University Workshop Explores Heritage and Nature in Adeje
Vicente Zapata Hernández, a geography professor at the University of La Laguna, led a workshop today, Monday, July 6, as part of the Adeje Summer University titled “Hiking and Heritage Interpretation: What the Paths Tell Us.” Students participated in an educational walk from Adeje’s historic centre to La Enramada Beach. Zapata highlighted the route’s significance, stating it offers a vital glimpse into the geography, history, economy, culture, and art of the Canary Islands.
Zapata noted Adeje’s unique importance and its potential for varied interpretative routes based on different themes. He remarked on his personal experience hiking from both ends of the path, observing diverse perspectives on the way down and back up, stating it is one of the region’s most valuable heritage resources.
The workshop combined three key elements: heritage paths, hiking as an engaging activity, and heritage interpretation. Zapata explained that the goal is to deepen understanding of the environment, encouraging critical observation rather than just absorbing facts.
The interpretative hiking model seeks to go beyond mere information, facilitating dynamic activities that foster new meanings and critical insights about the landscape. “Rather than constant explanations, we’ll stop at specific points to interact and engage with the surroundings,” he detailed at the start of the walk.
Zapata used water as a central theme in this route, tying ten stops together. He emphasized its significance to the area, explaining it contextualised much of what participants would see.
In addition to enriching participants’ understanding of the territory, the workshop aimed to empower them to create their own heritage interpretation activities. The group discussed various tools and strategies for designing hiking routes.
The walk included ten stops, beginning at the new Plaza del Casco near Casa Fuerte, through key locations like Plaza de España and Plaza del Llano, and concluding at El Veril near La Enramada.
At each stop, participants engaged in activities to raise awareness about the importance and fragility of the landscape’s heritage. For instance, they cleaned a section of the Tosca Colorado trail, fostering a sense of shared responsibility for maintaining the path. “The area isn’t particularly bad, but we want to promote a culture of care for our heritage,” Zapata explained.
