Masca is to be fully restored in the wake of the forest fires which recently hit the island’s North Western slopes. The operation will be coordinated by the Tenerife Cabildo, the Canary Islands government and Buenavista council
A special commission will be set up to oversee the operation comprising representatives from the three public administrations. It will meet once a fortnight to check the progress of the restoration work to homes and Masca’s old quarter damaged by fire as well as the effects on the countryside in the entire vicinity. For safety reasons the gorge, which runs down from the hamlet to the beach, has been closed off to walkers in both directions until further notice
A special plan “Plan Director” will be set up to restore the entire hamlet to its former glory which includes town planning and landscape as well as the countryside. Historic and cultural aspects will also be taken into account.
Masca Hamlet, classed as a National Cultural Site (B.I.C) in the category of Historic Buildings, has four main clusters of houses: Lomo de Masca, Lomo del Medio y La Piedra, El Turrón and La Bica accessed from the road which links Santiago del Teide with Buenavista del Norte.
In Masca there are just over fifty buildings, many of which were built in the rural architectural style commonly found in the Macizo de Teno mountain range. Typical features include thick basalt stone walls and sloping tiled roofs.