Las Lajas Recreational Area

The air up here stays cool while the southern beaches bake, and the sound is wind in the pines and small birds moving through the branches above the tables. The bird to look for is the Tenerife blue chaffinch, a slate-blue finch found only on this island. Great spotted woodpecker and African blue tit share the same trees.

The clearing is set up for a long afternoon: grill stands, picnic tables and a playground. It works for birthdays and family grills as well as for walkers. Trails leave the picnic area for easy walks around the base of Teide, and the forest here stays quiet compared with the busier spots closer to the volcano.

• There is no drinking water nearby. Bring enough for the day, and for washing up after a grill.
• The toilets are on site, but bring your own toilet paper.
• Waymarking on the forest trails is unreliable. Carry a map or a downloaded track before you set off.
• The forest is cooler than the coast, so pack a layer even on a hot day.
• Dogs are allowed, and the playground makes it an easy stop with children.

Most people arrive by car on the road that climbs through the pine forest towards Teide, and pull in on the way up or on the way back down. The main car park is about 60 m away, with a second one about 190 m away, so there is barely any walking between the car and the picnic tables.

Buses also stop here: two stops, both named Las Lajas, sit about 80 and 90 m away. From either one the picnic area is a moment's walk through the trees.

Best: a weekday morning, or any hot day when the south coast is baking.

Avoid: weekend and holiday lunchtimes.

The grill stands and tables draw local families at weekends, while early on a weekday the clearing is quiet and the birds are most active. In winter the forest gets cold, so dress for the mountain.