Garajonay National Park

Lore & Background

The park is named after the rock formation of Garajonay, the highest point on the island at 1,487 metres (4,879 ft). It also includes a small plateau whose altitude is 790–1,400 metres (2,590–4,590 ft) above sea level. Features of the national park include massive rocks that are former volcanoes whose shapes have been carved by erosion. Some, like the 'Fortaleza', were considered sacred by the native islanders, as well as ideal refuges when attacked. The park is crossed by a large network of 18 footpaths, trekking being one of the main tourist activities on the island.

There is a popular legend that the peak and park are named after Guanche lore, the hapless lovers Gara and Jonay. Gara was a princess of Agulo on La Gomera. During the festival of Beñesmén, it was customary for unmarried girls of Agulo to gaze at their reflections in the waters of Chorros del Epina. When Gara looked, she saw her reflection clearly but gazed too long and the sun's reflection blinded her temporarily. A wise man named Gerián told her that this meant she needed to avoid all fire or else it would consume her. Jonay was the son of the Guanche mencey or king of Adeje on Tenerife, who arrived on the island to celebrate these ceremonies. The two fell in love, but when the engagement was announced, the volcano Teide began to erupt as if in disapproval. Their parents broke the engagement, but Jonay swam across the channel and rejoined his beloved. The lovers were soon trapped on a mountain, where they decided to take their own lives. However, it is doubtful that the story truly has origins in Guanche tradition, as its earliest attestation is in a 1924 issue of the newspaper Gaceta de Tenerife.

Reader's Guide

Garajonay National Park is significant as the best example of Canarian laurisilva, a humid subtropical forest that in the Tertiary covered almost all of Southern Europe. It also occurs on the Azores and the Madeira Islands. The park harbors a rich biota of understory plants, invertebrates, birds, and bats, including a large number of endemic species. The forest includes several varieties: valley laurisilva, slope laurisilva, and at the south a mix of beech and heather. The park is also renowned as one of the best places to observe the two Canarian endemic pigeons, the laurel pigeon and Bolle's pigeon, and has been recognised as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. In August 2012, a forest fire burned 747 hectares (18%) of the park. The park's legacy includes its role in preserving endemic flora and fauna of the Macaronesian islands, and its cultural association with the legend of Gara and Jonay, though the legend's Guanche origins are uncertain. Nearly 450,000 tourists visit the park every year, with accommodation available just outside its boundary.

Did You Know?

• In August 2012, a forest fire burned 747 hectares, or 18%, of the national park.
• The legend of Gara and Jonay, though popular, is first attested in a 1924 newspaper and its Guanche origins are doubtful.