La Orotava is a town in the north of Tenerife with around 41,000 inhabitants. It lies in the beautiful valley of the same name at the foot of Mount Teide. It is known as the “town of views”, because from here you can enjoy breathtaking vistas over the ocean or, turning towards the mountain, the spectacular majesty of Teide.
To give you an idea of the beauty of the Orotava Valley, here are the words of the famous naturalist Alexander von Humboldt (after whom a viewpoint, the Mirador de Humboldt, is named), who exclaimed in rapture in 1799: “I confess that I have never seen, anywhere in the world, a more varied, harmonious and attractive picture.” The valley is indeed a vast green expanse of about 60 square kilometres (largely covered with banana plantations), dominated by the Teide volcano.
La Orotava is well worth a visit for its many places of interest. In Plaza de la Paz you’ll notice the white colonial houses and the Iglesia del Calvario, an early 20th-century neo-Gothic church that houses statues of the patron saints San Isidro and the Virgen de Santa María de la Cabeza. Another church that should definitely be on your list is the Iglesia de Santo Domingo, with its Baroque façade and its Museo de Artesanía Iberoamericana. In the nearby Casa Torrehermosa there is a lovely exhibition of local crafts. The Iglesia de la Concepción (18th century) also deserves a visit: an example of Baroque with features specific to the Canary Islands, this imposing church houses an interesting museum and several paintings. On Calle Colegio stands the Molino de Gofio, a gofio mill built 300 years ago but still in perfect working order. Along Calle San Francisco you’ll find a group of typical Canarian colonial houses known as Las Doce Casas (the Twelve Houses); the most important and impressive are Casa Monteverde, Casa Jiménez-Franchi and Casa Lercaro. Also worth mentioning are the Convento de San Lorenzo (15th century), the Iglesia de San Juan Bautista del Farrobo (18th century), which contains fine religious sculptures, the Iglesia de San Agustín and the Convento de la Virgen de Gracia, home to the Casa de la Cultura. If you want to buy typical local souvenirs, head to the Casa del Turista.
The town also has beautiful green spaces: the Jardín Victoria and the Hijuela del Botánico, where a variety of exotic trees grow.
The nearby beaches are Playa Bolullo, Playa El Socorro, Playa Jardín, Playa Los Patos and Playa El Ancón.
Also worth a mention is Pueblo Chico, a miniature theme park of the Canary Islands covering an area of twenty thousand square metres.
La Orotava is definitely worth a visit, both for the beauty of its landscape and for the historical and cultural importance of this renowned town.
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