|
A mountain chain
runs through its centre fro Anaga to Teno and on both of its slopes
there are large, exuberantly fertile valleys, among them especially
La Orotava and Gumar. In the heart of the chain there is a gigantic,
natural crater, called Las Cañadas del Teide, which is
about 29 km across and has officially been declared a National
Park. It lies over 2,000 m above sea level. North of the crater
stands El Pico del Teide, a 3,718 m high mountain, which is the
highest point in Spain. It is snowcovered in the winter and marks
the island with its unique silhouette.
Tenerife has
an extremely varied plant life, large, wooded mountains, extensive
areas where banana, tomato, potato and other agricultural products
are grown. Its coast is rocky and lined by cliffs in some places,
while in others there are beaches with soft, clean sand, which
are sometimes black and sometimes golden.
The capital of
the island and of the province is Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which
has 220,000 inhabitants. It is a cheerful, light-filled, modern
city on a gentle slope and it is open towards the wide plains
in the south. It is the seat of the military headquarters, La
Capitanía General de Canarias, and Santa Cruz is known
as a hospitable, cordial city. Beautiful gardens, especially García
Sanabria, the Municipal Park, and busy streets make it easy for
the visitor to feel at home there.
The port in a
large bay surrounded by the steep cliffs of the Anaga mountain
chain is an important sea traffic and communications centre between
Europe, Africa and America. It is visited by ships from all kinds
of countries and numerous tourist cruises make it their port of
call throughout the year. It is the busiest Spanish port as regards
the movement of goods and it is among the most important regarding
the number of ships.
The whole city
deliberately moves down towards the port and comes to rest, though
full of bustling activity, in the nearby España and La
Candelaria Squares. Around the latter there are some of the important
official buildings, such as El Cabildo Insular, the island government
building, where the Archaeological and Anthropological Museum
is found; Carta Palace - a curious example of regional architecture
and decoration, dating from the 17C and today officially a Sight
of Interest to National Art and Architecture -, the Casino Principal,
the Monument to the Fallen and El Triunfo de la Candelaria are
also found in this area.
La Concepción's
is the most important church. Its nave and four aisles shelter
interesting Baroque works of art and most valuable reminders of
Canary history. There La Cruz de la Conquista, the Cross of Conquest,
is kept together with the flags taken from Sir Horace Nelson,
the British admiral, on the occasion of his unsuccessful attack
on the fortified city. Carta Chapel and the beautiful choir stalls,
which are found in the presbytery today, are also of interest
to art. Another church worthy of special mention is San Francisco's,
which is 18C Baroque next to a beautiful square.
On El Principe
Square with its lush laurel trees, there is the Municipal Museum
of Paintings and Sculpture, with important paintings by Ribera,
B. Brueghel, Madrazo, Van Loo, etc., as well as a department especially
dedicated to Canary painting.
On Anaga Avenue,
a beautiful, broad thoroughfare skirting the port area of Santa
Cruz, there is Paso Alto Castle and its Military Museum - where
objects reminiscent of the past are kept -, a peaceful place for
a walk near the Royal Yacht Club of Tenerife, which lies in the
vicinity of the Nautical School and close to La Casa del mar.
There is a magnificent view of the bay.
The Provincial
Public Library and the Provincial Office of Records are found
in La Casa de la Cultura, comodoro Rodin St.
Near the city
centre, there are two Places of Interest to National tourism:
las Teresitas, with a 1,500m long, artificial beach of golden
sands, and Las Gaviotas. Especially noteworthy is the picturesque
Taganana are, with the El Roque and Almáciga beaches of
black sand.
The Reina Sofía
International Airport - Tenerife Sur - lies 60km from Santa Cruz
and the Tenerife Norte Airport is nine kilometres away. The capital
is the point of departure of the great southern motorway of the
island, which links Santa Cruz with the different places and tourist
centres of that area, and of the northern motorway, which leads
to the important tourist centre of El Puerto de la Cruz; 22km
from the capital lies Mount La Esperanza, covered with extensive
Canary pine forests. There is a road crossing over it leading
to Las Cañadas del Teide. On the way there are observation
platforms with breathtaking views of the islands.
Places of interest
La Laguna
It lies inland
and is the most important town after Tenerife, the capital. It
lies in Aguere valley among magnificent countryside. Picturesque
walks take the visitor through silent, straight streets with stately
houses. Other places of great interest are the university city,
the 16C cathedral with interesting carvings and paintings, La
Concepción Church - officially a sight of national importance
-, the Institute, the Provincial Library in the University, the
Episcopal Palace and La Nava Palace, San Francisco's, where El
Santísimo Cristo de La Laguna is worshipped, and the ancient
Dragon Tree in El Seminario Garden.
Its township
includes the Bajamar area and Punta del Hidalgo, which are practically
linked by El Arenal beach and form an important tourist centre
with lovely natural pools on the edge of the sea. Near La Laguna,
there is Mount Las Mercedes, which has splendid vegetation of
laurel and pine trees as well as other Canary species. From the
La Cruz del Carmen and Pico del Inglés observation platforms,
there are magnificent views of the La Laguna plain and Anaga Sierra.
La Orotava
It is the centre
of lovely La Orotava, a scenery of indescribable charm. From La
Cuesta de la Villa, there is a splendid panorama of the valley
and El Puerto de la Cruz. The place as a whole is a beautiful
sight, with beautiful gardens, balconies and stately houses. Especially
outstanding among its sights are la Concepción's with its
Baroque façade, San Juan's and the Hermitage of El Calvario.
Also remarkable
is the collection of hand-made objects of the Canary Islands and
of Spain, which can be admired in the so-called Casas de los balcones,
the Houses with the balconies, two residential buildings of the
17C, built with the typical resin-rich wood from the old pines
of the island.
From La Orotava,
it is impossible not to visit Las Cañadas del Teide after
crossing the upper part of the valley and the forest of Aguamansa.
It is a huge crater with a circumference of 80Km at an altitude
of 2,000 m. There are large piles of lava of different colours,
multicoloured ashes covered with sand and pumice stone. This is
the place where El Pico del Teide stands amidst a scenery of great
beauty. The Teide, with its snowcapped top in winter, is one of
the most widely known, beautiful pictures of the archipelago.
Ca cable car reaches the summit in fourteen minutes. Las Cañadas
del Teide National Park is another visit of great interest. There
is a Parador in the park.
Puerto de la
Cruz
It is the main
tourist centre of the province and one of the most important in
Spain, with a marvellous climate. Martianez beach and excellent
natural pools are found on Colón Avenue. Along the coast,
the Martianez complex was built by César Manrique and attracts
many tourists. Puerto de la Cruz has magnificent hotel establishments
and others, night clubs with international attractions, excellent
restaurants and cafés as well as other tourist facilities,
which all contribute to giving it a busy air. Numerous national
and international congresses and conventions are held there. Also
very interesting is the Acclimatization Garde, built in 1788 on
the order of Carlos III. It lies halfway between La Orotava and
Puerto de la Cruz, to acclimatize plants and trees from all over
the world. A visit should also include San Felipe Castle and the
Church of Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia as
well as the Naval Museum of Iriarte House (in the street of the
same name), which shows the history and evolution of navigation.
Los Realejos
It lies among
lovely scenery of banana-trees and cultivated fields. A visit
shoal include the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción,
which has a magnificent Baroque retable and a jasper font, the
Parish Church of Santiago, dating from 1498 and the oldest one
on the island, El Castro beach, etc. There are many tourist housing
developments and hotels.
Icod de los Vinos
A lovely place
at the foot of the Teide, it is famous for its wines from the
valley of the same name, a rival in beauty of that of La Orotava.
Founded in 1501, it is a garden among stately houses. Sights of
interest are San Marcos Church, with its Renaissance portal and
large Baroque retable, El Cristo de las Aguas in the Franciscan
church, the Convent of San Agustín, El Pilar Square, Los
Dolores Chapel and the famous, age-old Dragon Tree, a true marvel
of nature. San Marchos beach is large and has good sand.
Garachico
It is like a
pearl at the sea and used to be the most important harbour of
the island in other times. It is a very beautiful place with interesting
sights, such as San Miguel Castle and the parish church. El Puertito
is a black-sand beach and there are natural pools at El Caletón.
Los Cristianos
It is picturesque
village on the south coast and has become a magnificent summer
resort in winter, because of its position, climate, hotel facilities
and especially its magnificent beach with clear, clean water and
golden sand, and its yacht club. From Los Cristianos, it is possible
to reach La Gomera by taking a ferry.
Las Falletas
(Costa del Solencio=Costa
of Silence)
There is a sheltered
beach next to San Lorenzo valley and a breathtaking view from
Pint Rasca. In the vicinity, there are excellent tourist housing
developments and centres.
Granadilla de
Abona
It lies in a
rich area of the island, where the best oranges are grown, and
it is a very important agricultural centre. El Médano beach
lies 11km away. It attracts many people and has many housing developments,
a 2km long beach of golden sands and la Tejita beach. This is
where the international airport of Tenerife, the Reina Sofía
Airport, lies.
Arico
A lovely, whitewashed
and clean village facing the Guajara summit. The beach of Los
Abrigos, Chico and Abona.
Fasnia
It is a picturesque
village surrounded by white hamlets in a countryside full of rockrose,
cacti and pine forests. On top of the round, volcanic Fasnia mountain
there is the Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores.
El Roque is a black-sand beach.
Guimar
It lies in the
valley of the same name in startling surroundings, with the great
ravines of Chinico, El Coto, El Río and Badajoz, remarkable,
deep gorges. El Socorro and El Puertito are beaches, with 1,600m
of black sand and pebbles.
Candelaria
It is a place
of pilgrimage where the throne of the Virgin of La Candelaria
can be seen. The image was destroyed in 1826 and replaced by a
copy, which is kept in the basilica. Las Caletillas beach consists
of three small, sheltered coves, where a remarkable tourist centre
with good hotel faiclities has grown up.
Playa de las
Americas
It lies in the
townships of Arona and Adje and must be mentioned because it is
of great importance as a first-class international tourist centre.
Santiago del
Reide
This township
includes the Centre of Interest to National Tourism called Acantilados
de los Gigantes (Cliffs of the Giants) in surrounding of extraordinary
beauty. There are a yacht harbor, hotel establishments and other
facilities.
Tacoronte
It is famous
for its wines and has several tourist centres.
La Palma
La Palma, the
beautiful island, is -with its 728 square kilometres and 80,000
inhabitants - the green island par excellence. It has the greatest
heights in relation to is circumference. In the centre of the
island lies the largest known crater: La Cadera de Taburiente,
a National Park. It has a circumference of 28km full of dense
pine forests and depths of up to 770m. The greatest height is
called Roque de los Muchachos (2,423m), and there is the Astrophysical
Observatory. The impressive grandeur of la Cadera can be observed
from the observation platform of La Cumbrecita because it can
be viewed in detail and visited from that point.
Santa Cruz de
la Palma
This is the capital
of the island with an important port and 18,000 inhabitants. It
lies on the east coast of the island on the slope of the mountain
and on the edge of volcanic crater called la Cadereta. Its form
is that of an amphitheater which gives the town a curious look.
Its picturesque Real St, the centre of Official, commercial and
social life, leads to España Sq, where El Salvador's and
the Town Hall stand, two valuable examples of the 16C. Santa Cruz
de la Palma has a Museum of Natural History with magnificent zoological
examples and traces of the original population as well as a large
library.
The seaside avenue
skirts the sea and there are modern buildings alongside large
old houses with huge, wooden balconies which are typical of the
island. 500m from the pier there is the Parador on this avenue.
Near the town
stands the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, the
patron saint of the island.
|
