Paisaje protegido de Las Lagunetas, Protected natural area in Tenerife, Spain.
Paisaje protegido de Las Lagunetas is a protected reserve on Tenerife located between 700 and 1,900 meters in elevation, spanning roughly 3,800 hectares. The landscape consists of dense pine forests, deep ravines, volcanic cones, and steep slopes that create varied terrain and diverse habitats throughout the area.
The area formed through repeated volcanic eruptions spanning more than 700,000 years, creating the Pedro Gil ridge and linking multiple points of Tenerife's original emergence. This volcanic activity established the terrain that supports the diverse forest types found throughout the protected landscape today.
Shepherds and farmers have worked these lands for generations, and their traditional practices remain visible in how the landscape is managed today. The local connection to the forest and its water sources continues to shape daily life in the surrounding communities.
Access requires a permit from the Canary Islands Government website, which visitors should obtain before arriving at the site. Facilities are sparse throughout the reserve, so bringing adequate water and supplies is important for a safe visit.
The reserve contains three distinct forest types - dry, humid, and hydrophilic - each supporting different rare plants and bird species found nowhere else. This ecological variety packed into one area makes it a remarkable place for observing how different woodland systems function side by side.
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