Los Realejos is a municipality on the north face of Tenerife, bordered by the areas of San Juan de la Rambla, Puerto de la Cruz and La Orotava. It was founded through the merging of two old towns known as Realejo Bajo and Realejo Alto, which today form two historical centres with enormous heritage.
With rugged terrain and lots of cliffs, Los Realejos is well-known for its high concentration of vegetation that is endemic to the Canary Islands. Many of its natural spaces have been declared as protected areas, like Rambla de Castro and Barranco de Ruiz. The beaches in Los Realejos are blanketed in black sand and rocks, which is very common in the north of the island. The most popular is Playa de El Socorro.
Los Realejos is a place with significant historical importance, as it is where the final events of the conquest of Tenerife took place. In fact, the term “realejo” in military usage means “place where an army is camped” and refers to the military camp that was established by the Castilian forces here during the final stages of the conflict. One theory suggests that what it now known as Realejo Alto was the base for the conquistadors, while Realejo Bajo was the site of Tenerife’s pre-Hispanic inhabitants, the Guanche people.