GEOGRAPHICAL DATA:

Surface: 35,09 square kilometers.

4,95% of the island of La Palma.

Altitude: 420 meters (San Juan of Puntallana, municipal capital). - 440 meters (La Galga). -

360 meters (Tenagua).

Distance by highway: 12 kilometers to Santa Cruz de La Palma.

"And because after the conquest of the this island it has been made populations, and everyday it is mading, it especially has been populated the place of the Puntallana and La Galga where the neighbors and residents of the this places have worked churches and chapels, and until they here had clergymenthat told mass to their expense, we establish and order, under pain of excommunication, that this doesn't permit the Beneficiary from San Salvador of Apurón, but rather these towns are served and provided of masses and sacraments for the tithes and prevailings that they pay you, and that the church of San Juan, that is in the statement place of the Puntallana, is from now on parochial church and baptismal of which they are parishioners the neighbors and residents of the this places of the Puntallana and La Galga."

(Fernando Vázquez of Maple, Sinodales, 1515).

These lands constituted accession once ended the conquest.

This poblamiento carried with himself, as in so many other places of the Archipelago, the construction of a hermitage, that in this case was devoted to San Juan Bautista. Upon disappearing the parochial file in a fire, it has not been possible to fix the date of its construction, though it is more than probable that it would be on account of the conquest, because only twenty-two years after ended this, in 1515 is increased it to the parish category by the bishop Vázquez de Arce, confirmed by Carlos V in December of 1533.

Also date of the century XVI the hermitage of Nuestra Señora de la Piedad, known as of San Bartolomé, in La Galga, as well as that of Santa Lucia.

During many years this municipality was the granary of the island, preserving the name of El Granel one of its neighborhoods, and from the heights of Tenagua were notifying the watchmen of the ships arrival to the city.

Before reaching its municipality, only had mayors, appointees by the Chapter, that were administering justice in of little value matters. But by virtue of the Constitution of 1812, achieved its administrative independence of the Chapter of the island, naming its own town hall.

Result from the greater interest a tour by the streets from this municipality and its neighborhoods, since conserves much of its ancient captivation, gathering beautiful examples of civil and religious architecture.

One must to visit the parochial church of San Juan Bautista, with its curious facade, typical construction of those of the island, shrine that it has had various amplifications throughout the centuries. They are beautiful the coffers and in its interior interesting keeper heights.

Equally they are of great interest the others two already cited shrines: the parish of Nuestra Señora de la Piedad, known by San Bartolomé, and the hermitage of Santa Lucia. The first is a reconstruction, fact in the century XVII, of the one which was existing from the preceding century. The second, lifted initially in the XVI, suffered important modifications in the XVIII.

The basic economic activity of Puntallana is the agriculture, in the one which traditionally are produced vegetables, fruit-bearing and above all cereals. In previous eras, was the municipality surplus in these last, proceed to its export through the ports of La Paja and El Trigo.

The lands of irrigable are more than those of dryness, being devoted those to banana trees, potatoes and vegetables mainly. These, those of dryness, are consecrated to the potatoes, hay plants, cereals, vegetables and vineyards.

The lion's share of the mountains has been privatized, the built lands have been submitted to an intensive parcelación for hereditary problems, though also it has influenced the interest of the peasant by having properties in different fields, in order to assuring the crop.

From Piedra Llana to 2.231 meters of altitude in the crest peaks of La Caldera, until the eastern coast of the island, is extended this municipality. Its western sector, where is found with El Paso, it is very narrow, being broadened while descended, being approximated to the coastal. To the same time, in this inferior field, the topography adopts the form that, in fact, it has given name to the term Puntallana(=flat-tip).

The ravine of La Galga, to the north, serves as dividing with San Andrés and Sauces, while the ravine Seco, brand the boundary with Santa Cruz de La Palma.

The coastal field is presented steep, unless in a where subsequent band volcanic eruptions, they have made to recede the cliff.

Remain defined a space, where at the same time, are encased other riverbeds of smaller importance. It is presented, since, a hill relief, with a high degree of human occupation, where they have been developed the cultivation and the population.

Understand an area where they have not been registered recent eruptions. Emphasize in the landscape, a series of volcanic cones, aligned of NE to SW. Product of the activity of some of these eruptive centers, they are the lavas that surpassed the ancient cantil, increasing sensibly the coastal profile.

Opened to the influence of the trade, the same is made clearly noticeable while is ascended. However, yet being important, the cover of greenforest has receded by the advance of the cultivation and the continuous fellings. Continues to it in height the pinegrove, that gives step, already in the section superior, to the brooms and bushes. In the inferior sector, the smaller hidric contributions cause that prevail the kinds xerófilas, being found also cultivation extensions of irrigable (banana tree).

The Natural Mountain Park of the Sauces and Puntallana, occupies all the western sector and part of the northern of the municipality. Area that it is going from the crest peaks of La Caldera, with presence of the high mountain scrub, going through the pinegrove, greenforest, and until the same coast, including the Nogales beach, of black sands. Of huge natural interest by the diversity and rarety of many of the kinds of its flower and fauna.

Special meaning has the Cubo de La Galga, where is located a woodland bulk, well preserved, mastered by exemplary of lindens.

The natural space of the Cardonal of Martín Luis accepts the best cardonal (Euphorbia canariensis of La Palma), together with other groups of vegetation.

So much the coast, as other corners of the municipality, also count on natural attractions, of those which can be had wide perspective from the mountains of Zumagallo or of La Galga.

Counts the municipality with beautiful exemplary of the traditional architecture.

In the festive paragraph to indicate the holidays of San Juan, in Puntallana, of long history, and in the one which do not lack the bonfires, in the evening of its eve.

That of Santa Lucia (13 of December) also it is ancient holiday, immortalized by the most universal of the painters palmeros; Manuel González Méndez, in his work palm Holiday (property of the Excmo. town hall of Santa Cruz de La Palma).

In Las Tricias is conserved the call Testament of Judas. It is made to relapse in a puppet, the vices and lack of the persons, that they are reported in the form of tenth. After this judgement, in the one which there is a guilty clear, is burnt said simbolic figure.

24 of June, San Juan Bautista, and 24 of August, San Bartolomé.