Buenavista del Norte

The church bell strikes eleven as Atlantic mist rolls over terracotta roofs. In Plaza de los Remedios, elderly men in flat caps debate yesterday's football while their coffee grows cold. Nobody glances up at Mount Teide, though the volcano floats above the clouds like an island adrift. Here in Buenavista's modest square, the highest peak in Spain is simply part of the furniture.

This north-western corner of Tenerife operates on agricultural time. Banana plantations fan out from the village centre, their giant leaves rattling in trade winds that've blown unchanged since Columbus stocked up here. The 5,000 locals still talk about la costa and la montaña as separate countries, each with its own weather system. Drive ten minutes inland and you'll need that jumper you left in the hire car.

The municipality stretches from black-cliffed coastline to 1,000-metre ridges, encompassing everything except the postcard Spain of Costas. Stone farmhouses perch on impossible slopes. Ancient irrigation channels, built by settlers who arrived shortly after the Spanish conquest, still channel precious water to smallholdings where avocados grow alongside vines. It's farming that pays the bills here, not tourism, though the village accommodates walkers and the odd golfer with quiet competence.

Walking into the Past

The best introduction follows the old royal road towards Los Carrizales. This cobbled path, shaded by Canary willows and dragon trees, drops steadily towards a narrow barranco where ferns grow between basalt walls. Farmers once drove their goats along this route; now it's marked as PR-TF 52 and takes ninety minutes down, two hours back up. The gradient's gentle but steady – bring water, though you'll pass a spring where locals fill plastic bottles for household use.

More ambitious hikers tackle the Erjos ponds circuit, starting fifteen minutes drive above the village. Three crater lakes, formed when volcanic cones collapsed, now attract birdwatchers who've learnt that Tenerife offers more than beaches. The trail loops past abandoned terraces where potatoes once grew at 800 metres; stone walls still divide plots, though brambles have claimed most. On clear winter mornings, every lake reflects a different shade of Teide's snow-dusted slopes.

The coast path presents wilder walking. From the harbour at nearby Punta de Teno, a fishermen's track contours round basalt headlands where Atlantic swells explode against volcanic dykes. The route's officially closed during high winds – check at the village tourist office beside the church, where staff speak enough English to explain daily restrictions. When open, this forty-minute stroll delivers the island's most dramatic seascapes without the crowds that plague Los Gigantes further south.

What Ends Up on Your Plate

Buenavista's restaurants serve what surrounds them. At El Burgado, perched above a rocky cove where locals still cast lines at dusk, the octopus arrives grilled simply with local olive oil and coarse salt. The chef buys his fish from the same boat that supplies his family; if it's been rough weather, the menu shrinks accordingly. Main courses run €12-16, portions generous enough that British visitors routinely order one dish between two.

The Saturday farmers' market transforms Plaza de los Remedios into a cornucopia of island produce. Look for queso de cabra – goat's cheese aged in palm-frond baskets that gives it a distinctive pattern and smoky edge. One euro buys enough for lunch; the cheese-maker will wrap it in waxed paper and explain, through gestures, that it improves for a week in your holiday apartment's fridge. Local bananas, smaller and sweeter than Caribbean imports, cost €2 for five kilos. They're perfect walking fuel, though you'll need to eat them quickly – unlike supermarket fruit, these ripen rather than rot.

For proper sit-down meals, Mesón Los Gemelos occupies a converted 18th-century house whose thick walls needed no modification for Canarian temperatures. Try the caldo de pescado, a clear broth that tastes of the Atlantic without challenging delicate British palates. Their papas arrugadas come with green mojo sauce – ask for it suave if you prefer herbs to chilli heat. House wine arrives from hills above the village; at €9 a bottle, it's cheaper than imported lager and pairs surprisingly well with grilled sea bass.

When the Weather Doesn't Cooperate

North-west Tenerife possesses its own microclimate, one that delights meteorologists and frustrates sun-seekers. Atlantic clouds pile against the Teno mountains, creating conditions that can switch from brilliant sunshine to horizontal rain within an hour. Winter daytime temperatures hover around 18°C – perfect walking weather if you packed a light jacket. Summer rarely tops 25°C, though humidity makes it feel warmer.

The village handles poor weather better than most. The church offers temporary refuge; its interior, rebuilt after 1755 earthquake damage, contains an altarpiece brought originally from Cadiz. When mist obscures mountain views, duck into the small ethnographic museum on Calle Real. Exhibits explain how locals coaxed wheat from terraces too steep for donkeys, and why banana plantations replaced vineyards after 19th-century blight devastated European grapes. Entry costs €3; labels are Spanish only, but the curator's enthusiasm transcends language barriers.

Serious rain drives everyone to Bar Parque, where elderly locals play dominoes beneath a television showing Madrid football matches. Order a cortado – espresso with a splash of milk – and watch village life proceed at its unhurried pace. The barman keeps biscuits on the counter; take one, leave a euro coin. It's not a tourist gimmick, just how things work when communities number thousands rather than millions.

Getting Here, Staying Put

Tenerife South airport lies ninety minutes away via TF-1 motorway, though the final approach involves mountain roads that reduce confident drivers to nervous wrecks. Car hire essential – buses connect Buenavista to other villages twice daily, but never when you need them. Book accommodation before arrival; options range from converted manor house Hotel Luz del Mar (doubles from €80) to agricultural apartments where cockerels provide dawn chorus. The village offers no nightlife beyond local bars where last orders coincide with News at Ten.

Bring cash. Many establishments, particularly family restaurants, lack card facilities. ATMs exist but charge €2 per withdrawal; stock up in larger towns beforehand. Mobile signal disappears in mountain valleys – download offline maps before exploring. And check Punta de Teno access daily; when wind speeds exceed 70 km/h, authorities close the road and your coastal walk becomes impossible.

Buenavista won't suit everyone. Shoppers find little beyond basic groceries. Beach lovers discover black volcanic sand that burns feet and stains towels. Those seeking luxury should stay in Costa Adeje, forty kilometres south where temperatures average five degrees warmer. But walkers, photographers, and anyone who's wondered what Tenerife looked like before tourism transformed it, will find this north-western outpost repays slow exploration. Just don't expect to tick off attractions. The village's appeal lies in what it lacks – crowds, noise, and the sense that everything exists for your convenience.