Santa Lucía de Tirajana
Further inland on our southeast tour – coming from Agüimes – we reach the picturesque little village of Santa Lucía with whitewashed houses and surrounded by palm trees, located on the upper levels of the fertile palm valley of Santa Lucía de Tirajana.
Throughout the 19th century the population of this village was very small and widely spread so that within the confines of this municipality you also find the village of Sardina and the coastal towns of Doctoral and Vecindario. After tomato growing was introduced in the coastal areas of this municipality and with the impact of the tourism boom in the 60’s the population grew rapidly. Many people working in the southern tourist resorts preferred to settle in this region, as property prices were less expensive.
Perched on the top of the hill stands the Church of Santa Lucia, built in 1898 on the site of a former 17th century chapel, the imposing dome of which – looked at from far – reminds more of a mosque than a church.
The village of Santa Lucía also boasts a small ethnographic and archaeological museum, the Museo del Castillo de la Fortaleza, where archaeological finds from the surroundings such as Guanche artefacts, agricultural tools, pottery – among which a Roman amphora of the 3rd century – wicker-work, leather goods, skeletons, etc. are displayed. This museum, which is housed in a recently built fortress-like building with turrets and battlements, also features a reconstructed bedroom typical for a Canary home from the 17th century.
Nearby the village you will discover the Fortaleza Grande, a rock mysteriously shaped like a fortress, which was one of the last refuges of the Guanches after the Spanish invasion. The legend has it that the two Guanche leaders and some of the warriors, who didn’t follow the order of their leaders to surrender, threw themselves from this rock. In commemoration of this historical event, every year on the 29th of April a ceremony takes place on the plateau behind it.
Along the coast the first beach we come to is Pozo Izquierdo, famous all over the world for hosting the World Windsurfing Championships, which are held every year in July. Pozo Izquierdo is also home to the Centro de Interpretación Marítima (Maritime Interpretation Center).
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