Earlier this year the Townhall of Tías presented their Hiking Calendar, which we wrote about here: Hiking calendar.
Now in conjunction with Senderismo Lanzarote and interpreted by local historian Arminda Arteta, the Townhall is presenting a new program of monthly guided walks called “Pateando Tías”, “patear” being Spanish slang for walking.
Arminda Arteta Viotti has a degree in Art History from the University of La Laguna (Tenerife). Her professional career has been focused on research and dissemination of different aspects of Lanzarote’s historical heritage, working mainly as a documentalist, an exhibition curator and a guide of interpreted hikes.
In fact, she was the curator behind the stunning exhibition “Sombrera” that we covered and I have personally attended one of her architecture guided walks. She is a wonderful guide, very knowledgeable with an impeccable delivery. If you want to practice your Spanish while walking and learning more about Tías and its treasures, you are in for a treat!
Introduction
The municipality of Tías, located on the southern slope of the centre of the island, has a total surface area of 64 km², divided between its municipal seat and the villages of Puerto del Carmen, La Asomada, Mácher, Conil, Tegoyo and Masdache. The humble and eminently agrarian character it had in the past is perceptible in the architectural heritage that is still standing, where we can observe modest popular dwellings equipped with the necessary facilities for a subsistence economy, such as “gañanías”, tack rooms, wine presses, etc. There are also some vestiges of other activities from the past, such as mills, mills, tahonas, lime kilns, or hydraulic engineering works of great ethnographic value, such as cisterns, fountains or troughs.
As far as religious architecture is concerned, in addition to the various hermitages scattered throughout the villages, the church of the patron saint, Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, built in 1796, which replaced an old hermitage of the same name located around the mountain of Tisalaya, destroyed by the volcano, stands out.
Despite its apparent material humility, this cultural heritage is of incalculable value, as it treasures all the wisdom of our ancestors and helps us to understand where we come from, thus helping to preserve a collective memory that is in danger of extinction. In addition to elements of heritage interest, the municipality has enclaves of great scenic and geological value, such as the mountains of Guardilama, Gaida, Tegoyo or Juan Bello; the rough badlands surrounding Montaña Negra or the soft lavas of Masdache. All this cultural and natural heritage treasured by the municipality of Tías is a first-class resource, although we believe that it is little known, so we believe that it should be valued by the local and insular population.
Objective
These routes of patrimonial and scenic interest have a double objective:
1. On the one hand, to enjoy a leisure activity in the open air, which allows us to share concerns with other people in a safe and healthy environment, with the corresponding benefits for physical and mental health, especially in today’s harsh circumstances.
2. On the other hand, to raise awareness of the rich cultural and natural heritage of the municipality, which will help us to value it and, consequently, to protect it. To “raise our eyes” in order to learn to value what surrounds us.
General description
“Pateando Tías” proposes 6 routes, one each month from now on until the end of the year, with the following characteristics: they are guided (in Spanish) itineraries in which elements of heritage and natural interest will be explained; of approximately 3 hours of duration each and of circular nature, so that users can come in their own vehicles, and it is not necessary to use public transport. A meeting point with easy parking has been chosen for each walk and the starting time is always 9am. There is a maximum capacity of 20 people, to guarantee health safety and offer a more personalised service. The difficulty of the walks is low. These routes are free of charge but prior registration is essential. You can do so by either emailing senderismolanzarote@gmail.com or calling +34 690 053 282.
Routes
These are the actual routes proposed with a brief description and their meeting point:
Tías Town Centre
– Date: 18th July.
Description: A low-difficulty route in which we will visit elements of great heritage value, such as the church of La Candelaria, examples of popular architecture, mills, bakeries and lime kilns, among others.
-Meeting point: Church of La Candelaria.
Montaña Negra
– Date: 15th August.
– Description: Low intensity route around Montaña Negra, where we will visit the remains of the ancient taro of Testeyna while enjoying a unique volcanic landscape.
– Meeting point: Cuervo volcano car park.
La Asomada
– Date: 19th September.
– Description: Low-difficulty route between the mountains of Gaida and Guardilama to enjoy the stunning views of the Natural Park of the Volcanoes and La Geria, discovering archaeological elements and the culture of water.
– Meeting point: Teleclub de La Asomada.
Masdache
– Date: 17th October.
– Description: Low-intensity walk around the Juan Bello mountain, where we will admire the 18th century volcanic lava flows, examples of popular architecture and discover the location of the ancient village of Candelaria.
– Meeting point: Teleclub de Masdache.
Tegoyo
– Date: 14th November.
– Description: Low difficulty route through the hamlet of Tegoyo, where we can see its beautiful chapel surrounded by old farmhouses, and walk through a unique landscape of modern lava and ancient volcanoes.
– Meeting point: Albergue de Tegoyo.
Conil
– Date: 12th December.
– Description: A low-intensity route that will take in the areas of Boca de la Vega and Entremontañas, to enjoy elements of great heritage value, such as the house of Antonio Díaz and the hermitage of La Magdalena.
– Meeting point: Teleclub de Conil.
