Garafía

LA PALMA

Index: Geographical data Demographic Evolucion Historical summary Cultural interest visits Economy Geographical aspects Natural interest visits Popular culture Local FESTIVITIES

GEOGRAPHICAL DATA:

Surface: 102,99 square kilometers.

14,54% of the island of La Palma.

Altitude: 400 meters (Garafía or Santo Domingo, municipal capital). 930 meters (Hoya Grande and Roque del Faro) - 230 meters (El Palmar).

Distance by highway: 87 kilometers to Santa Cruz de La Palma.

DEMOGRAPHIC EVOLUTION:

- " Few media gave with accuracy the name of a canary people where were concentrated the kings and representative of the most eldest and rich democracies of Europe. In the Roque de los Muchachos, an eminence of 2.423 meters, just rebel where the sky is cleaner and the clouds region more transparent, were inaugurated the most important of the astrophysical observatories of the world and monarchs and state chiefs, guests by sir Juan Carlos I, were attending event and were betting on the peace of the galaxies.

As of that moment Garafía, term where is found the complex, left of its honorable rural anonymity (...). " -

(Album of Canarias, 1986).

HISTORICAL SUMMARY

The archaeologic findings of the municipality speak us of the inhabitants prior to the conquest.

Once consummate this, sir Alonso Fernández of Lugo distributes some land dates in this field. Documents of the century XVI say that the center of Garafía was populated by - " Portuguese rich dwellers " -; Juan Régulo, as far as he is concerned, he holds that rather were tried to Jews expelled by the sir king Juan Manuel of Portugal as of 1496.

From the first years, the people of Garafía had mayor and an executor officer; as in peoples everyone else, had its deposit of grains.

The first parish, erected in the beginning of the century XVI, it was devoted to San Antonio of Padua, employer of Portugal. However, the image of the headline and the ornaments, returned to a hermitage in the mountain; therefore the church remained without headline, until Diego Yanes requested and obtained that is devoted to the erudite of the Virgin, under the dedication of Nuestra Señora de la Luz.

By virtue of the Constitution of 1812, acquires Garafía their/its/your/his municipality, being separated from the Chapter from the capital. In 1906, the king Alfonso XIII granted to it the title of Village.

CULTURAL INTEREST VISITS

In the municipality, the visit from its different neighborhoods brings a beautiful print and sample of the popular architecture.

They are important the different petroglifos located in this field. Emphasize especially those of the Zarza and the Zarcita, being also of interest the stations of Santo Domingo, Buracas, El Corchete, Las Eritas and that of the neighborhoods of El Palmar, Juan Adalid, Don Pedro, Cueva del Sacue and Roque del Faro. In the Caldera de Taburiente there are remains of an aboriginal town.

The parochial church of Nuestra Señora de la Luz is one of the canary shrines with two ships. Blest by the Morocco bishop, sir Sancho Trujillo, in 1552, yet inconclusive, it has had successive amplifications until in the century XVII acquires its definitive organization. In its

interior are preserved interesting show of popular sculpture.

ECONOMY

The basic economic activity of the municipality of Garafía is centered in the agriculture and in the cattle-raising; however, both are found in great setback.

The galleries water obtained in the municipal term is transferd to other fields of the south side of the island.

The agriculture is practiced in small plots, among the dryness cultivation emphasize the potatoes, followed to great distance by the cereals, the vineyards and the vegetables. In the lands of irrigable, the principal production is also of potatoes, being plentiful also the apple trees and bananas.

In Garafía is given the peculiarity of possessing the only one case of shared property that pervive in Canarias and that it proceed of the lands obtained by the Chapter in the century XVI, relinquished to perpetual census to the peasants.

The cattle-raising is primarily goats, with a good cheeses production; substituted to an abundant vaccine cabin, in its native variety, useful to work and produce meat.

GEOGRAPHICAL ASPECTS

Occupying the northwest corner of the island, its limits appear clean-looking by the geographical accidents. While its highland sector, in touch with El Paso, continues the topmost mountains of La Caldera, with the greater insular altitudes, each ravines define in good measure its eastern limits and southwest. On the one hand, the ravine of Los Franceses with Barlovento and of other that of Izcagua with Puntagorda. The wide coastal arch is shown very steep, where the brave sea of the north has acted profoundly in this part most ancient of the island, remaining as numerous witnesses rooks. Even they are observed in given places, La Fajana, relatively recent detachings.

Suppose a wide hillside that descends quickly toward the coastal and in the one which appear encased deep ravines. In this way, good part of the term is characterized by its injured topography. The same descend, in a good number of cases, from the same highland field. It is this an area to of sharp mountains, with some outstanding and scarce dikes pending smaller surfaces. As of here, some ravines have built a wide head-board, as those of Los Hombres or that of Franceses.

Appear thus a space in the one which the cultivation as well as the populate have been accomplished on the hills, echeloned spaces that remain among the riverbeds. Furthermore, the volcanic cones splash good part of the landscape, above all in the mediocrities field, though are found from the same summit the coast.

The position within the island, permits not only the influence of the tradewinds, with the labeled differences that prime the altitude, but, furthermore the Atlantic tempests. Within the vegetable cover, by so much, are found typical areas of the floor basal, in the inferior limits, while the heather forest arrives even about the coast, in reason of the large steep. With a monteverde very altered, by the secular utilization, the pinegrove is the most outstanding element, while already in the summit grow the codesares.

NATURAL INTEREST VISITS

The ravines of Los Hombres and Fagundo and the concave coastal arch among the Punta de las Maderas and Punta Gaviota, already in Barlovento, constitute a Natural Park of spectacular beauty.

Steep of some 200 mts. of altitude, and deep ravines, frame an area with profusion of endemic vegetables and a rich fauna. To the west, in this case along with Puntagorda, other natural protected place constitute it the coastal cliffs, also of great flower value (tabaibal) and faunistic, in addition to its beauty landscape.

The pinegrove of Garafía is a protected landscape that accepts one of the better pinegrove trainings of the Archipelago.

In Las Tricias are located numerous and interesting exemplary of dragos.

POPULAR CULTURE

A popular poet, Victoriano García Medina, El Garafiano, let forming part of the tradition, its known Décimas del Garafiano, and that they are sung as Cuban points.

In connection with the holidays of San Antonio del Monte, 13 of June, all tour a wide celebration of acts, being of the most outstanding the cattle fair or the sample of the shepherd dog garafiano, in a massive participation environment.

Among handmade labors are found the embroidery and the fabrics made in the traditional loom. Beautiful samples presents also the popular architecture, with the example even of an old windmill in Llano Negro. The cheese, as well as the wine, constitute the most appraised elements of the local gastronomy. A palatable curiosity is the torch wine, that is achieved filling the wine in barrels facts in canary pine wood.

LOCAL FESTIVITIES

12 of June: San Antonio del Monte and 21 of August: Nuestra Señora de la Luz.