Nestled in the mountainous landscape of north west Tenerife, sits the quaint village of Masca. The tiny village, home to only around 90 inhabitants, boasts an amazing vantage point for views of the surrounding peaks and the North Atlantic Ocean.
It is off the beaten track and quite the challenge to reach – along just one windy and steep road that runs adjacent with the immediate edges of towering cliffs.
Despite its beauty and charm, the area has been described by search teams, looking for missing British teenager Jay Slater, as ‘dangerous’.
READ MORE Exact location where footage captured possible sighting of Jay Slater revealed as family revisit remote village in desperate search
It is thought that Jay, who is from Lancashire and was on his first trip abroad without his parents, had travelled over 30km from the south of the island on the evening of June 16, after attending the NRG music rave.
It has been reported that Jay had gone back to stay at an Airbnb rental with two unknown men that he had met at the event. He is said to have left the holiday rental the following morning, last Monday (June 17), before walking off alone into the mountains.
He hasn’t been seen or heard from since, with major search efforts still continuing to trace him now entering their second gruelling week. Despite a possible CCTV sighting, which his family believe could be him, there have been no confirmed sightings of him amid the ongoing missing persons investigation.
Travelling to Masca from Los Cristianos, the southern resort where Jay had been staying with friends, takes around 60 minutes. It is thought he travelled back to the village after spending a night partying.
In the surrounding area of Masca, in the Rural de Teno Park, there are a handful of cafes and bars. There is a bus stop, with infrequent services, and those living there do not speak fluent English.
On the fifth day of the search, the Airbnb rental owner told the Manchester Evening News that Jay had asked what time the bus was out of the village before she saw him ‘walking off alone’, uphill into the mountains.
However, there are few footpaths – with just one well tarmacked road in and out of the area, wrapped around the huge peaks. Hikers and thrillseekers do attempt to scale the mountains – but not without experience. If Jay had walked downhill, it would’ve taken just fifteen minutes to reach the heart of the Masca village.
Jay is said to have left the cottage on foot at around 8am. The area, although very remote, is still popular with tourists; those with car rentals brave the drive up to the site, as regular tour buses also ferry travellers there and back multiple times a day.
The few small car parks are completely rammed as early as 10am – with tourists posing for selfies in the foreground of the dramatic landscape behind, clambering for somewhere to leave their vehicles, and stopping for a spot of lunch at one of the few cafes in the area.
He is said to have walked uphill along the road, which has concrete barriers running alongside to stop vehicles verging off over the edge. After multiple visits up to the search site amid the ongoing efforts, the M.E.N has observed frequent passing traffic and footfall in the locality, both in the morning, and early evening. Construction staff are also working at a site closeby to the holiday rental, with temporary traffic lights currently in place.
It is this busyness that has prompted Jay’s family to consider questions about how he may have gone missing on the morning of June 17 and not been seen by anyone.
His own heartbroken dad Warren told the Manchester Evening News that the case ‘doesn’t make sense’, as he added: “No matter if you were drunk or whatever, you don’t go off that road up there.
“And there are people up there… you don’t go along that road for more than 20 minutes without somebody stopping you or passing you.
“I knew right from when I went up there that he wouldn’t have gone [off that road]. He isn’t stupid. When I saw the police I asked them, seriously, ‘would you go off that road?’ and I think it woke them up a bit. People that go out to a party don’t come up here.”
And his grief-stricken mum Debbie previously told the Daily Mail: “If he is lost then why hasn’t anyone seen him? It’s busy with hikers and holidaymakers up there so if he was lost then someone would have seen him.”
The search for missing Jay, which is continuing to focus on a 30km area and three main ravines in the Rural de Teno Park, entered its second week on Monday (June 24). The Civil Guard, mountain rescue teams and fire crews are continuing in their efforts in a desperate bid to find him.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
