CHIPUDE TENERIFE

Until recently Chipude was a remote hamlet, lost high in the green heart of the island. Among Gomerans its name used to be synonymous with a rustic way of life and poverty, and locals say that the people of Chipude used to drive away intruders with stones. While better roads and communications have changed all that, the villagers thankfully still preserve their old customs and traditions, and it is here that you may hear music not being demonstrated for tourists, but used to call to friends or neighbors  Chipude has long been noted for its handmade pots made without a potter's wheel and decorated with traditional Guanche motifs, though in fact these are more often from the neighboring village of EI Cercado In the surrounding area are other small, barely accessible rustic villages, including Pavon and Temocoda, also known for their fine handmade pots.

Legend has it that the extraordinary rock formation known as La Fortaleza, or the Chipude Fort, 2km south of the village, was a Guanche sacred site. This is easy to believe its sheer stone soars vertically more than l, 200m to a tabletop crest.