Cruz de Tejeda to Galdár

30 Jan 2026

I don’t think I moved once last night.  I went to bed at 7p and rolled over at 7a- slept great but holy cow am I stiff!

I rolled over long enough to shoot this (blurry) picture of the sunrise from my bedroom window, then fell back asleep for another hour:

It was almost 830a when I finally set off- my latest start yet! But also, theoretically, this day will be mostly downhill, so that should go faster?

Today’s route:

(click to embiggen)

Last looks at the valley:

I found this helpful diagram labeling the landscape:

before beginning one last final ascent:

It’s hard to be mad about a few uphills when my views look like this!

An intensely red stripe of rock:

A very scenic overlook:

I think this is my last uphill?

Back into the forest:

Do we trust random forest oranges?

If this was later in my hike, I’d be tempted to eat them, but I’m still full from breakfast (only made it through half my palmera), so I’ll leave them for someone else.

Oh no, which way do I go!?

(that goodness for GPS)

Don’t worry Matt, I put this guy back:

Slowly getting closer to the clouds:

A rare, flat-ish path:

Old lava flow:

Lighthouse off in the distance:

I tried getting closer but the way was closed off, so I just zoomed in 🙂

So what you can’t really see is just how insanely downhill this stretch is:

I jogged down most of this because it was easier than fighting gravity- momentum just pulled me down the mountain:

I definitely threw myself a pity party partway through this stretch- I was so ready to be done.  My knees hurt, my calves hurt, and if I didn’t damage my toenail yesterday, today will certainly do it in.

But I signed up to do this.  And every time along this trail I thought I couldn’t, I put my head down and put one foot in front of the other until I did it.  I can do this, but it’s possible I’ve reached the age where I can’t just climb a mountain cold, I might need to train for stuff like this in the future.

Countryside views:

With more downhills….

I encountered quite a few other hikers along this stretch of trail:

There was a little parking spot ahead, so I think this is a popular hike (and I can see why!):

I like the bumpy, undulating ground:

Sheeps!

Apparently the Camino is not as well loved on this part of the island:

I found a mountain recreation area with stellar views AND actual bathrooms!

(I mean, the main bathrooms were squatty potties, which I’ve not seen outside Asia, but the handicap stall had a normal toilet, which I appreciated as I can’t really squat at the moment)

This path, despite not being loved by the locals, had BIRDS!

Buen Camino:

Getting ready to descend into the clouds:

One last look at the valley:

The next hour or so will look mostly like this:

This bird had been soaring on a thermal until I when to snap this, then he turned away:

This second half of today’s hike was not my favorite- a lot of it was road miles, and the trails I did follow were rocky:

and uneven:

I learned that agave have spikes when I stepped sideways off a rock and fell into one of its leaves:

Though I did like this pine tree whose needles all grew upright off the top of the branches:

Guys, that’s my destination in the distance!!!

Also, that bench made a nice spot to stop for lunch (the other half of my palmera)

More sheeps!

Last look at the countryside under the clouds:

before descending down toward my city:

So close, yet so far away!

Walking under the cliffs: