Santa Lucía de Tirajana

Further inland on our south-east tour – travelling 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 19^th 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 also with the impact of the tourism boom in the 60s, 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 Iglesia de Santa Lucia, built in 1898 on the site of a former 17^th century chapel, the imposing dome of which – spotted from afar – looks more like a mosque than a church.

The village of Santa Lucía also boasts a small, but notable, museum, the Museo del Castillo de la Fortaleza, displaying archaeological finds from the surroundings such as Guanche artefacts, agricultural tools, leather goods and skeletons.

Nearby, you’ll discover the Fortaleza Grande, a rock formation mysteriously shaped like a fortress, which was where the Guanches made one of their last stands. Legend has it that in 1483, many Guanches refused to convert to Christianity and instead threw themselves off these rocks to their deaths. In commemoration of this historical event, every year on the 29^th of April a ceremony takes place on the plateau behind it.

Along the coast, the first beach we come to is Pozo Izquierdo, one of the main World Windsurfing Championship venues. Pozo Izquierdo is also home to the Centro de Interpretación Marítima (Maritime Interpretation Centre).