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Natural Monuments
Monumento Natural Montaña Pelada
Description
Montaña Pelada is one of the best known sites in the south of Tenerife.
It is an almost alien landscape overlooking the sea, its walls hollowed out by the wind and water, with its fossil dune and a beautiful black sandy beach at its feet.
Recommended time to visit: All year round.
Geology
What you can see today in this place are the remains of a caldera resulting from intense hydromagmatic activity. In other words, a volcano came into contact with immense quantities of water while it was active, giving rise to extremely violent explosive activity.
The cliff of Montaña Pelada reaches dozens of metres in height and features the mouths of some small ravines that have formed coves of fine volcanic sand on the shoreline.
Flora and fauna
The name Montaña Pelada (“Bare Mountain”) makes particular sense when talking about its vegetation.
The highly compact material in its soil and the exposure to the sea, with the associated influence of the wind, the sea and the sunshine, render this mountain practically bare.
In places where conditions are less severe, you will see very sparse patches of the tabaibal plant formation, with a predominance of tabaiba dulce (Euphorbia balsamifera), cardoncillo (Ceropegia dichotoma), aulaga (Launaea arborescens), balo (Plocama pendula) and salado (Schizogyne sericea).
In the more humid parts of the cone, cardón or Canary Island spurge (Euphorbia canariensis) and tabaiba amarga (Euphorbia lamarckii) grow, while at the bottom of the ravines there is an abundance of balo (Plocama pendula) and marguerites (Argyranthemum frutescens). The areas in and around the sandy patches are the territory of uva de mar (Tetraena fontanesii), lechuga de mar (Astydamia latifolia) and tomillo marino (Frankenia capitata).
The most abundant bird species that you can see in this environment are those typical of arid zones, such as Berthelot’s pipits, spectacled warblers or Iberian grey shrikes, the latter of which is becoming increasingly scarce. Seabirds include yellow-legged gulls and Scopoli’s shearwaters.
Lastly, with a bit of luck you may spot a Tenerife lizard, the most common reptile in the area.
Technical information sheet
Surface area
152.7 ha (0.07% of the island).
Species of interest
Tabaiba dulce (Euphorbia balsamifera), cardoncillo (Ceropegia dichotoma), aulaga (Launaea arborescens), balo (Plocama pendula), salado (Schizogyne sericea), cardón or Canary Island spurge (Euphorbia canariensis), tabaiba amarga (Euphorbia lamarckii), marguerite (Argyranthemum frutescens), uva de mar (Tetraena fontanesii), lechuga de mar (Astydamia latifolia), tomillo marino (Frankenia capitata), Berthelot’s pipit, spectacled warbler, Iberian grey shrike, yellow-legged gull, Scopoli’s shearwater, Tenerife lizard.
Ecosystems
Volcanic caldera, cardonal-tabaibal (Euphorbia plant community).
Places of interest
The caldera, Playa de Pelada.
Regulations
To consult permits for use and updated regulations for this Protected Natural Area, visit the official website of the Government of the Canary Islands.
Municipalities
- Granadilla de Abona