A walk from El Portillo to La Fortaleza in the Teide National Park at flowering time

Left to right: Flixweed (Descourainia bourgaeana), Canary wallflower (Erysimum scoparium) and Teide vipers bugloss (Echium wildpretii), near the visitor centre at El Portillo

The scree slope beneath the cliffs of La Fortaleza is full of flowering plants, including the Teide vipers bugloss (Echium wildpretii) and Flixweed (Descourainia bourgaeana)

A group of mouflon, an introduced species of wild sheep, which are very shy and rarely seen. This was the first time I had seen them.

Again I do not have time to write a full walk description, although there is one in my book – Walk 32.  It is a straightforward easy to walk route from El Portillo visitor centre.

I am just putting up pictures of the flowers in the area as they are at their best at this time of year.

A cedro tree (Juniperus cedrus), the high mountain juniper endemic to macronesia (Atlantic islands), with the colourful scree behind it.

The very rare Tenerife endemic Cistus (Cistus osbeckifolia) on La Fortaleza

Shrubby scabious (Pterocephalus lasiospermus)

Teide marguerite (Argyranthemum teneriffae)

A view of Teide with Flixweed (Descourainia bourgaeana) in the foreground