Las Laderas is a distinctive geological formation and is also one of the geological features along the hiking trail from Teguise to Caleta de Famara. This makes the area interesting from several perspectives: How is a paleocliff positioned in relation to today’s coast? Which landforms and fossils shape its geological classification? And how do these topics differ from the archaeological traces of the settlements of El Jable de Arriba? For your trip planning, it helps to consider these aspects separately: the hiking route has an estimated duration, while geology and archaeology mainly describe specific features of the area.

Paleocliff, debris fans and fossils

Las Laderas is a paleocliff that corresponds to the topographic edge of the Risco de Famara and is entirely separated from today’s coastline. The term refers to an earlier coastal cliff; this classification therefore does not describe the current coastline. Two clearly distinguishable generations of debris fans have developed at the foot of the paleocliff. In their distal areas, they transition into glacis. A debris fan is fan-shaped; distal refers to the section farther from the foot. This provides a geological description of the sequence of slope and depositional landforms.

Fossils are also of geological interest at Las Laderas: they are of great importance for the study of Quaternary paleoclimatology. In addition to the landforms, attention is therefore also drawn to fossils and their significance for climate research in the Quaternary. If you are interested in the history of the landscape, you can consider these two aspects separately: the paleocliff, with its debris fans and glacis, on the one hand, and the paleoclimatic significance of the fossils on the other.

Hiking between Teguise and Caleta de Famara

On the hiking trail from Teguise to Caleta de Famara, Las Laderas is one of the geological features visible along the route. The Camino del Majuelo gradually descends along the slopes and offers impressive views of El Jable. Two different landmarks are therefore in focus: Las Laderas as a geological feature along the route, and the course of the Camino del Majuelo, with its descent and views. Views and trail conditions may vary.

The route from Teguise to Caleta de Famara is estimated to take about 2 hours and 45 minutes. This is a guideline; the actual pace depends on conditions and walking speed. If you include the hike in your plans, you can use this estimate as a guide to the time required without treating it as a fixed duration.

Until the current road was built, the Camino del Majuelo was a historic connecting route between the Villa de Teguise and La Caleta. Its former role as a route between the two places and its present-day character, with a gradual descent and views of El Jable, are two different aspects of the same trail.

A municipal post dated June 12, 2020, lists earth and Jable trails in Las Laderas among the paths that have been maintained. On sections open to traffic, levelling made access easier for hikers, cyclists and vehicles.

Archaeological traces of El Jable de Arriba

The Las Laderas archaeological site belongs to the settlements of El Jable de Arriba. The described structures include buildings with roughly circular or oval floor plans, small livestock structures, and larger livestock shelters or enclosures. There are also stone accumulations resembling burial mounds in typology. These different forms offer a concrete insight into the built remains associated with the settlement.

Geology and archaeology focus on different aspects: the geological description covers the paleocliff, debris fans, glacis and fossils; the archaeological classification concerns the site’s association with the settlements of El Jable de Arriba and their built structures. Las Laderas therefore cannot be reduced to a single focus: the landforms and settlement remains complement one another as distinct topics to consider when planning your trip.

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