes (Senecio kleinia), as well as other species.
From this high point it is possible to make out in the distance the village of La Caleta, in which numerous petroglyphs have been discovered close to the seaside which are attributed to the ancient inhabitants of the island.
Once past a crossroads marked with a vertical post, the ascent continues along a cobblestone path up a constantly rising slope in the direction of Valverde, going through patches of the usual tabaibas and prickly pear cactuses (Opuntia maxima), until we come to the capital of the island.
Sites of interest
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
Maritime Communications
Puerto de La Estaca (Port of La Estaca), located in the northeast of the island, is the main maritime communication hub of the island of El Hierro. This small fishermen’s cove used to be the only point communicating the island with the outside world until the opening of Los Cangrejos airport to civil air-traffic in 1972. It operates as a cargo and passenger port, and was enlarged in 2006 in order to make it possible for larger vessels to call at the port.
The small pier of Puerto de La Estaca has been equipped to allow the mooring of passenger ferries, and the first regular line to El Hierro was operated by the company Trasmediterránea. ‘Ciudad de Mahón’ was the first ship to dock at Puerto de La Estaca on 22 June, 1960, offering a regular shipping service, much to the rejoicing of the population of El Hierro.
Years later, in view of the increase in tourist visits experienced by the island, a new shipping service was operated by the shipping company Fred Olsen. Currently, ships connect on a daily basis Puerto de La Estaca with Puerto de Los Cristianos, in Southern Tenerife. Some of these ships also make a stopover at the island of La Gomera in the journey from Tenerife to El Hierro.
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