Archaeology handicrafts and science and technology sites to visit Spain

This is surely the most pleasant activity when you are in Garachico: swimming in its natural pools. It was the last eruption of the Trevejo volcano, which occurred in 1706 and buried a large part of the village. When it erupted into the sea, it created these natural pools that bear the name of the caletón rock. Except in case of high tide, you can swim there without any problem, as the natural pools are of all sizes, even for the little ones, and finish the day in the restaurants located in the complex.

This is the journey that must be made when you come to Pola de Gordón. Accessible from the village of Ciñera (informative and informative sign on the village square), it will allow you to discover a beautiful beech forest, one of which is more than 500 years old and is catalogued as one of the most singular trees in Spain. Proud of the commune, this forest was also rewarded by the Ministry of the Environment in 2007, which awarded it the price of Spain's most sustained forest. It follows the old road taken by the miners of Villar del Puerto to descend into the mines of Ciñera or Santa Lucia and will also allow you to visit the Bocamina 50, a former chapel in a cave, now transformed into a small mining museum (to be seen from the outside). In the programme of the circuit, beautiful trees (especially in autumn) where young married people used to come to get photographed, streams, and the central mountain in ruins. You will also see "giant pots", forms given by water to rocks. With a duration of about 3 hours, go and return (but much more if you want to stop), the circuit does not have any difficulty, it will have to be filled with well-kept shoes for some passages of sometimes slippery rocky paths. Perhaps you will meet with a mastín, a big dog in the region, who is responsible for protecting sheep against wolves. No fear to have, it is quite mastoc but quite charming. 

This is the little jewel of Puente Genil, not to be missed. The excavations exhumed a Roman villa from the th century BC to the fourth after I.C., and we can admire a collection of mosaic frescoes, both geometric and figurative (including three devoted to the life of Leading). These are particularly impressive, but beyond it is the entire life of a Roman city that can be apprehended during the proposed didactic circuit. From mid-June to the end of September, the evening starting at 20 a. m., the venue hosts «nights» offering many activities: théâtralisées visits, piano or poetry recitals, concerts, conferences or wine tastings… Roman.

The name of this site has long been misleading, suggesting that it was a kind of convent where young noble women were cared for by priestesses until their marriage. This hypothesis has now been completely ruled out. It is in fact a very imposing collective granary, dug more than 800 years ago by the Aborigines. A total of 350 cavities, arranged on several levels to shelter cereals, the main resource of Gran Canaria. A circuit has been set up along this fortress, with explanatory panels and watchtowers.

The historic center has been declared a World Heritage Site and is one of the most characteristic examples of this type of urban structure. It maintains intact its grid pattern that was developed in Latin America during the colonization process. Don't hesitate to take a walk around the streets of La Laguna, as there are many places to admire.

The streets of the historic center. In La Laguna you will be able to appreciate the architecture of its historical buildings, which are full of beauty with their wooden balconies in bow windows or in this style. They are home to museums of all kinds, restaurants, stores, and more. Often hidden inside are beautiful open-air gardens with round balconies on the upper floor: a marvel. The historic streets and alleys are pedestrianized, and are either quiet or lively depending on the time of day. Architectural jewels with beautiful churches, numerous palaces, and Canarian houses in the Spanish colonial style, from the 16th to the 18th century. Do not hesitate to enter to discover flowered patios and their shaded wooden galleries.

Must-see. The Palacio de Nava, on the Plaza del Adelantado, is baroque in style, recognizable among all with its long wooden balcony. On another corner of the square, we will visit the town hall(ayuntamiento). From the Plaza del Adelantado, we will take a tour of the old town through the streets Herradores, de la Viana, Obispo Rey Redondo, where the tourist office is located in the Casa Bragamonte.

The Laguna history. It is the seat of the Episcopate of Tenerife and the other three western islands. It is richly endowed with churches. Between the town hall and the palace of Nava, we can see the convent of Santa Catalina de Siena and, opposite, the hermitage of San Miguel. Via Calle Santo Domingo, we arrive at the church of the same patron saint, the Church of Santo Domingo, which dates from the 16th and 17th centuries. The Santa Iglesia Cathedral is located west of the Plaza del Adelantado, following Calle Obispo Rey Redondo or Calle Deán Palahi. Much more beautiful is the church of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, which is reached by continuing on Calle Obispo Rey Redondo. Returning eastward along Calle San Agustín, we will have a look at the old Augustinian convent. If we take a detour to the north of the old city, we can also visit the Royal Sanctuary of San Miguel de las Victorias.

During the visit of the archaeological site, the curious can walk in a neighbourhood of the city erected under Hadrian, and continue its journey in the city centre of Santiponce where the theatre and the minor thermal baths stand. 

Founded at the beginning of the 16th century by the conquistadores, it is a pretty, quiet village with cobbled streets whose historic centre, casco antiguo , has remained practically unchanged since its creation. This is why it has been declared a monument of historical and artistic interest in its entirety. A stroll will allow you to enjoy the beautiful French gardens "Jardines del Marquesado de la Quinta Roja", wonderfully maintained, its botanical garden, flowered squares, and beautiful Castilian mansions. By pushing the heavy wooden doors, you will discover beautiful civil or religious buildings, as well as houses with balconies from the 17th and 18th centuries. You will see beautiful facades on the carretera del Escultor Estévez and a 16th century house on the plaza del Ayuntamiento. In the Plaza San Francisco and in Calle del Dr. González Garcia, the gofio mills date back to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. To obtain this staple food inherited from the Guanches, today's Canary Islanders still grind corn, barley or wheat. Some of the mills are still in operation, but are now powered by electricity rather than water. The Town Hall, located in the Plaza Ayuntamiento, is a neoclassical building from the late 19th century. Behind the Church of the Concepción, Calle Colegio, which becomes Calle San Francisco, is a small, sloping alleyway that concentrates a string of superb Canarian mansions with facades adorned with richly sculpted balconies.