Though its location and its centre are pretty enough, most of the administrative town of ADEJE is bland and sprawling. However, thanks to profits from servicing the coastal resorts it is generally quite well turned-out and a couple of historic buildings in the old town - the Casa Fuerte and Iglesia de Santa Ursula - are interesting enough. But the real reason visitors come here is to join the hiking trail up the Barranco del Infierno , the deepest gorge in the Canaries.

 

The village, prey to frequent Arab attacks, was also sacked by Sir Frances Drake in 1586, so fortification has played an important part in the development of Adeje. The sturdily fortified hacienda, Casa Fuerte stands as testimony to the village's remarkable defensive structure. The Casa Fuerte is not open to visitors, however. The one accessible sight in the village is the simply decorated sixteenth-century Iglesia de Santa Ursula at the top of the main road, Calle Grande. The building's white-washed walls and simple Mudéjar wooden roof protect a copy of the famous Virgin of Candelaria .

Uphill of the old cannon that guards the Casa Fuerte and beside the panoramic terrace of the restaurant Otello (closed Tues) the path up the side of the impressive, steep-sided Barranco del Infierno begins. The four-hour return trek along the ravine affords dizzying views down the valley and passes through several distinct vegetation zones - from semi-desert to willow and eucalyptus forest. The rather puny eighty-metre waterfall at the farthest end of the trail is, however, something of a disappointment, but the upper reaches of the hike are dramatic enough, requiring a slippery scramble along the shady, steep-sided gorge and making sturdy footwear and an extra layer of clothing advisable.