18.12.16 / Tenerife, Spain

TERRACES
One more from Vilaflor… As there is hardly ever any rain here above the clouds, water for agriculture is most precious. The fields here consist of labyrinth of terraces, which have been carved into the mountain. The stone-walls separating and leveling each terrace are being built by hand using an ancient technique – I couldn’t believe it, but it truly is rocks only. No cement-support at all, yet very solid. You can see small stone pits all around, so that the constructors of the terraces did not have to carry the rocks too far. Each sector of terraces is supported by a huge, round water-tank – especially (yummy!) black potatoes grow well in the volcanic soil of Teide, plus their need for water is rather modest.