Threading delicate strands of cotton to make an artistic roseta is a Canarian art form. So it was fitting that it was featured on a series of large murals that greeted me on my arrival at La Escalona, just 6 kms below Vilaflor.

Walking down through La Hondura, an even bigger mosaic of natures making  spread out below with ancient tracks almost touching before heading down to Valle San Lorenzo, Arona town, and the south coast of Tenerife beyond. How does nature pack it all in? Between neat terraces and the peaks of the Ifonche walk, the  modern road that brought me to the higher ground, skirting along the lip of the deep barranco (ravine).

It was a seroiusly hot day but I passed a full reservoir complete with a memorial stone on its side. Further down there was a more unusual road side tribute A bag of Canarian potatos added a few more wrinkles from the heat, normally salt gives them the distinctive look and delicious flavour. The sweep of the valley below stretched as far as the rising road to the La Centinela viewing point to my left as well as showing familiar land marks from Arona town, a little further adrift than anticipated to my right.  A nifty cut back took me to Camino Altavista and swung me back on course for the village of Tunez.

I keep on seeing abandoned farm buildings on my travels, stripped of their past glories by the ravages of time and weather. Altavista showed showed some that had been kept in tip top condition and looked magnificent and functional, Other dwellings have found a new lease of life as rural tourism holiday retreats. One new recruit just below my path included a clear perspex bubble in the courtyard for observing the uncluttered night time skies that attract many astronomers to Tenerife.

In between the two extremes, there is always plenty of scope for good old muscle stretching on challenging paths that link villages and trade routes. I could see the distinctive white tower of Tunez church far below but it wasn´t going to come without some effort. Plenty of twists and turn over large awkward and uneven stones dominated the slowly descending route. Eventually it opened out to a flat exit at the entry to Tunez and a water break in the shade of the church plaza. Tunez commands a wonderful position looking out over the valley bowl of Valle San Lorenzo and an easier descent towards the town.

Barranco de Chijas dominates the valley as it carves irs way down from the hills. An old stone viaduct was always a popular diversion. It´s now sealed off but still worth the hour extra to head up to imagine rain water powering down through the tall bridges when the rare heavy rains arrive. There are more precarious view points to survey the valley but I had my eyes fixed on the circular terrero (Canarian Wrestling hall) and the football ground beside it. Once past that its an easy exit back to the main street of the busy and popular town.