Viewpoint of La Corona

The view changes by the minute. Cloud climbs the slope and swallows the Orotava Valley, then pulls back and leaves it sharp again: the valley floor, the coast, and on a clear day Teide standing over it all. Up by the paragliding ramp there is room to sit and watch this for an hour. When pilots are flying, they run down the ramp and out over the valley. When nobody is, the deck goes quiet.

It is also a place to start walking. A guidepost for the PR TF 41 stands about 274 m away, signed 0.6 km to El Lance, 0.8 km to Tigaiga and 3.5 km down to Playa de El Socorro.

• The road up is steep and narrows to a single lane in places. Drive it slowly and be ready to pull in for oncoming cars.
• There are no toilets at the viewpoint, and none nearby.
• Cloud closes in and clears again from one minute to the next. If the valley is hidden when you arrive, give it a while before you leave.
• Flying from the paragliding ramp is at your own responsibility.

The hard part is the drive. The road climbs steeply towards the viewpoint and in places narrows to a single lane, so take it slowly and watch for cars coming down. The nearest car park lies about 787 m away in a straight line, with a second about 1,042 m away, and the rest is on foot.

By bus, the Risco Blanco stop is about 265 m away in a straight line. The PR TF 41 guidepost stands about 274 m away, so walkers arriving on the trail from El Lance or Tigaiga reach the deck with no road walking beyond that.

Best: a clear afternoon, with the sun behind you. Avoid: days when cloud sits low on the slope and does not lift.

The deck looks east over the Orotava Valley, so afternoon light falls from behind you onto the valley floor, while a morning visit puts the sun in your eyes.