1 Imprint Cruises... in a different way! Canary Islands Travel Guide 2019/2020: Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma and Gomera
2 History of the Canary Islands
3 Welcome to the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife!
3.1 City beach Playa de las Teresitas
3.2 City Walking Tour Santa Cruz de Tenerife Centre
3.3 Auditorio de Tenerife, Castillo de San Juan, Parque Marítimo César Manrique, Palmetum
3.4 Plaza Weyler, Plaza de los Patos, Parque García Sanabria
4 Welcome to the capital Puerto del Rosario of Fuerteventura!
5 Welcome to the capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria!
5.1 City walk Las Palmas center
5.2 Old Town Tour - Vegueta Exploratory Tour
6 Welcome to the capital Arrecife on Lanzarote!
7 Welcome to the capital Santa Cruz de La Palma!
8 Welcome to the capital San Sebastián de La Gomera!
9 General Information Canaries
By Andrea Müller
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Andrea Müller
Calle Las Cuevas, 91 - A2
E- 35542 Punta Mujeres, Province Las Palmas Lanzarote
Web: www.fuerteventura-mal-anders.de
mailto:ebook@fuerteventura-mal-anders.de
© 2019/2020 Andrea Müller
Cover design: Andrea Müller
Photography: Andrea Müller
Number of pages printing variant: 101 pages
Number of images: 386 images
Map material mapz.com - Map Data OpenStreetMap ODbL
The archipelago consists of 8 islands: La Graciosa, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. They belong politically to Spain and geographically to Africa. They are located 1200 km from the Spanish mainland and between 100 and 500 km west of Morocco. All islands are of volcanic origin, their age declines from east to west.
Millions of years ago enormous masses of magma pushed up through fracture lines of the earth's crust, exploded in violent volcanic eruptions and formed the islands with their basalt lava flows. In several eruption bursts of varying duration and intensity, they formed today's island profiles.
Fuerteventura with about 22 million years, Lanzarote and La Graciosa with 15.5 million years are the oldest islands of the archipelago. Gran Canaria was founded 14.5 million years ago, Tenerife 12 million years ago and La Gomera 11 million years ago. La Palma and El Hierro are the youngest Canary Islands with 2 and 1.2 million years respectively. The aborigines descended from North African Berbers and developed different cultures on the individual islands, independently of each other. On Lanzarote they were called Majos, on Fuerteventura Majoreros, on Gran Canaria Canarios, on Tenerife Guanchen, on La Palma Benahoaritas, on La Gomera Gomeros and on El Hierro Bimbaches.
They lived at Stone Age level in caves and fed on collected plants, cultivated cereals and legumes, animal products, especially goats, and fish and shellfish near the coast.
The conquest and thus the subjugation of the Canary Islands took place between the years 1403 and 1496 by the Spanish crown.
You have now anchored in the port on the largest island with 2034 sq km. Tenerife has a total population of 920,000, of whom 203,000 live in the capital.
From the terminal you directly meet the main road Avenida Marítima. From here the Hop-On- Hop-Off buses of City View start, which you can take at the current price of € 22,00 for adults, € 11,00 for children. An attractive offer to explore the city also with a Bimmelbahn and as the name says it to get in and out as often as you like. A guided tour of the city from the Plaza de España, the central starting point of the city, is included in the ticket price and takes place at 12.00 noon.
www.tenerifecityview.com
Would you like to take a refreshing swim in the sea immediately?
The most beautiful beach on the island, Playa de las Teresitas, can be reached by public bus in only 15 minutes from the bus stop in front of the pier. The 1.3 km long bright sandy beach is protected by breakwaters and makes bathing a pure pleasure. In 1973, 100,000 cubic metres of Saharan sand were brought to the island to build the new city beach. Chargeable loungers and beach stalls round off the offer. Bus line 910, every 20 min. from 05.10 o'clock at 30, 50 and 10 www.titsa.com
Plaza España [1] can be reached from the jetty on the left in 10 minutes on foot. From here you can get on the Hop- On Hop- Off buses, take a taxi or start your city walk on your own.
The Plaza de España [1] is the central starting point for the city tour. In the middle of the square there is a circular lake where a water fountain shoots up every half hour.
In the course of reconstruction works in July 2006, parts of the foundations of the demolished Castillo de San Cristóbal were rediscovered, so that under the square the Centro de Interpretación Castillo de San Cristóbal [2] was built, where the remains can be viewed. Access is from the side of the lake in the direction of the sea.
The Castillo was built in 1577, had a size of 50 x 53 meters, 4 corner towers and 8.3 m high defensive walls inland. Equipped with cannons and a permanent crew of 30-40 artillerymen, it played an important role in the defence of the port during the English attacks of the 17th and 18th centuries by Blake, Jennings and Nelson.
Legend has it that a 16 caliber cannon called El Tigre was fired near the Castillo at the dawn of 25.07.1797, with which the right forearm of Admiral Nelson was shot down. The original cannon, which since then has stood as a symbol of the victory over the mighty English Armada, was built and exhibited on a replica carriage. Mon-Sat 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Sun closed, free admission.
The course of the foundation walls of the Castillo at that time is marked with a black mark in the lake towards the town.
On the side is the Monumento a los Caídos [3] from 1947, dedicated to the victims of the civil war in Santa Cruz.
It consists of a 25m high cruciform tower with a platform that is no longer accessible. Above the stroke "Tenerife en honor a todos los que dieron su vida por España" - Tenerife, in honour of all those who gave their lives for Spain - the sculpture holding a fallen man in its arms is a symbol for the fatherland. Among them, the winged woman embodies victory. The relief depictions on the sides depict struggle and peace. In front of the monument there are 2 oversized soldiers leaning on their swords. They symbolize civic and military values.
On the left, behind the monument, there is the Cabildo de Tenerife [4], the building of the island administration, dating from 1940, which can be recognised by its high tower.
To the right is the main post office, the Edificio de Correos y Telegrafos [5], from 1946. Between the buildings, the street Calle de Bravo Murillo continues along the tramway crossing the railway tracks - Attention! - to the small cobbled Plaza de la Iglesia [6].
On the right side, behind the two large Indian laurel trees, there were 4 tobacco factories. One of them, the Fabrica de Tabacos La Tinerfeña [7] tobacco factory, which can be recognized by the inscription on the houses, was founded in 1880 by Manuel Herrera and already used advanced technology to produce 80,000 cigarettes per hour.
Next to the plaza there is a small garden fenced in with bars, at the end of which stands a large marble cross, the Cruz de Montañés [8].
It was founded in 1759 by Captain Bartolomé Antonio Méndez Montañés and dignifiedly symbolizes the name of the city (Santa Cruz = Holy Cross).
In the building block behind it is the house of the Carta family, Casa de Carta (No. 6) [9] from the time of the bourgeoisie.
From the typical Canarian wooden balcony one could see all the way to the harbour.
Special attention should be paid to the church Iglesia de la Concepción [10] on the left side.
It was consecrated in 1502 and is the oldest church in the city. Built in a Canarian-Moorish style, its appearance was greatly altered after a fire in 1652. The six-storey tower with a bell tower made of red volcanic stone is striking. Access is via Calle Padre Moore at the rear. The surrounding, typically Canarian wooden balcony above the entrance portal is unique on the islands. The interior of the five-aisled church is pompously designed. Next to the altar is the large original wooden cross with silver fittings, which the Spaniard Alonso Fernández de Lugo is said to have rammed into the ground here in 1496 after the conquest of the island.
Daily 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Here you can decide whether you would like to visit the following points additionally. The tour continues again from the church.
On the left over the bridge Puente de El Cabo you directly reach the Museum of Nature and Archaeology, the Museo de la Naturaleza y Arqueología- MUNA [11], which is housed in a former hospital.
In two permanent exhibitions, the geological, climatic and biological conditions of the Canary Islands are shown on the one hand, and the history of the Canary Islands native population is presented with archaeological finds on the other. Very interesting are tools, cult objects, petroglyphs as well as the mummies and mummy remains found on the island. Tue- Sat 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Son- Mon 10 a.m.-5 p.m., closed 24./25./31.12, 01/06.01 and Carnival Tuesday, admission free
The Tenerife Espacio de las Artes- TEA [12] to the right is the contemporary art and culture centre of the city.
The long glass exposed concrete building was designed by the Swiss architects Herzog& de Meuren. Permanent and temporary exhibitions take place on more than 20,000 sqm. It is the seat of the Óscar Domínguez Institute, which permanently displays the works of the surrealist painter of the same name, born in Tenerife. It is also home to the Photography Centre, which aims to disseminate and preserve the photographic culture of the island and other countries. The complex is completed by the Central Library and a large souvenir shop with certified handicrafts, accessible from the outside via the Plaza de La Sierra. Tue- Sun 10 a.m.-8 p.m. adults 7€, seniors 5€, children under 12 years and students up to 26 years free (ID required)
Opposite the souvenir shop is the Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África [13], popularly known as La Recova.
It is the shopping address for a wide variety of foodstuffs. The old pink building is in neoclassical style and was inaugurated in 1944. A lively and colourful hustle and bustle takes place at the stands which drape around a patio down to the basement. daily 7 a.m.-2 p.m.