No. 12 - Its Gran Canaria Magazine

10
GET TO KNOW GRAN CANARIA I CONOCE GRAN CANARIA Nº 12
Los Tilos de Moya,
an idyllic paradise
One of the greatest treasures to be found in Villa
de Moya are its seven protected natural spaces,
one of which is Tilos de Moya. This Special Nature
Reserve is made up of a two-kilometre stretch of
ravine, through which an important water channel
once flowed and where a fine example of
laurisilva woodland is preserved, one of the last
bastions of this type of forest in Gran Canaria. It
was formerly part of the great Doramas Jungle,
named after the Canarian aborigine Doramas,
who led the fight as leader of the resistance
against the Castilians who colonised the island
in the 15th century. This luxuriant forest began
to be cut down in the 16th century due to the
demand for wood for various uses, although
many families including that of the poet Tomás
Morales, and Miguel de Unamuno himself, tried
to defend the forest from this excessive exploitation.
The Barranco de los Tilos can now be explored on
foot along a circular path. Its magnificent specimens
of lime trees, laurels, barbusanos, wild olive
trees and many other endemic species make
up a wholly unique thermophilic forest formation
here in the Macaronesia region. Today, the
ravine is protected as a Special Nature Reserve. It
covers an area of 91.5 hectares and occupies the
lower section of the Barranco del Laurel ravine.
It features steep slopes (90º in some areas) and
a narrow ravine bed, while its forest spreads out
between 475 and 700 metres above sea level.
Recent volcanic gashes can be observed along
the gully, coming from the group of volcanoes
that form the Montañón Negro and the Caldera
de Pinos de Gáldar.
The standout species in this area is the Til tree
(Ocotea foctens), which gives its name to the
reserve, but it is estimated that there are some
35 species of the most endangered flora of Gran
Canaria at this spot, which find a vital space in
which to flourish, spurred on mainly by an average
rainfall of 510 mm.
Over time and due to anthropic activities, the
forest was disappearing. In addition, the undergrowth
(grasses, shrubs and small plants that
grow in the shade of the trees) was perishing,
mainly due to recreational and leisure activities.
The authorities took a drastic measure, unparalleled
in Gran Canaria, in 1980, when Los Tilos was
closed and the necessary elements for the recovery
of the whole ecosystem were put in place.
Today, thanks mostly to those drastic measures,
we can now enjoy spectacular trails that, as well
as helping us to get to know the habitat of these
forests, allow us to enjoy a day out at the heart of
one of Gran Canaria’s greenest natural locations.