I had an email asking me to recommend the top ten things to see and do. It was actually quite difficult to decide, because tastes differ so much. So this is a purely personal top ten. Your mileage may vary. 10. The ObservatorySee The Observatory and Visiting The Observatory. While you’re there, be sure to go up to the highest point of the island, the Roque de los Muchachos, and…
There are two nice fiestas coming up at the beginning of September. In El Paso, the statue of the Virgin of the Pine was carried in procession from the hermitage up in the mountain down to the village. On September 6th, there will be another procession to carry it back. The Devil’s dance, Tijarafe, 2007. In Tijarafe in the early hours of September 8th, the devil will join the dance….
The exterior of the church of San Juan, Puntallana As Palmeran churches go, the church of St. John the Baptist in Puntallana isn’t all that old. The presbytery and the side chapels date from the 16th century, and the nave from the 1719. It was officially declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (rather like a listed building) in 1994. The main altar in the church of San Juan, Puntallana The…
GranTeCan, the huge new Spanish telescope La Palma is home to one of the three most important astronomical observatories in the world. (The other two are Hawaii and the Atacama desert in Chile.) The observatory sits at the top of the island, at the Roque de los Muchachos. It’s a fascinating place to visit, but it’s not normally open to tourists – they’re too busy doing science. You can visit…
The people who lived on La Palma before the Spanish arrived in 1493 called the island Benahoare, and themselves Benahorita. (Or according to some people Benawara and Benawaritas. They insist their spelling is correct. I find this odd, because to me the correct spelling would be the one the people themselves used, only they didn’t write.) The Benahorita probably arrived on La Palma somewhere between 1000 BC and 100 BC,…
Holy week procession, San Jose, Breña Baja The schools have just broken up for Semana Santa – Holy week. Of course my son’s delighted, even though they only get this week off. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are public holidays. Monday 6th is not.Holy week procession, San Jose, Breña Baja There will be lots of religious processions all week, everywhere, and some fairly spectacular ones, especially in Santa Cruz. We…