GEOGRAPHICAL DATA

Surface: 71,11 square kilometers.

10,05% of the island of La Palma.

Altitude: 500 meters (El Pueblo, municipal capital). 650 meters (Malpaíses and Tigalate) .280 meters (Monte de Breña)

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

- " Exists in the Villa de Mazo a incredibly beautiful cave called of Belmaco, that served of palace to the sovereign of that kingdom, before the conquest, whose cave has been famous made by the circumstance of possessing large two stone gravestones live with some signs recorded in it, that seem registrations (...). These registrations, or what will be, they had passed inadvertent until they were uncovereded by the sir Mr. Domingo Vandewalle, military governor of this island, in the year of 1762, by the circumstance of the fact that having passed to the Mazo's people, in union of the sir notary Santiago Alvertos, to recognize to a dead that felt from the mountain immediate to such cave, observed with surprise and copied those signs. This copy was delivered by him after to the Mr. sir Bishop Antonio Tavira and Almazán, being of visit in this island. " -

Earth inhabited by the aboriginess before the conquest, immediately after her the Adelantado, Alonso Fernández of Lugo, began the lands allotment, corresponding some date to this term.

Also from those first times was named mayor and executor officer and the neighbors, as in other populations of the island, constituted a deposit of grains.

From 1495 has witness of the construction of a small hermitage devoted to San Blas, in earthly relinquished to the effect by Martín Camacho and other conquering. According to Millares Torres, is

erected it parish in 1571, though the sacrarium was not installed until the first years of the following century, when the neighbors fulfilled their promise of endowing to the shrine of what is accurate to have it.

Additionally places of the municipality were beed lifting hermitages, some very ancient, and, the same as during the pre-Hispanic era, Mazo occupied a post underlined in the island, as demonstrate it its buildings and the prosperity of the fact that enjoyed.

For the Constitution of 1812 was constituted in independent municipality, occupying in its beginnings a vast surface, reduced to be segregated of he Fuencaliente, in February of 1837.

In 1878, the king Alfonso XII, by its importance and increase in population, conceded to it the Villa title.

It is very interesting the Cueva of Belmaco with its "benahoritas" registrations, as well as other archaeologic deposits, vestiges of its pre-Hispanic past.

The parochial shrine of San Blas is very beautiful, being catalogued as - " the better palm church after El Salvador " -. In its interior are kept precious altarpieces, Flemish and Andalusian sculptures, tables originating from Flandes, as well as a Jesus Child of the school of Martínez Montañés.

Other interesting hermitages is scattered by the municipal term: Los Dolores (Lodero), Santa Rosalía and San Juan of Belmaco.

Equally, its baroque buildings and neoclassic constitute attractive points to visit.

It is the agriculture the economic base of this palmero municipality. Its dryness lands are devoted to the potatoes production, vineyards, cereals, fruit-bearing, sweet potatoes, vegetables, etc. as far as it is concerned, those of irrigable are consecrated primarily to the cultivation of banana trees, to those which continue in importance the potatoes, vegetables, sweet potatoes, fruit-bearing, citric, etc. Are famous their/its wines.

The cattle-raising, though in setback as the agriculture, continues being other of the pillars of the municipal economy.

Concerning the occupation of its inhabitants, it is without doubts the primary sector the one which gives work to the greater number of occupational assets; within it, the agriculture occupies the head, with a small presence of the fishing.

Continues to it the terciary, especially in the Services subsector; this activity develop it the residents in this term, outside of its limits, especially in the insular capital.

Finally, in the secondary sector is the the one which construction absorbs more labor.

Represent a wide band, that is extended from the Cumbre Vieja, in the southeast sector of the island. Its limit with Breña Baja, to the north, continues a line that descends from the summits of the interior, until the immediacys of the Caleta del Palo, cutting the track of the airport. To the west, its frontier with El Paso continues the climactic points of the Cumbre Vieja, being continued southward, in its find with Fuencaliente. Precisely, by this southern sector, a line that is going from the volcano of Martín, until the Punta of the same name, dividing such brand.

The coastal shows the effects of the occupation by the recent lavas. However, this rocky coast, lets space for a few beaches. In some sections, above all southward, it appears forming a wide steep.

Go to be the recent volcanic material those which recover the municipality, constituting one of its characteristic notes. In this way, numerous volcanic cones emerge disseminated, from the interior until the same coast. The youth of these materials, it has prevented that the incision of the ravines will be more intensive, no supposing, mostly, outstanding part of the relief.

They do not lack, it is this space, some meaningful samples of the intruder volcanism, corresponding to salic pythons, case of the rooks of Nambroque or that of Niquiomo.

The volcano Martín of Tigalate, already in the limit with Fuencaliente, represents one of the two testimonies of historical volcanism, here located. In October of 1646 enter eruption, as of a fracture located in the Cumbre Vieja. Give cause for two separate eruptive appliances, in the superior section, as well as to other few smaller eruptions, to some 500 meters of the coast. Its lavas would occupy all this hillside, being at the point the sea.

Also in 1949, the eruption of the San Juan, would let its fingerprint, with the appearance of a volcanic set, that is distributed to what is long of the municipal limit with El Paso. Appear, on the one hand, El Duraznero, formed volcanic building, in part, by a series of eruptive areas, to which is joined the emission of a lavic wash that raid toward the western coast. To some 200 meters, the crater of Nambroque or Hoyo Negro, it is the result of an interaction of the magma with a phreatic mantle.

The population appears disperses throughout the mediocrities field, where also is found the municipal capital, El Pueblo, and the lion's share of the cultivated space.

The situation in the eastern sector of the island, and the arrangement of the relief, gives cause for that the dampness provided by the trade is appreciated in a way clearer in the north field, while southward, said winds are diverted and accelerated, being stressed the aridity.

This is reflected in the vegetation, that shows some important extensions of greenforest (fayal-brezal), in scattered occasions among the cultivation; that give step, to greater height, to the pinegrove. However, while we advance southward, the pines are those which occupy the whole the wooded surface. Already in the inferior fields, appears the dominance of the plants xerófilas, own of the floor basal.

All the western sector is straddled within Natural Park of the Cumbre Vieja and Teneguía. Join to the existence of important historical and recent volcanic demonstrations (1646-1949), the salic pythons presence, in a space of great value of flowers and fauna.

The Montaña del Azufre, it is a protected space, that adds to its landscape interest, the fact of concentrating a great geomorphological variety. In addition to great cone, well preserved, appears a cliff, sand beach, cone of ejection,... And where also they find refuge some outstanding vegetable kinds.

Already in the southern extreme, the paraje of the Coladas of the Volcano of Martín, delimits the such historical eruption washes, that offers a great variety in a way, and where are appreciated the degrees of vegetable settling, near interlavic islands (kipukas), that were not seen affected by the erosion.

Assorted is the production artesanal mazuquera, where emphasize the embroidery, laces, traperas(craft carpets), wool fabrics baskets, wood projects, ...It's included the cared piece reproduction ceramics of the auaritas, or aboriginess palmeros.

Among the holidays, special has relevancy that of Corpus, where participate the various neighborhoods of the municipality, and declared of Tourist Interest. At least from 1873 there is witness of its celebration. To the exquisite carpets, are joined the arches: wood structures, spectacular and original, designed and accomplished by artisan hand; are adorned with material vegetable, seeds and flower petals, forming beautiful compositions.

3 of May, Festivity of La Cruz; and 10 of June, Corpus Christi.