Overview
The municipal town, La Orotava is situated in the valley of Oratova on the northern coast of Tenerife in Spain. The distance between this town and Puerto de la Cruz is about 5 KM whereas it is 33 KM from the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Its population is about 40,000. The area of this town is the largest in Tenerife. The Teide volcano summit is at an altitude of 3718 M, thereby making this place the highest point in Spain.
The scenery in this town is magnificent because of the fruit plantations, wooded hillsides and the Mount Teide. A major portion of the national parks at Mount Teide and La corona Forestal form the lung space in Tenerife.
In the early days, this region was the richest and largest among the 9 Guanche fiefdoms; in addition this was the Guanche stronghold that was to fall last to the Spanish conquerors. During the Spanish regime this city became highly popular among the nobilities of Spain, Italy and Flanders and they took their residence in this city. This happened mainly in the 17th and 18th centuries. You will notice the Canarian architecture in every nook and corner of this town.
Climate
The average temperatures in a year are as follows:
Maximum – 22 °C in the month of September
Minimum – 16 °C in January to March
This city has a number of noble houses, magnificent plazas, attractive churches, etc. making it ‘a must see’ place for tourists. Some of the noble houses that are worth seeing are – the Lercaro, the Mesa, the Monteverde and the Zárate-Machado.
There are a number of artisan museums in this town and these are – Torrehermosa, Iberoamericana and House of the Balconies.
Some of the other interesting places are as given below:
Church of the Conception
Town Hall Plaza
House of the Balconies
Botanical Garden
Plaza of the Constitution
Artisan Museums
Church of San Agustín
Orotava Casino
Humboldt Viewpoint – facilitates viewing the panoramic depression of the banana plantations up to the sea
Cuisine
La Orotava got the honor of the Denomination of the Origin of the Orotava Valley in wines.
La Orotava town does not have any beaches; however this region connects the coastline at some point on the northern coast. Some of the beaches here are – El Ancón, Martín Alonso, El Bollullo and Los Patos.
Shopping
The artisan tradition of this city is well-known and you can shop items made of ceramics, wood, leather, laces, etc.
Photo Credit: Pixabay