Tourist Attractions & Monuments Spain

This Gothic church of the 13th century, with three naves, is built like a basilica, with a flight of steps flanked by two towers. You can see several interesting works here, including the White Virgin made of polychrome stone or reclining Christ, signed by Gregorio Fernandez. From the church square, you will have a beautiful view of the city. Next to the site, you can discover the ruins of the church of San Pedro romanesque style, built in the 12th century - only one arch.

Around Agaete, several beaches deserve a stop. Most of them are isolated and accessible by foot via paths. This is the case of the playa de Guayedra, in the south. It is a nudist beach, located in a pretty pretty bay where we will of course enjoy the sunsets. The beaches of La Caleta and Juncal, between Agaete and Guia, are also very pleasant, with the guarantee of being far from a stream of tourists. These beaches are not easy to find, the best thing to do is to find out before you go and install your towel.

Dating from the 17th century, the Casa de los Monteverde was the cradle of the Orotava's identity in the mid-19th century with its flower carpets at the time of Corpus Christi and its late Renaissance-style entrance. In 1864, it was the home of the infante Henri de Bourbon, the first member of the royal family to visit the Canary Islands. Also from the XVII century, the splendid house of the Lercaro family, is its neighbour. You will be able to taste pastries and buy decoration items.

This palace was the residence of the counts of Valle de Salazar who requested its construction of it in 1664. The façade, a baroque work of Juan González of Castro Illada, was built by the in 1681 stonemasons Juan Lizcano and Andrés Rodríguez Bello, it is one of the most beautiful Canarian architecture with simple and wholesome lines. The complex is built around a courtyard whose columns support galleries. Before becoming the seat of the bishopric of La Laguna in the 19th century, this palace housed the casino El Porvenir and it is on the piano of this club that Teobaldo Power composed most of its famous Cantos Canarios. In January 2006, the palace was destroyed by a fire that reduced part of this artistic heritage in a lot of ashes.

Communities of humpback dolphins and small pilot whales live off Los Gigantes. While these species were originally migratory, they are now sedentary and can be observed. At a depth of more than 30 metres, the sea bed full of fish is also a delight for divers. To swim, we will finally take advantage of the Arena Beach, a small cove of black sand, pleasantly landscaped with palm trees, a little suffocated by the constructions.

This small port has retained all its charm of yesteryear. In summer, the sight of children jumping from the dikes is quite picturesque.

Characterized by its chronological scale, it presents an important collection of paintings, engravings, sculptures, decorative arts and other forms of artistic expression. Romanesque and Gothic paintings and sculptures, paintings of the th and th centuries (El Greco, Zurbarán, Ribera: San Sebastian after his martyr). But also Flemish and Dutch works from the th to the th century (Metsys, Van Dyck), Italian (Gentileschi) and French (Gauguin). Finally, a floor dedicated to the masters of the th century: Zuloaga, Picasso, Tápies, Delaunay… an essential complement to the «Guggen» of which he is a neighbour is a beautiful museum.

This Plaza Mayor has existed since 1461, but it took its present form in 1532, when the church of Saint-Michel (at that time the square was called Plaza San Miguel in reference to the church), which was in the centre, collapsed and had to be rebuilt on one side. All around the square, the granite town hall (1610), the Juan Bravo theatre (1917), and in the centre a music kiosk where concerts are regularly held. This is also where you will find the tourism office, very professional and well documented.