What is it?

Montaña Colorada is an area of outstanding natural beauty and geomorphological complexity. It consists of a lava dome (an almost perfectly circular mound created by the slow extrusion of viscous lava from a volcano) from whose sides new extrusions subsequently occurred after the dome was formed, as happened with the Las Mesas volcanoes.  The higher mountain areas and the foothills around Las Mesas have a sparse covering of pine trees, some of which are extremely old.

Getting there

Montaña Colorada Natural Monument can be accessed from Granadilla de Abona and Vilaflor. From the centre of Granadilla de Abona, take the Camino Cruz de San Antonio and continue on to the Cruz de Tea, where the road changes its name to the Camino del Buen Viaje and crosses the northeastern part of the Natural Monument.  Another option is to take the Camino de La Cumbrita from the Cruz de Tea and join the TF-21, which runs alongside the southeastern edge of the protected area.

From the centre of Vilaflor, take the TF-21 and follow it down into Montaña Colorada. The Natural Monument is approximately 3 kilometres from the town centre.

Total area

515,3 ha

Municipality

Vilaflor and Granadilla.

Governing legislation

Montaña Colorada was declared a Natural Monument and area of environmental sensitivity by Autonomous Region Act 12/94, which was later integrated into the Organisation of the Canary Islands Territory Act via Legislative Decree 1/2000.