Reserva natural integral de Pinoleris

Reserva natural integral de Pinoleris is a strict nature reserve in the municipality of La Orotava, on the northern slope of Tenerife. It covers 181.4 hectares and sits on the eastern edge of the Orotava Valley, at altitudes ranging from 600 to 1,500 metres above sea level. It counts among the island's most inaccessible and least human-altered corners.

How did this valley form?

The Orotava Valley was shaped by a massive landslide that occurred thousands of years ago. The result is a distinctive, horseshoe-shaped depression, and one of its steep walls is the very terrain that makes up the Pinoleris reserve today. The area is essentially a basaltic cliff face cut through by parallel ravines that are extremely difficult to access — a feature that has kept the site largely untouched by human activity and allowed its native vegetation to survive intact.

Why is it under such strict protection?

Its status as a strict nature reserve means access is limited almost entirely to scientific research — there are no hiking trails or visitor infrastructure inside its boundaries. The reason for this level of protection lies in the ecological processes that take place here, processes that matter to the entire island. The most significant is aquifer recharge: trade winds bring moisture in the form of horizontal rain, which the dense cloud-forest vegetation captures and channels into the ground. This mechanism has a direct bearing on the drinking water resources available to the people of Tenerife.

What lives and grows in Pinoleris?

The reserve is a refuge for numerous endemic species, including two endangered pigeons closely tied to the Canary Islands' laurel forests: the laurel pigeon (paloma rabiche) and Bolle's pigeon (paloma turqué). Among the plants, rare and protected species such as the giant tajinaste and woolly germander can be found. The vegetation of Pinoleris forms a mosaic typical of two of the island's climatic belts: monteverde, the laurel cloud forest, and pine forest. In its best-preserved sections, Canary pines — an endemic species adapted to harsh high-altitude conditions and notably fire-resistant — grow up to 30 metres tall.

Can the reserve be visited?

Given its protected status and rugged terrain, Pinoleris is not set up for hiking or recreational visits. Access is essentially restricted to researchers and those involved in ecological monitoring. For visitors to Tenerife, the reserve remains primarily part of the landscape itself — a steep, forested wall visible from certain viewpoints in the Orotava Valley and from surrounding trails that run outside the protected area's boundaries.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Pinoleris located? On the northern slope of Tenerife, in the municipality of La Orotava, on the eastern edge of the Orotava Valley, between 600 and 1,500 metres above sea level.

Is the reserve open to tourists? No — it is a strict nature reserve, accessible essentially only for scientific purposes, with no marked hiking trails.

What wildlife can be found here? The reserve shelters two endangered pigeon species endemic to the Canary Islands: the laurel pigeon and Bolle's pigeon.

Why is this area so ecologically important? Because of its role in aquifer recharge — the vegetation captures moisture from the trade winds in the form of horizontal rain, replenishing the island's groundwater.