STEAMBOAT LINES. 1. _Union Castle Line_, fortnightly from London and
Southampton, touching alternately at Las Palmas and Teneriffe; fares
to either, 1st cl. 14–16, 2nd 9–11 _gs._ (return about ⅔ more). For
summer tours, comp. p. 17.—2. _Royal Mail Steam Packet Co._, see p.
17.—3. _Peninsular & Oriental Branch Service_, from London monthly for
Australia, calling at Las Palmas; 12_l._, return (tickets
interchangeable with No. 5 from Teneriffe) 20_l._—4. _Bucknall Line_,
monthly from London to Teneriffe; 10_l._, return 18_l._—5. _Aberdeen
(Thompson’s) Line_, from London and Plymouth monthly for Australia,
calling at Teneriffe; 13_l._, return (also valid for No. 3) 22_l._—6.
_Aberdeen (Rennie’s) Line_, from London, about once every 10 days, for
S. and E. Africa, calling alternately at Las Palmas and Teneriffe; 10
or 8_l._, return 18 or 14_l._—7. _German East African Line_, once
every 3 weeks from Southampton for S. Africa, calling at Las Palmas
and Teneriffe, 12_l._ 10_s._ or 7_l._ 10_s._; no return-fares, but an
abatement of 20 per cent is allowed on the fare back to Southampton,
either by this line, by the Woermann, or by the Hamburg-American
Line.—8. _Woermann Line_, monthly from Dover to Las Palmas, and
monthly to Teneriffe; fares and abatement for return, same as No.
7.—9, 10. _New Zealand Line_ and _Shaw, Savill, & Albion_, each
monthly from London and Plymouth for Teneriffe, 14_l._ or 11_l._
10_s._; interchangeable return-ticket 22 or 17_l._—11. _Yeoward Bros.
Line_, from Liverpool, weekly pleasure cruises to Teneriffe, Grand
Canary, and back (10–12 _gs._), also single tickets (6–8 _gs._).—12.
_Natal Line_, from London fortnightly for S. Africa calling at Las
Palmas, fare 8 _gs._, return 15_l._ 2_s._ 6_d._—13. _Federal, Houlder,
& Shire Lines_, see p. 17.—There are also steamers to the Canary
Islands from Cadiz (see p. 58), Genoa (see p. 114), Naples, and
Trieste (see p. 425).—It should be noted that almost all the British
lines have recently raised their fares by ten per cent in consequence,
it is said, of a rise in the price of coal. Inquiry as to this
‘surtax’ should therefore be made in every case.—The direct steamers
perform the voyage (1707 M. from Southampton to Teneriffe) in 5–6
days; the coasting steamers (viâ Oporto, Lisbon, etc.; about 2250 M.)
take much longer.
In addition to the above-mentioned steamers communication among the
islands themselves is effected by the small cargo-boats of the
_Compañía de Vapores Correos Interinsulares Canarios_ which ply 9
times monthly between Teneriffe and Las Palmas in 6 hrs. (fare 20 or
15 pesetas); and by those of the _Servicio de Pailebotes_ which ply
weekly from Teneriffe to Las Palmas, and weekly to Santa Cruz de la
Palma. Inquiry as to the sailings, which often vary, should be made on
the spot. The Spanish cuisine on board these local boats is not very
inviting.
The Canary Islands (_Islas Canarias_ or _Afortunadas_, _i.e._ ‘fortunate
islands’), the _Makáron Nésoi_ or _Insulae Fortunatae_ of antiquity, in
27° 30′ to 29° 26′ N. lat., and 13° 15′ to 18° 2′ W. long., lie off the
coast of Mauretania, the nearest point being Cape Juby (p. 104). There
are in all thirteen islands, forming a Spanish province of a total area
of 3305 sq. M., with a population of 364,000. They consist of two
groups. The E. group is composed of _Lanzarote_ (rising to 2231 ft.
above the sea), _Fuerteventura_ (2789 ft.), and five smaller islands
(_Alegranza_, _Graciosa_, etc.); to the W. group belong _Gran Canaria_
(6400 ft.), _Teneriffe_ (12,175 ft.; once the meridian used by the
Spaniards and the Dutch), _Gomera_ (4366 ft.), _Palma_ (7737 ft.), and
_Hierro_ or _Ferro_ (4643 ft.), the meridian used by France since the
time of Louis XIII. (1634). Teneriffe, Gran Canaria, and sometimes Palma
are the islands usually visited by tourists; the others chiefly attract
botanists and geologists.
[Illustration: ISLAS CANARIAS]
[Illustration: TENERIFE]
The Canaries, supposed by some geographers to form part of the submerged
continent of _Atlantis_, and by others to have been outlying spurs of
the Atlas of Morocco (p. 93), have the same geological formation as
Madeira (see pp. 17, 18, 19). ‘In Fuerteventura especially there occur
masses of slag and lava, thrown up by countless eruptions, superimposed
on the diabase formation, which is still visible in many places; and in
Teneriffe we find phonolithic and trachytic rocks as well as the
basaltic. Grand old craters (_calderas_) exist in Ferro, Gran Canaria,
and most of all in Palma and Teneriffe. The enormous basin of the
_Cañadas_ in Teneriffe has been almost entirely filled up with later
streams of lava and scoriæ, which have formed a distinct volcanic cone,
the great _Pico de Teide_, 12,175 ft. in height.’ The last considerable
eruptions were those of 1677 in Palma, of 1730–36 and 1824 in Lanzarote,
and of 1705, 1706, 1796, and 1798 on the N.W. coast of Teneriffe, all of
which caused great havoc. On the occasion of the eruption of 1909 in
Teneriffe a large lava-stream, accompanied by the emission of vapour and
stones from the central crater (see p. 41), burst forth near the foot of
the Chahorra (p. 42) and advanced in a N.W. direction towards Santiago
and El Tanque but came to rest before reaching these villages. There was
little damage and no loss of human life. In the W. islands, which like
Madeira rise very abruptly from the sea, the effects of erosion in the
broad valleys, with their rich soil, as well as in the deep ravines
(_barrancos_) of more recent origin, are specially noticeable.
The climate of the Canaries is remarkable for the striking contrasts
prevailing between the E. and the W. groups on the one hand, and between
the lower and the higher levels on the other. In the almost treeless
islands of _Lanzarote_ and _Fuerteventura_ (62 M. to the N.W. of Cape
Juby) years sometimes elapse without rainfall, while the dreaded _tiempo
del sur_, the hot and extremely dry wind from the Sahara, covers them
with dust and sand and often brings swarms of locusts. Even more
disastrous for agriculture are the sandy dunes or coast-hills, thrown up
by the currents off the African shores, the sand of which is driven
inland by violent N. winds. The _Gran Canaria_, on the other hand,
though by no means free from the locust pest, holds an intermediate
position in point of climate and scenery between the more continental E.
group of islands and the almost wholly oceanic W. group. Owing to the
influence of the gulf-stream (p. 18) and the zone of high air-pressure
prevalent in the W. Canaries in winter, the N. coast of _Teneriffe_ and
the islands of _Gomera_ and _Palma_ enjoy a remarkably mild and equable
winter climate (the mean temperature of winter at Puerto Orotava being
60° Fahr. and the minimum 51°). In the region tempered by the trade-wind
clouds, which gather at a height varying from 2300 to 5000 ft. above the
sea, even the summer temperature is quite bearable; but on the high
mountains, above the cloud-zone, the air is extremely dry, and the
burning heat of the day is suddenly followed, as in the tropics, by a
severe chill. The rainfall at Santa Cruz de Tenerife averages 12 inches,
at Santa Cruz de la Palma 14 in., at Puerto Orotava 17 in., at Laguna 22
inches. The lowest snow-line is about 3300 ft.
The vegetation of the W. islands, the Eldorado of botanists, surpasses
that of Madeira in variety, though not in luxuriance; but it is confined
to the forest-zone in the region of the trade-wind clouds, and to the
low ground irrigated with the aid of these clouds, where the soil
consists of disintegrated diabase, tufa, and lava. On the other hand
large tracts of land, especially in the Gran Canaria and on the S. and
E. coasts of Teneriffe, are entirely destitute of vegetation, even in
winter, while in summer the verdure of the cultivated land is often
covered with a mantle of grey dust.
The Canary Islands, together with Madeira and the Azores, have been
described as a region ‘where the tertiary flora, destroyed in Europe
during the glacier epoch, has survived and developed, at least since the
pliocene age, in insular solitude’. To the primæval African flora, the
same as that of the original ‘diabasic Canaries’, belong in particular
the stately Canary pine (Pinus canariensis), several species of laurel,
such as the Laurus canariensis, the _viñatigo_ (Persea indica), the
aloe, the oleander-leaved Kleinia neriifolia, the cactus-like
euphorbias, the _balo_ (Plocama pendula), and the famous dragon-tree
(Dracæna Draco). Besides the endemic trees and plants are others of very
early origin, the seeds of which were originally brought over from India
or America by the gulf-stream. During the Spanish period countless other
plants, now cosmopolitan, were imported from America, fruit-trees from
Europe, and shrubs from the Mediterranean, which last, favoured by the
climate, develop into bushy trees. In the gardens, which are mostly
enclosed by high walls, we are struck with the gorgeous wealth of
bougainvilleas, gloxinias, poinsettias, bignonias, daturas, walbergias,
passifloras, and many other flowers. In the lower and more tropical
districts grow, side by side, bananas (_plátanos_), tomatoes, sugar-cane
(_caña de azúcar_), yams (Span. _ñame_), tobacco, oranges and lemons,
prickly-pear (Opuntia Tuna), coffee-plants, Peruvian pepper-trees
(_pimenteros_), E. Indian bread-fruit, mango and camphor trees,
eucalypti, cork-trees, tamarisks (_tarajales_), araucarias, magnolias,
fig-trees, Japanese medlars, palms (about 25 varieties), notably the
superb Canary palm (Phœnix canariensis or Jubæ Webb), the date-palm (p.
171), the royal palm (Oreodoxa regia), and, in Palma, the cocoa-nut
palm. The vineyards, yielding the famous _Malmsey_ (p. 19) and _Vidueño_
wines, rise on the S. side of Teneriffe from the lower land to a height
of 4070 ft. above the sea-level. In the upper cultivated regions the
chief crops and fruits are wheat, potatoes, lupins, maize, chestnuts,
walnuts, and, among other European fruits, peaches. On the rocky sides
of the barrancos occur everywhere the aloe, the cactus-like Euphorbia
canariensis (Span. _cardón_), the tabayba (Euphorbia Regis Jubæ), the
orchilla lichen (Roccella tinctoria; woad), and Sempervivum (house-leek;
some 60 varieties). At the bottom of the barrancos and in the
cloud-region we encounter beautiful underwood, composed of evergreen
myrtles and laurels, the strawberry-tree (Arbutus canariensis), ericas,
stemless ferns, and a few climbing plants. Above the level of the
trade-wind clouds we may still meet with the cistus, the Canary pine (up
to 7050 ft. above the sea), the white Cytisus proliferus (Span.
_escobón_), and the Adenocarpus frankenoides (Span. _codeso_), a kind of
gorse. The Alpine retama (Spartocytisus supranubius; Span. _retama
blanca_), a kind of broom, the commonest plant in the Cañadas, grows on
the Peak up to a height of 10,300 ft.; but a few mosses and lichens
alone reach the summit.
The fauna of the Canaries is remarkably poor. The characteristic bird is
the canary (Serinus canariensis), which, as in Madeira, is of a
greenish-grey colour, while the yellow canaries are imported.
Mosquitoes, especially on the E. and S. coasts of the islands, fleas,
and flies, including some whose bite is very unpleasant, abound in
summer. The more important fish are cod, tunny, and sardines. Chief
among domestic animals is the goat. Camels were introduced from the
continent in 1405.
The islands, which were probably known to the Carthaginians and Greeks,
were for a time occupied by king Juba II. (p. 244) with a view to the
manufacture of purple dye from the juice of the Orchilla (see above). At
that period the population consisted chiefly of the so-called _Guanches_
(from _guan_, son, and _Chenerfe_, Teneriffe), whose culture down to the
middle ages was still that of the flint age, while their inscriptions
are Libyan in character. In 1402–96 the islands were conquered, first by
the Normans, under Jean de Betancourt, at the instance of the kings of
Castile, and later by the Spaniards, with the result that the Guanches,
in spite of their heroic resistance, were largely exterminated or sold
into slavery. A few survivors still lingered in their cave-dwellings, as
at Atalaya (p. 46) and Artenara (p. 46), but others intermarried with
Moorish immigrants (1405), and, in the Spanish period, with Norman, S.
Spanish, and Irish settlers. Their language has been extinct since the
17th century. A few peculiarities of the present population, which
somewhat resembles that of S. Spain and of the W. Indies, survive in the
costume of the peasants, consisting of a white blanket (_matta_) wrapped
round the body like a shepherd’s cloak, in their quaint old pottery, in
the whistling language of Gomera, and in the national _gofio_, a kind of
porridge of maize and wheat. The Grand Canary contains also several
villages of negroes, descendants of the slaves on the sugar-plantations.
Among the foreigners there are 2100 English, 600 French, and 600
Germans.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Puerto de la Luz near Las Palmas, the chief
ports of the Canaries, as also Puerto Orotava (p. 39), Santa Cruz de la
Palma, and others, all declared free harbours in 1852, are rising places
and compete with Madeira in provisioning the ocean steamers. The trade
is in British, Spanish, and German hands. The chief exports are bananas,
tomatoes, early potatoes and other vegetables, and wine. The only
industry of any importance is the embroidery and lace-making of
Teneriffe (‘calado’ embroidery after Mexican patterns, rosette-work
introduced from Paraguay, the rich Vilaflor lace, and embroidery in
relief from Venetian and Irish models). The cochineal insect (living on
the prickly-pear plant) was introduced from Honduras in 1826, and for
many years its culture yielded large profits to the islanders, but the
discovery of aniline dyes has well-nigh ruined this industry.
The best SEASON for a tour in the Canaries is from the beginning of
March to the end of May. The best winter-quarters for invalids are to
be found at Puerto Orotava or the more remote Güimar in Teneriffe, and
at the Monte in the Grand Canary. Good quarters are obtainable also at
Santa Cruz and Laguna in Teneriffe, and at Las Palmas in the Grand
Canary, where most of the best hotels are in the English style, and
English money circulates freely. The Spanish ‘fondas’, where the
national currency is in vogue, fall short of modern requirements,
while the country inns are mostly wretched taverns.
The chief public conveyances in the islands are, in Teneriffe, the
electric tramway from Santa Cruz to Tacoronte, and in the Grand Canary
the harbour tramway at Las Palmas; the only others are the dirty and
often crowded _coches públicos_, the very expensive four-seated
vehicles, and the _tartanas_ or gigs. For mountain excursions horses
or mules are used, the _arriero_ or attendant serving as a guide.
Among numerous BOOKS on the Canary Islands are _Samler Brown’s_ guide
(see p. 20); _Whitford’s_ The Canary Islands as a Winter Resort
(London, 1890; 7_s._ 6_d._); _Ward’s_ Vale of Orotava (London, 1903);
_C. Piazzi Smyth’s_ Teneriffe, an Astronomer’s Experiment (London,
1858); and _Olivia Stone’s_ Tenerife and its Six Satellites (London,
1889).
* * * * *
=Teneriffe=, Span. _Tenerife_, the largest and most populous of the
islands, 51½ M. long, 31 M. in breadth, and 781 sq. M. in area, contains
about 140,000 inhab., mostly living on the N. coast. The island is
composed of three mountain-ranges, chiefly of eruptive rock of a
basaltic character, which have been welded together, probably since the
miocene period, by great phonolithic and trachytic eruptions. These are
the _Anaga Mts._ on the N.E., the _Teno Mts._ on the N.W., and the
_Adeje Mts._ in the Bandas del Sur. Beyond the lofty plain of Laguna the
Anaga range is prolonged to the Llano de la Maja by the massive
_Cumbre_. In the centre of the island, from the enormous crater-ring of
Las Cañadas, and high above the trade-wind clouds, towers the mighty
_Peak of Teneriffe_, or _Pico de Teide_ (12,175 ft.), visible for 100 M.
around.
Approaching the island from the N., we first sight the sombre and wildly
fissured _Anaga Mts._ (3406 ft.). We steer past the lighthouse (Faro;
811 ft.) a little to the N.W. of the _Punta del Drago_, whose light is
visible for 40 M., then skirt the rocky E. coast, with the _Punta de
Anaga_ and _Punta Antequera_, and at length cast anchor in the open
roads of the bay of _Santa Cruz_.
[Illustration: Santa Cruz de Tenerife]
=Santa Cruz de Tenerife.=—ARRIVAL. Passengers are conveyed in
steam-launches (_falúas_) or in rowing-boats to the pier (Muelle; Pl.
C, 2; landing or embarkation 1 peseta, each trunk 75 c.). The hotels,
which send their porters on board, charge 3–5 shillings for the
landing and conveyance to the hotel of each passenger and his luggage.
=Hotels= (often crowded in Feb., March, and April; mostly closed in
summer). *GRAND-HÔT. QUISISANA (Pl. a; A, 1), on the hill-side (about
330 ft.) to the N.W. of the town, 1 M. from the pier, with fine views,
R. from 3_s._, B. 2, déj. 3, D. 5, pens. 12½–15_s._ (but more in Feb.
and March); *PINO DE ORO (Pl. b; B, 1), to the N. of the town, ¾ M.
from the pier, also finely situated, with a beautiful old park, pens.
8–12_s._; HOT. BATTENBERG (Pl. c; A, 2), in the Paseo de Ronda, below
Quisisana. pens. from 9_s._—CAMACHO’S ENGLISH HOTEL (Pl. d; B, 2),
Calle San Francisco 11, pens. 9–12_s._; HOT. OROTAYA (dépendance of
the ‘Humboldt Kurhaus’ at Puerto Orotava, p. 39), Plaza de la
Constitución, R. 3–6, B. 1, déj. 3, D. 4½, pens. 8–12½_s._; ALEXANDRA
(Pl. e, B2; Olsen’s), Calle de Alfonso Treceno, pens. from 7½_s._,
commended; VICTORIA (Pl. f, B 2; Holmström’s), Plaza de la
Constitución, pens. 6–8_s._; the last four rather plain; wine is
always an extra. Table-water, _Agua Firgas_.
=Cafés.= _Cuatro Naciones_, _Europa_, and _Belge_, all in the Plaza de
la Constitución.
=Theatre.= _Teatro Isabel Segunda_ (Pl. B, 3), adjoining the
market.—BULL RING (Plaza de Toros; Pl. A, 2), in the Paseo de Ronda;
‘corridas’. mostly in May.—MUSIC in the Plaza de la Constitución (Pl.
B, C, 3) and the Plaza del Príncipe Alfonso (Pl. B, 2) alternately,
thrice weekly, 8.30 to 10.30 p.m.
=Shops.= TENERIFFE HANDIWORK (p. 32): _Bazar Nivaria_, Calle San
Francisco 11; _Bazar Taoro_, corner of Calle San Francisco and Calle
San José. Indian dealers offer defective goods (bargaining
necessary).—BOOKSELLER: _Benítez_, Calle San Francisco 6.—TINNED
FOODS: _Quintero & Co._, Calle San Francisco 2.—PHOTOGRAPHIC
MATERIALS: _Lohr_, Calle San Francisco 34; _Espinosa_, Plaza de la
Constitución.
=Bankers.= _Hamilton & Co._, Calle de la Marina 15; _Miller, Wolfson,
& Co._, same street, No. 1; _Ahlers_, same street, No. 31; _Dehesa_,
Calle de Alfonso Treceno 64.
=Steamboat Agents.= _Hamilton & Co._ (see above), for the Peninsular &
Oriental Co., Union Castle, Aberdeen (Rennie’s), Aberdeen
(Thompson’s), Shaw, Savill, & Albion, New Zealand, Hamburg-American,
White Star, and other lines; _Teneriffe Coaling Co._, for the Royal
Mail Steam Packet Co.; _Ahlers_ (see above), for the Hamburg & South
American, German East African, and Woermann lines; _Elder, Dempster, &
Co._, Calle de Alfonso Treceno 84, for the Belge Maritime du Congo,
the Italian ‘La Veloce’, the Société de Transports Maritimes, and the
Vapores Correos Interinsulares Canarios; _Viuda é Hijos de Juan de la
Roche_, Calle de Alfonso Treceno 35, for the Compañía Trasatlántica;
_Miller, Wolfson, & Co._ (see above), for the Servicio de Pailebotes.
=Post & Telegraph Office= (Correos y Telégrafos; Pl. 3, C, 2), Marina.
=Physicians.= _Dr. Otto_, Santa Rita, and others.—CHEMIST. _Serra_,
Calle de Alfonso Treceno 7.—BATHS (baños), Plaza de la
Constitución.—SEA BATHS (poor) at the pier; better at the Club
Tinerfeño.
=Cabs= (‘coches de punta’; stands in the Plaza de la Constitución and
the Plaza San Francisco): drive in the town, each pers. 50 c. (at
night one-half more); per hour 1–2 pers. 2 pesetas, each addit. pers.
50 c.; to San Andrés 10 p., to Tegueste or Tacoronte 20, to Güimar 30,
to Puerto Orotava 35, to Icod de los Vinos 60 p. (but bargain
advisable).
=Electric Tramway= from the Alameda de la Marina (Pl. C, 2) through
the Calle de Alfonso Treceno, viâ Cuesta and Laguna (1 hr.; fare 1 p.
30 c.; change carriages), to Tacoronte (1¾ hr.; fare 2 p. 60 c.). Cars
for Laguna hourly from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; to Tacoronte every two hours
till 5 p.m. The cars starting at 7 and 3, in connection with the
diligence mentioned at p. 37, are usually crowded; motor-omnibus from
Tacoronte to Puerto Orotava, see p. 37.
CONSULS. British, _J. E. Crocker_; vice-consul, _R. C.
Griffiths_.—United States, S. BERLINER.
ENGLISH CHURCH in the upper part of the town; service in winter.
ENGLISH CLUB (also for temporary members), adjoining the Governor’s
Palace (p. 35).
_Santa Cruz de Tenerife_, a fortified seaport with 30,300 inhab., and
the capital of the island since 1821 when it superseded Laguna, lies
picturesquely in 28° 28′ N. lat. and 16° 15′ W. long., on a bay 3 M.
broad between the _Valle del Bufadero_ (p. 36) and the _Barranco de
Santos_, below the spurs of the Anaga Mts. and the plateau of Laguna.
Its beautiful _patios_, or courtyards, recall those of Seville and the
flat roofs with their _miradores_, or belvederes, are reminiscent of
Cadiz. The harbour is entered by 3500–4000 vessels per annum. At
_Regla_, to the S. of the town, is a wireless telegraph station.
The town was heroically defended in 1797 against the British fleet
under Nelson, who lost his arm here and had to retire after heavy
loss. Near the old _Citadel_ (now Cuartel Almeida; Pl. C, 1) stands
the saluting battery. The old _Castillo de San Cristóbal_ (Pl. C, 2,
3) now contains public offices.
From the Alameda de la Marina (Pl. C, 2), near the landing-place, we
soon reach the PLAZA DE LA CONSTITUCIÓN (Pl. B, C, 3) to the S.W., with
the _Governor’s Palace_ (Gobierno Civil; Pl. 5, B 2; fine patio), the
club-houses, and the cafés (p. 34). On the side next the sea rises the
_Triunfo de la Candelaria_, a column in honour of the Virgin, the
tutelary saint of the Canaries (p. 36), erected by the Spaniards as a
memorial of their victories, with four Guanche kings as worshippers.
From the S. side of the Plaza de la Constitución the Calle de la Cruz
Verde leads to the IGLESIA DE LA CONCEPCIÓN (Pl. B, 3), the principal
church in the town, consisting of a nave with double aisles, and
situated close to the Barranco de Santos. It was founded early in the
16th cent., but was rebuilt after a fire in 1652. The tower, 181 ft.
high, affords an extensive panorama.
INTERIOR. The central chapel of the aisle on the left contains two
flags captured from Nelson’s fleet (see above), of which the town is
very proud. Here too, by the high-altar, is a stone cross originally
erected outside by Al. Fernandez de Lugo (p. 37) in 1494 as a memorial
of his victories. The pulpit, in Italian marble, is by _Matias
Rodriguez_ (18th cent.). The burial chapel of the artist (entered to
the right of the high-altar) contains several pretty, but unfinished
carvings in juniper-wood.
Near this is the _Mercado_ (Pl. B, 3), a covered market for fruit and
other commodities (worth visiting in the early morning).
From the N.W. angle of the Plaza de la Constitución the Calle San
Francisco leads, a few yards farther on, to the church of _San
Francisco_ (Pl. 6, B, 2), built in 1680. The tower, inlaid with
_azulejos_, or ornamental tiles, dates from 1777.
The old Franciscan monastery contains at present the _Museum_ with fine
art and anthropological collections (new building being erected near the
Ayuntamiento, Pl. 1, B 2). Beyond it lies the Plaza del Príncipe Alfonso
(Pl. B, 2).
The long CALLE DE ALFONSO TRECENO (Pl. B, A, 2), or Calle de Castillo,
the main street, connects the Plaza de la Constitución with the pretty
Plaza de Weyler (Pl. A, 2). The _Paseo de los Coches_ and the _Paseo de
Ronda_ (Pl. A, B, 2, 1), a charming promenade bordered with
pepper-trees, oleanders, and geraniums, lead thence to the N. through
the villa quarter (Barrio de Ensanche).
EXCURSIONS ON THE E. COAST (cabs, see p. 34). From the Paseo de Ronda
we may go past the Pino de Oro Hotel (p. 33), or by the Hotel
Quisisana, to the _Conduit_ (llevada), skirt this and the right bank
of the _Barranco de Almeida_, and thus reach the (1 hr.) tunnels, or
we may continue our walk to the (3 hrs.) _Aguere Springs_.—Starting
from the harbour the fine coast-road leads to the N.E. to the mouth of
the _Valle del Bufadero_, which lies at the foot of the Anaga Mts. and
is defended by a fort; from here we may go on, crossing some barrancos
and skirting the rocks, to the dirty fishing-village of (5 M.) _San
Andrés_ (poor inn). Thence to the _Cruz de Taganana_, see p. 37.—Drive
from _Cuesta_ (see below) by the Carretera del Sur, a road shaded by
tamarisks, to the S.W., along the slope of the bare sunburnt _Cumbre_
(p. 33), up and down hill, through many barrancos, viâ (8 M.) _San
Isidro_ to (10½ M.) the so-called _Halfway House_ (tavern; good wine);
then through the deep _Barranco Hondo_, below the village of that name
(1310 ft.), mostly through pine-woods (_pinal_). To our right, on the
hill, lies the village of _Igueste_; to our left, on the _Ladera de
Candelaria_, is the village of _Candelaria_, with the famous
pilgrimage-church of the Virgen de la Candelaria. Lastly we cross a
lava-stream from the _Garganta de Güimar_ (p. 40) to (20 M.) =Güimar=
(975 ft.; Hot. El Buen Retiro, with a fine garden, pens. 8–10_s._,
English, good; Pens. Sunnyside, pens. 7_s._), a village of 2000 inhab.
in a sunny and sheltered site, in the _Valle de Güimar_. This fertile
valley, 3¾ M. in breadth, bounded on the S. by the _Ladera de Güimar_,
and on the W. by the ash-cone of the _Arafo_ and the _Monte de Izaña_
(7380 ft.), yields sugar-cane, oranges, and bananas. Luxuriant
vegetation, including gigantic arbutus-trees, is seen also in the
_Barranco del Rio_, to the W., above the village. From the S. end of
the village we may reach (ca. 1½ hr.) two cave-dwellings of Guanches
(p. 31), now empty, in the upland valley of the _Barranco de Badajoz_.
Route over the _Pedro Gil Pass_ to _Orotava_, see p. 40; ascent of the
_Peak of Teneriffe_, see p. 41.
The EXCURSION TO THE OROTAVA VALLEY, the most charming spot in the
island, takes 1-1½ days. We go by tramway (p. 34) to Tacoronte and drive
thence to Puerto Orotava (see p. 37).
The shadeless and generally very dusty Carretera del Norte, the
continuation of the Calle de Alfonso Treceno (p. 35) and Rambla de
Pulido, crosses the Barranco de Santos and ascends the N.W. slope of the
_Plateau of Laguna_ in windings affording several fine views. The
country is parched and scorched in spite of the numerous reservoirs
(_estanques_), but corn-fields, tamarisks, fruit-trees, and relics of
prickly-pear plantations are occasionally seen.
3 M. _Cuesta_ (962 ft.; inn). The road to Güimar (see above) diverges
here. Farther on, as we approach the cooler and better watered
tableland, the vegetation becomes richer.
6¼ M. =Laguna.=—HOTEL. _Hot. Aguere & Continental_, Carrera 57, pens.
10–12_s._, good.
_Laguna_ or _La Laguna_ (1740 ft.), once the capital of the Canaries
(see p. 34), now a quiet little country-town (pop. 4900), is a favourite
summer residence of the wealthier families of Santa Cruz. The
old-fashioned houses, as at Villa Orotava, often have pretty, carved
balconies; their unglazed windows, closed with shutters only, generally
have a _postígo_, or flap, from which the inmates can view the street.
The _Cathedral_, founded in 1513 and since 1908 in course of
reconstruction, contains the tomb of Alonso Fernandez de Lugo, the
conqueror of Teneriffe (1493–6). From the Calle Juan de Vera, diverging
to the N., we follow the first side-street, the Calle de San Agustín, to
the left, to the old Augustinian monastery, once the university, and now
the _Instituto de Canarias_, which contains the _Biblioteca Pública_
(26,000 vols.) and a small natural history collection. To the right, in
the same street (No. 28), is the _Palacio Episcopal_, whose patio is
richly adorned with flowers.
From the E. end of the street a few paces bring us to the Plaza de
Adelantado, No. 1 in which is the old Palace of the _Nava_ family.
From the S. side of the Plaza the Calle de Santo Domingo leads to the
_Priests’ Seminary_ (Seminario Conciliar), once a Dominican monastery.
In the side-street opposite No. 30 the second door on the left leads
into the garden of a _Farm Building_ (finca) which contains a venerable
dragon-tree (p. 30; fee).
The _Iglesia de la Concepción_, at the W. end of the town, contains a
fine carved pulpit.
EXCURSIONS. A fine drive (12–15 p.) may be taken viâ (4½ M.)
_Tegueste_ and (5½ M.) _Tejina_, not far from the gloomy _Barranco de
las Palmas_, to (10½ M.) the fishing-village of _Bajamar_, near the
_Punta del Hidalgo_, a headland which affords a splendid survey of the
precipitous N. coast of the island.—We may also hire a mule (6 p.) to
take us to the laurel forests of _Las Mercedes_ or _La Mina_. From Las
Mercedes we may ascend past the _Cruz el Carmen_ (about 2950 ft.) with
its rich thicket of bushes (Erica scoparia), and past the _Cruz de
Afur_ (3405 ft.) to the (3½ hrs.) *_Cruz de Taganana_ (3068 ft.), a
splendid point for surveying the great Peak and the E. coast as far as
Santa Cruz. We may then descend to the N., through a magnificent old
*Forest of Canary laurel, viñatigo (p. 30), tree-heath (Erica
arborea), and Pleiomeris, to the village of _Taganana_ (689 ft.), near
which the tall pinnacles of the _Hombres de Taganana_ tower above the
abrupt rocky coast. Or we may go on to the N.E. to the _Cruz del
Draguillo_ (2205 ft.) and descend thence to _Igueste_ and _San Andrés_
(p. 36) on the E. coast.—Another excursion from Laguna is to the (2
hrs.) ancient _Forest of Agua García_ (p. 38) to the W.
Beyond Laguna the HIGH ROAD, bordered at first with eucalypti, now
crosses the plateau of the _Rodeos_ to the Laguna Saddle (2008 ft.;
watershed), and descends thence, affording fine *Views of the _Cumbre_
(p. 33), the Peak itself, and its spurs, and passing the hills of
_Guamaza_ famed for their view of Tacoronte, to the _Bandas del Norte_,
the far cooler and greener N. coast of the island.
12 M. =Tacoronte= (1762 ft.; Camacho’s Tacoronte Hotel, on the road
above the town, pens. from 9_s._, good; pop. 4200), beautifully
situated, is well adapted for a longer stay. Near it is produced the
best wine in the island, and its orange-groves are famous.
From Tacoronte to _Puerto Orotava_ a motor-omnibus of the Grand Hotel
(p. 39) plies daily at noon in connection with the tramway mentioned
at p. 34 (½ hr.; fare 12 _s._); cab, ordered by telephone from Santa
Cruz, in 2–2½ hrs., 20–25 p.; diligence (dirty) at 9 and 5, viâ Villa
Orotava (3 hrs.; fare 3 p.), to Puerto Orotava (4 hrs.; 4 p.).
EXCURSIONS. The road to the N.E. leads past the slopes of the _Montaña
del Picón_, and through the _Valle de Guerra_, to (7 M.) _Tejina_ (p.
37).—To the N. we may descend (1½ hr.) the precipitous rocks on the
_Coast_ (650–980 ft.), where the numerous caves are said to have once
been inhabited by the Guanches (p. 31).—To the S.E. lies the (1½ hr.)
primæval *_Forest of Agua García_ (2588 ft.), the finest in Teneriffe,
with its huge erica trees overgrown with creepers, its venerable
laurels, and superb tree-ferns. Specially charming is a sequestered
nook at the _Madre d’Agua_, the source of the water-conduit.
The Puerto Orotava road (conveyance, see p. 37), whence the route to
_Sauzal_ diverges to the right a little farther on, passes through
wheat-fields, vineyards, and orchards, and is bordered with tamarisks,
Canary palms, oleanders, aloes, and hedges of geranium. The steep slopes
of the Cumbre are carefully cultivated in terraces up to the evergreen
zone of the cloud-region. Fine view of the rock-bound coast and the blue
ocean to the right.
15 M. _Matanza_ (1585 ft.; ‘slaughter’), the scene of the last defeat of
the Spanish invaders (1494), is now a village of 2000 inhabitants.
Beyond (17 M.) the little town of _Victoria_ (1240 ft.), where the
Guanches sustained a decisive defeat in 1494, the road forks. The new
road, to the left, crosses the _Barranco Hondo_, a ravine about 330 ft.
deep, by a viaduct (1909); the old road winds down into the Barranco
Hondo. The two roads unite at the church of (20 M.) _Santa Ursula_, a
palm-girt village (886 ft.; 2200 inhab.), on the crest of the _Ladera de
Santa Ursula_, noted for its wine. About 1 hr. above it is the farm of
La Florida (p. 40).
Beyond the village we obtain a glimpse, and then, at the _Humboldt
Corner_, a full and glorious view of the **=Orotava Valley=, the _Taoro
Valley_ of the Guanches, famed at once for its harmonious outlines, for
its superb colouring, and for its luxuriant vegetation. The valley,
about 7 M. long by 6 M. wide, probably formed by subsidence, and
descending rather rapidly to the sea in terraces, is sprinkled with
smiling villages and countless white country-houses, embosomed among
palms, pines, orange-trees, rosebushes, and climbing plants, which are
abundantly watered by cuttings and conduits descending from the
cloud-region. The tropical character of the landscape is enhanced by the
extensive plantations of bananas. On the E. and W. the valley is flanked
by the lava slopes, about 1000 ft. in height, of the Ladera de Santa
Ursula and the _Ladera de Tigaiga_, and on the S. it is bounded by the
Cumbre, with the ‘organ-pipes’ at the S.E. angle (p. 40). Far above its
steep banks, but most often concealed by the trade-wind clouds, towers
the majestic pyramid of the Peak. In the middle of the valley rise three
eruptive cones of recent origin, the _Montaña de la Horca_ (833 ft.; p.
39), the _Montaña de Chaves_ (p. 42), and the _Montaña de las Gañanias_,
which have sent forth lava-streams descending to the sea.
Beyond the _Barranco del Pinito_ the direct road to (24½ M.) _Villa
Orotava_ (p. 40) branches off to the left, and 1 M. farther on another
road from that town joins ours. We are next carried through deep
barrancos by means of cuttings, with their surprising variety of layers
of slag and beds of lava, and at the Montaña de la Horca we come to a
point where a new road diverges, to the left, for Realejo Bajo (p. 42)
and Icod de los Vinos (p. 43). We descend to the right to Puerto
Orotava, passing a private entrance to the Grand Hotel on our right.
27½ M. =Puerto Orotava.=—HOTELS (often crowded in March and April).
*_Grand Hotel_ (or ‘Kurhaus Humboldt’; about 330 ft.), in a fine open
situation on the N. slope of the Montaña de la Horca, with splendid
views from the roof-terrace, beautiful grounds, and sea-baths on the
Martianez beach (see below), R. from 4_s._, pens. 12_s._ 6_d._–20_s._;
for guests ascending the Peak the hotel provides mule, guide, porter,
accommodation in the Alta Vista hut, and food for two days for an
inclusive sum of 30_s._ *_Hot. Martianez_, at the E. end of the town,
not far from the sea, once a nobleman’s château, with a charming
garden, pens. 12–15_s._; _Hot. Monopol_, Plaza de la Iglesia, R. 2_s._
6_d._–3_s._, pens. 8–10_s._, good (all three under German management);
_Hot. Marquesa_, Plaza de la Iglesia, pens. 5–6_s._, Spanish, well
spoken of.
POST & TELEGRAPH OFFICE, Calle de Quintana, near the Plaza de la
Iglesia.
BANKER. _T. M. Reid_, Calle San Juan.—PHOTOGRAPHER. _Baeza_, Calle de
la Hoya.—TENERIFFE WORK. _Franken_, Calle de Santo Domingo 10.
PHYSICIANS. _Dr. Lishman_, Casa Montaña; _Dr. Perez_.—CHEMIST. _R.
Gomez_, Calle de Santo Domingo.
MUSIC in the Plaza de la Constitución.—SORTIJA RIDING (tilting at the
ring) in the grounds of the Grand Hotel.
CARRIAGES. To Villa Orotava or Realejo 10 p.; to Tacoronte 20–25 p.;
to Icod de los Vinos 25 p.—OMNIBUS to Villa Orotava twice daily, 1
p.—MULE (mulo) to Agua Mansa 10 p., to Güimar 12½, to the Peak 20
p.—DONKEY (burro), 5 p. per day (according to bargain).—GUIDE to the
Peak 20 p.
ENGLISH CHURCH (resident chaplain) in the grounds above the Grand
Hotel.—ENGLISH CEMETERY and others to the W. of the town.
_Puerto Orotava_, officially called _Puerto de la Cruz_, the most
popular invalid resort in the Canaries, a poor little seaport with 3100
inhab., lies on a delta formed by lava-streams. The Calle San Juan, the
main street, in continuation of the highroad, descends, passing near the
Plaza de la Constitución, with its garden-grounds, to the _Pier_
(Muelle), whence the produce of the Orotava Valley is conveyed by small
boats to the vessels in the roads.
In the Plaza de la Iglesia, to the E. of the Plaza de la Constitución,
are the _Iglesia de la Peña de Santa Francisca_, with its new tower, and
the _Casas Consistoriales_ or town-hall, with its old-fashioned wooden
balcony.—Mr. R. Gomez, the chemist (see above), possesses a small
_Guanche Museum_ (adm. 1 p.).
To the E. of the town a palm-avenue leads along the _Barranco de
Martianez_ to the bathing beach (Playa de Martianez). Beyond the ravine,
about halfway up the abrupt coast-hill, is the spring called _Fuente de
Martianez_.—A zigzag path ascends to the _Sitio de la Paz_ (492 ft.),
once occupied by Alex. von Humboldt (1814), and now containing several
memorials of that savant. A cypress-avenue is the sole relic of the old
garden (fee).—A beautiful walk may be taken to the _Barranco de las
Arenas_, 1½ hr. to the E.
To the S. the Camino del Puerto (see below) leads past the
_Observatorio_ (belonging to the nautical observatory of Hamburg) to the
*_Botanic Garden_ (Jardín Botánico or de Aclimatación), laid out in
1788, which, though sadly neglected, contains exquisite flowers, superb
magnolias, and fine specimens of royal, Canary, and exotic palms,
dragon-trees (p. 30), and fig-trees (Ficus imperialis and Ficus nitida;
p. 233).
A dusty road (donkey 3 p.) leads from the cemetery at the W. end of the
town to the _Finca los Frailes_ of Dr. Perez, with its splendid avenue
of palms. The road ends at the _Risco do Burgado_, with its fissured
lava cliffs, washed by huge breakers.
Pleasant ride (4–5 hrs.; donkey 4, horse 8 p.) by Los Frailes to
_Realejo Bajo_ and _Realejo Alto_ (p. 42), returning, above the three
eruptive cones (p. 38), viâ _Cruz Santa_ (p. 41), _Perdoma_, and
_Villa Orotava_.
From Puerto Orotava the dusty roads mentioned on p. 39, besides the
Camino del Puerto, the old bridle-path, lead through a garden-like
region in 1¼–1½ hr. to =Villa Orotava= (1080–1480 ft.; Hot. Suizo, pens.
6–8 p., good; Hot. Victoria, same charges; 3600 inhab.) the _Arautápala_
of the Guanches, now the capital of the Orotava Valley. The antiquated
little town, which has fallen into great poverty since the decline of
the cochineal culture (p. 32), occupies almost the loveliest site in the
whole island.
At the E. entrance is the Plaza de San Agustín, with the old _Iglesia de
San Agustín_ and a band-stand, whence we have a fine view of Puerto
Orotava and the sea. Near it is the _Villa of Marquesa Quinta_, now
owned by Dr. Perez (p. 39), with its beautiful park; on the highest
terrace is a marble mausoleum (adm. to both 1 p.).
In the quarter above the _Iglesia de la Concepción_ are several châteaux
of the noblesse. On the S.W. side of the town, near the monastery of
_San Francisco_ (now a hospital), are two old mansions with very
handsome carved balconies (comp. p. 36).
An excursion, attractive in clear weather only, may be made to the
farm of =Aqua Mansa= (3491 ft.), in the S.E. angle of the Orotava
Valley, within the cloud-region, 1½ hr. to the S.E. of Villa Orotava.
Steep bridle-path; mule, see p. 39. The chestnut and erica woods are
succeeded in the _Barranco de la Arena_ by primæval *Pine Forest, near
which is an abrupt slope with huge columns of basalt, known as the
_Organos_ (organ-pipes). From Agua Mansa we may either ride back by
the W. margin of the _Ladera de Santa Ursula_ (p. 38) and the farm of
_La Florida_, or we may cross the _Pedro Gil Pass_ (6522 ft.; the top
of the Cumbre, to the S.W., commands a striking view of the E. coast
and the Grand Canary) to the grand basin of the *_Garganta de Güimar_,
and along the lava-stream of 1705, past _Arafo_, to (6–7 hrs.)
_Güimar_ (p. 36).
The ASCENT OF THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE, which is fatiguing but without
danger, takes two days and should be made in the warmer season (hotel
arrangement for the ascent, see p. 39; tariffs for mule and guide,
also see p. 39). The excursion affords an admirable insight into the
geological structure of the island, while the view in clear weather is
of unparallelled grandeur. The equipment most needed consists of
riding leggings, an Alpenstock (_lanza_), stout boots, a lantern,
rugs, drinking-water, abundant provisions, grey spectacles or goggles,
and lanoline for the face. In the Cañadas (see below) the guides and
mule-drivers often refuse their services when snow is falling. The
shortest way to the peak is by the bridle-path from Puerto Orotava,
viâ Cruz Santa, to the Portillo. In about 10 hrs. we reach the
refuge-hut of Alta Vista, the keys of which are brought by the guide.
We may afterwards descend to Icod Alto and Realejo Alto (p. 42; about
8 hrs.), where a vehicle may be ordered to meet us; or we may descend
viâ the Llano de la Maja to Güimar (p. 36; 10 hrs.).
Our route ascends through every climatic zone in the world. From the
tropical region of Puerto Orotava we pass, beyond _Cruz Santa_ (1500
ft.), through the _Taoro Basin_ into the temperate zone, the region of
maize and cereals, where numerous cottages are shaded by
chestnut-trees. Leaving behind the thickets of _Monte Verde_ and
following the _Camino del Brezal_ with its view of the sombre _Ladera
de Tigaiga_ (p. 38), we mount, beyond the cloud-region, a wilderness
of lava. A most striking change of scenery is observed at the
_Portillo_ (6611 ft.), lying a little to the E. of the Fortaleza (p.
42), and forming the entrance to the *_Montañas de las Cañadas_, the
lowest and oldest crater. This enormous basin, 6–12½ M. in diameter,
girdles the base of the Peak with its ring-shaped wall of lava rocks
(650–1650 ft. high), the continuity of which has, however, been broken
by later eruptions. The summit of the Peak is rarely free from snow
except in August and September. We now ride across the _Cañadas
Plateau_ (midday-rest; view of the Peak), a desolate expanse of
pumice-stone, overgrown with scanty Retama (p. 31), and in summer
enlivened by a few goats. Here and there it is intersected by huge
lava-streams and covered with isolated eruptive cones. The sky is
generally cloudless, the sun intensely hot, and the air marvellously
clear. At the foot of the lower portion of the Peak, not far from the
spur of _Los Rastrojos_ (7562 ft.), begins the toilsome ascent over
the grey-white pumice-stone of the _Montaña Blanca_ (8691 ft.) to the
saddle adjoining the pyramid-like peak. The zigzag path now mounts the
slopes of slag, inhabited by rabbits, mostly between streams of black
obsidian, to the _Lomo Tiezo_. In the midst of the expanse of slag
shady resting-places are formed here and there by great blocks of
lava, such as the _Estancia de los Ingleses_ (9711 ft.) and the
_Estancia de los Alemanes_ (10,018 ft.). Below the spot where the
lava-streams unite to form the sickle-shaped _Piedras Negras_ stands
the refuge-hut of _Alta Vista_ (10,728 ft.; accommodation for 15 pers.
at the utmost, at 5 p. each). From this point we already enjoy, in
clear weather, an imposing view of the E. half of the island, of the
Grand Canary (p. 43), and even of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote (p. 28),
a glorious spectacle more particularly at sunset, when the Peak
gradually casts its shadow over the sea as far as the Grand Canary.
Next morning we start early. The winding path ascends a field of lava
to (1 hr.) the _Rambleta_ (11,713 ft.), the central crater-basin, out
of which towers the trachytic cone, covered with pumice-stone, of the
_Pitón_ or _Pan de Azúcar_ (‘sugar-loaf’), the summit of the **=Peak
of Teneriffe=, or _Pico de Teide_ (12,175 ft.; ‘peak of hell’). In ½¾
hr. we climb its slopes to the _Corona_, the very narrow margin of the
_Caldera_, the insignificant highest crater (77 by 110 yds.; 130 ft.
in depth), which was still active in the middle ages, but now emits a
few jets of steam only from its fumaroles (comp. p. 29). When the
horizon is perfectly clear, the eye ranges over an area of some 2200
sq. M.; floating, as it were, in the midst of the boundless expanse of
the ocean, the blue of which seems to blend on the horizon with the
blue of the sky, we can sometimes see the whole of the Canaries, from
Palma, Hierro, and Gomera on the W. to the far-distant E. group. To
the W. we look down upon the grand crater of the Pico Viejo (see
below), the Chahorra, and the Talus de Bilma, studded with countless
coloured cinder-cones. We survey, from the Fortaleza on the N.E. to
the Morro del Cedro on the S.W., the ring-shaped wall of the Cañadas,
with the pumice-stone wilderness of the Cañadas Plateau and the
coloured lava-masses of the Azulejos (see below). The older serrated
mountains in the island (pp. 32, 33) and the green basins of Orotava
and Icod are generally shrouded by a sea of clouds of dazzling
whiteness.
On the DESCENT, which experts may shorten at first by glissading down
the cinder-slopes, we may visit the _Cueva del Hielo_ (11,044 ft.), a
fine lava cavern a little below the Rambleta, always filled with ice
and water. From the Montaña Blanca (p. 41) we then turn to the N. to
the _Fortaleza_ (8300 ft.), the only considerable height on the N.
margin of the Cañadas wall. The bridle-path, very steep and rough,
next descends to the _Corona de Icod_ (about 2900 ft.), the highest
point of the _Ladera de Tigaiga_ (p. 38), falling away to the E. in a
huge rocky slope, and again offering a glorious view of the Vale of
Orotava. From _Icod Alto_ (1716 ft.) we may descend rapidly to the
N.E. to _Realejo Alto_ (see below), or we may wend our way due W. to
_Icod de los Vinos_ (p. 43).
ROUND THE CAÑADAS is an interesting but toilsome excursion. From the
Portillo (p. 41) we strike to the S. across the Cañadas Plateau to the
rocks of the _Risco Verde_ (7130 ft.), on the E. margin of the
encircling wall, where a lava cavern serves for night-quarters. The
path then leads to the S.W., skirting the basaltic rock of _Las Pilas_
(7228 ft.), passing below the _Espigón Hill_, and along the wildly
fissured and variegated _Roques de la Grieta_ (7211 ft.), where a new
_Observatorio_ has been built near a spring (1909). This brings us to
the _Guajara Hill_ (8908 ft.), near the _Guajara Pass_ (see below).
Our route, now running to the W., crosses the so-called _Azulejos_
(9400 ft.), a lava wall consisting partly of blue-green rock, and at
the _Boca de Tauze_ (7021 ft.) surmounts the huge lava-streams (of
1798 and 1909, comp. p. 29) of the _Chahorra_ (7743 ft.) and the _Pico
Viejo_ (10,289 ft.). To the left rises the _Morro del Cedro_ (8000
ft.), the highest hill on the W. side of the crater-wall. From the
N.W. side of the Cañadas, whose girdle-wall was here almost entirely
destroyed by the numerous cones thrown up in 1705 and 1706, we next
reach the *_Pinal de la Guancha_, the finest pine-forest in the
island. Thence we traverse the huge lava slopes of the _Lomo de Vega_
(5168 ft.) to the basin of _Icod de los Vinos_ (p. 43).
A somewhat shorter path from the Portillo, crossing the saddle between
the Rastrojos and the Montaña Blanca (p. 41), leads to the S.W., in 3½
hrs., direct to the _Guajara Pass_ (7992 ft.), which gives access to
the village of _Vilaflor_ (4842 ft.; inn), finely situated on the S.
slope of the girdle-wall of the Cañadas amid pine-woods and luxuriant
orchards, and noted for the ‘Vilaflor embroidery’ (p. 32). From the
brow of the _Llano de los Quemados_ we overlook the late-volcanic
terraces of the _Bandas del Sur_, which are bare and thinly peopled. A
fine excursion from Vilaflor is made viâ _Escalona_ (3750 ft.) and
_Arona_ (2198 ft.), with views, towards the W., of the islands of
Gomera and Hierro, to the little town of _Adeje_ (935 ft.), situated
behind the _Adeje Mts._ (p. 32; _Roque del Carasco_, etc.), the
ancient Guanche capital of the island. Near it is the *_Barranco del
Infierno_, the upper half of which is the grandest ravine in
Teneriffe.
The *HIGH ROAD, which at the foot of the _Montaña de Chaves_ (p. 38)
sends off a by-road to the village of _Realejo Alto_ (1158 ft.), nears
the sea at the rocky headland of _Rambla de Castro_.
At (27½ M. from Santa Cruz) _Realejo Bajo_ (883 ft.) the _Ladera de
Tigaiga_ (p. 38) comes close down to the coast. The next stretch of
road, as far as (32½ M.) _San Juan de la Rambla_ (2000 inhab.), situated
on a recent lava-stream, is particularly fine. It leads past abrupt
rocks and through sombre gorges (_Barranco de la Torre_, _Barranco
Ruiz_), and often through banana plantations and vineyards extending to
the cliffs of the coast.
37½ =M. Icod de los Vinos= (755 ft.; Hot. Inglés, poor), a small town
with 2000 inhab., is the chief place in the *_Vale of Icod_, which is
bounded by the Ladera de Tigaiga, the Lomo de Vega, and the Pinal de la
Guancha (p. 42), rivalling the Vale of Orotava in fertility and beauty.
We enjoy here a magnificent *View of the _Peak_, towering almost
immediately above the coast, between the Fortaleza and the Pico Viejo
(p. 42). A garden near the _Iglesia Parroquial_ contains an old
dragon-tree. The _Guanches’ Cave_ below the village is not worth
visiting (fee 2 p.).
A pleasant way back to the Vale of Orotava is the bridle-path viâ
_Guancha_, _Icod Alto_ (p. 42), and _Realejo Alto_ (p. 42).
* * * * *
The =Gran Canaria= or ‘_Grand Canary_‘, the second-largest island in the
archipelago, nearly circular in form, with 127,000 inhab. in an area of
626 sq. M., lies about 66 M. to the S.E. of Teneriffe. The best-watered
and most fertile parts are the environs of _Las Palmas_, the capital,
and the N. coast. The barren brown mountains in the interior, with their
sharp outlines, culminate in the _Pico de las Nieves_ (6400 ft.). On
every side deep barrancos or ravines descend to the coast, conspicuous
among which, as we near the island from Teneriffe, is the _Barranco de
Tejeda_.
The _Isleta_ (748 ft.), the N.E. promontory of Gran Canaria, once a
separate island, has gradually been united to the greater island by
deposits of sea-sand which form the _Istmo de Guanarteme_. The
_Lighthouse_ (Faro) on the _Punta Morro de la Vieja_, on the N. side of
the Isleta, is the chief landmark for steamers coming from Teneriffe or
the N.
Beyond the Isleta, in the _Confital Bay_ opening to the W., lies =Puerto
de la Luz= (Hot. Rayo, with café, pens. 6 p., a very fair Spanish inn;
comp. Plan, p. 46), a rapidly rising place, the chief port of Gran
Canaria, and the best harbour in the islands. The entrance to it is
protected by a breakwater (rompeolas), about 1100 yds. long, and by the
Muelle (mole) de Santa Catalina (landing or embarking in steam-launches
or small boats, 1 p., trunk 50 c.). The hotel-agents from Las Palmas
come on board.
A dusty ROAD leads from Puerto de la Luz, passing many new buildings,
the mineral baths of _Fuente de Santa Catalina_ (near which is the
_English Church_, p. 45), and the large hotels named at p. 44, to (4½
M.) _Las Palmas_. (Tramway in about 40 min.; fares 20–40 c.; tartana, a
kind of dog-cart, 2, with luggage 3–4 p.)
=Las Palmas.=—HOTELS. _Santa Catalina_, pens. 10–16_s._, and
_Métropole_, pens. 10–12_s._, both on the road to the harbour (comp.
Plan, p. 46), ca. ¾ M. to the N. of the town, with beautiful gardens
towards the sea, tennis-courts, etc.; both closed in summer.—In the
town: _Hôt. Continental_ (Pl. c; B, 2), with American bar and pretty
garden, pens, from 8_s._ 6_d._, and _Quiney’s English Hotel_ (Pl. d;
B, 2), R. 4–6, B. 1, D. 5, pens. 10–15_s._, both in the Plaza de San
Bernardo (p. 45), in a quiet and pleasant situation.—_Catalan Hotel_
(Pl. e; B, 3), Calle de los Remedios 8, pens. 6 p., and _Cuatro
Naciones_ (Pl. f; B, 4), Alameda de Colón, with café, pens. 6 p., both
quite Spanish.—The best table-water is _Agua Firgas_.
[Illustration: LAS PALMAS]
POST OFFICE (Correos; Pl. 1, B 4), Plaza de Santa Ana (best hours
12–4). TELEGRAPH OFFICE (Telégrafo; Pl. 5, A, 2), Calle de Domingo J.
Navarro 36.
THEATRE (Pl. C, 3), at the month of the Barranco Guiniguada.—MUSIC in
the Alameda de Colón.
BANKERS. _Miller & Co._, Muelle de Santa Catalina, in Puerto de la
Luz; _Blandy Bros. & Co._, Calle Mayor de Triana 68, and others.
STEAMBOAT AGENTS. _Miller & Co._ (see above), for the Union Castle,
the Austro-Americana, Aberdeen (Rennie’s), Bucknall, and other lines;
_Grand Canary Coaling Co._, for the Peninsular & Oriental Co. and the
Royal Mail Steam Packet Co.; _Behrens_, at Puerto de la Luz, to the N.
of the Muelle de Santa Catalina, for the German East African,
Woermann, and Hamburg-American Lines; _Elder, Dempster, & Co._, Calle
Mayor de Triana 93, for the Vapores Correos Interinsulares Canarios;
_M. Curbelo & Co._, Calle de Muro, for the Compañía Trasatlántica.
CARRIAGES (stands in the Plaza de Cairasco, in the Plaza de San
Bernardo, and near the theatre). Drive in the town for 1–3 pers. 1½p.,
for 4 pers. 2 p.; per hour 2½ (or for a tartana or dog-cart 2) p.; to
Puerto de la Luz 5 (tartana 2) p.; to the Monte, Telde, or Arucas 15
(tartana 12½) p.; to Atalaya, San Mateo, or Teror 20 (tartana 15) p.
ENGLISH CHURCH, near the Hôt. Métropole, on the road to Puerto de la
Luz (comp. Plan, p. 46).—ENGLISH CLUB at Puerto de la Luz.
_Las Palmas_, a town of 28,600 inhab., of a S. Spanish type like Santa
Cruz (comp. p. 35), the seat of the bishop of Gran Canaria, situated in
28° 6′ N. lat. and 15° 12′ W. long., is the busiest and wealthiest town
in the whole archipelago. The houses of the well-to-do townspeople,
built of pale-grey tufa or blue lava-basalt, often enclose beautiful
patios filled with plants, which are watered by means of pipes conducted
from the roofs. On the hills at the back of the town, which have been
fortified since the Spanish and American war, are sprinkled many gaily
painted country-houses.
Las Palmas is divided into two parts (_barrios_) by the _Barranco de
Guiniguada_: on the _N. Triana_, and on the _S. Vegueta_.
The main street of TRIANA, with its numerous shops, in line with the
road from Puerto de la Luz, is called Calle Mayor de Triana (Pl. B, C,
1–3). Beyond the _Baranquillo de Mata_ it intersects the Plaza San Telmo
(Pl. B, 1), in which rises the _Gobierno Militar_ (Pl. 2; B, 1).
The Paseo de Bravo Murillo (Pl. B, A, 1) ascends the gorge to the right
to the Carretera del Norte (p. 47). On the left is the _Harbour_ (Pl. B,
C, 1), with the pier (Muelle), where the sea-breezes may be enjoyed in
hot weather.
From the Calle Mayor de Triana, farther on, the Calle Constantino
diverges to the right to the Plaza de San Bernardo (Pl. A, B, 2), a
square planted with Indian laurels. Near the S. end of the street the
Calle del General Bravo leads to the Alameda de Colón (Pl. B, 3), which
is embellished with a bust of Columbus and fine royal and date palms (p.
30). In this square rise the _Iglesia de San Francisco_ (1689) and the
_Casino_.
The central point of VEGUETA is the Plaza de Santa Ana (Pl. B, 4), where
the guides lie in wait for strangers. The bronze dogs at the lower end
of the plaza, as well as those in the arms of the town, recall the
tradition that Juba II. (p. 31) carried away some dogs (_canes_) from
the island, and that their name is derived thence.
The CATHEDRAL (Pl. B, C, 4; _San Christóbal_), founded in 1497 and
restored in 1781, with its heavy façade flanked with towers 184 ft.
high, contains, in the first chapel of the left aisle, the tombstone of
the native poet Bart. Cairasco de Figueroa (1540–1610), and in the crypt
the tomb of Viera y Clavijo (1731–1802), the historian of the Canaries.
The TOWN HALL (Palacio Municipal; Pl. B, 4), built in 1842, contains, on
the third floor, the _Museo Canario_, consisting of natural history
collections and of curiosities from the Guanche caverns of the Isleta
(p. 43) and other places (implements, weapons, and tools in basalt,
obsidian, horn, wood, and clay, leather-work, and mummies). Adm. free,
daily 11–3.
For a prolonged stay the _Monte_ is preferable to Las Palmas. It is
reached by the Carretera del Centro (comp. Pl. A, 5), the best road in
the island. Ascending from the suburb of San Roque, and soon affording
splendid views, the road at first follows the Barranco de Guiniguada (p.
45), and then winds up the slopes of the _Pico del Viento_ (820 ft.).
3¾ M. _Tafira_ (1230 ft.; Hotel Victoria; James’s Boarding House), the
first village on the *=Monte=, a colony of villas and a favourite winter
resort of the English.
8 M. _Santa Brígida_ (1572 ft.; Hot. Santa Brígida, in a fine open
situation with a beautiful park, pens. from 10_s._ 6_d._; Quiney’s Bella
Vista, ½ M. below the other, pens. 8–10_s._), a finely situated village
with 500 inhabitants.
The road, still unfinished, goes on to Telde (p. 47), passing the
curious cave-village of _Atalaya_ (1720 ft.), which rises in terraces on
the hill-side. The tufa walls of the cave-dwellings are hung with mats.
The industry of the place is the manufacture of pottery, notably the
porous water-jars so common in N. Africa.
The ascent of the *_Pico de Vandama_ (1838 ft.) may be made from Atalaya
or direct from Santa Brígida (there and back 2 hrs.; mule 3 p.). This
hill, overgrown with pines and tree-like broom, overlooks the grand
mountain landscape of the E. coast. Very striking is the view of the
*_Caldera de Vandama_, a huge crater-basin of about 550 yds. in diameter
and 683 ft. in depth. Its floor is planted with vines and cereals, and
it is worth while to ride down into it.
The Carretera del Centro leads, beyond the bifurcation for Atalaya, to
(13 M.) the little town of =San Mateo= (2575 ft.; fair inn), superbly
situated among the mountains. Rough mule-tracks lead thence to the
_Pico de las Nieves_ (6400 ft.), to the village of _Tejeda_ (3160 ft.)
in the *_Barranco de Tejeda_ (p. 43), and to the cave-village of
_Artenara_.
Scarcely less attractive than the Monte road is the *Carretera del Sur,
which leads from Las Palmas, at first passing the cemeteries, then
skirting the rocks of the E. coast, and at length turning inland,
piercing the lava-rock by a tunnel, to Ginámar and (8 M.) =Telde= (394
ft.; inn; pop. 4000), a picturesque little town amidst beautiful
orange-groves.
[Illustration: Monte]
The Carretera del Norte, crossing the _Barranco de San Lorenzo_ and
the road from Puerto de la Luz (p. 43) at _Tamaraceite_, and farther
on, beyond a long tunnel, the _Barranco de Tenoya_ above the village
of that name, leads to (10 M.) _Arucas_ (1017 ft.; two inns), an
industrial little town of 2900 inhab., at the foot of the _Montaña de
Arucas_, a hill affording fine views. The sugar-cane is cultivated in
the vicinity.
A by-road diverges from this carretera, beyond the Barranco de San
Lorenzo, to (12½ M.) _Teror_ (1936 ft.; dirty inn), a little town with
the famous pilgrimage-church of the Virgen del Pino (16th cent.).
* * * * *
The island of =Palma=, or _La Palma_, in the extreme N.W. of the
archipelago, 28½ M. long and 17 M. broad, lying about 16½ M. to the W.
of Teneriffe, is remarkable for its fine scenery and superb forests, but
is as yet rarely visited by tourists. The famous _Caldera_, the largest
and deepest of all the crater-basins in the islands, opens towards the
W. in the huge _Barranco de las Angustias_, while many smaller gorges
render the N. coast in particular very difficult of access. The whole of
the S. part of the island is of recent volcanic origin and therefore
poorly watered. The population (42,000, in an area of 280 sq. M.) is
confined to the S.E. margin of the island and the middle of the W.
slopes Many of the natives emigrate, especially to Cuba.
Starting from Santa Cruz de Tenerife (p. 33) the steamer rounds the
_Anaga Mts._, with the lighthouse already named (p. 33), and steers to
the W. from the _Punta del Hidalgo_ (p. 37) to Palma. The lighthouse on
the _Punta de Teno_ (23 ft.), the N.W. point of Teneriffe, remains
visible for some time. The bold coast of Palma presents a grand
appearance as we approach.
=Santa Cruz de la Palma.=—HOTELS. _Hot. Miramar_; _Hot. Español_;
_Hot. Internacional_; _Fonda Verbena_, pens. 4–5 p.—CARRIAGE to Los
Llanos 45 p. (also motor-omnibus).—MULE per day 5–6, to Los Llanos 7½
p.
_Santa Cruz de la Palma_, the only considerable port (5700 inhab.) in
the island, lies on the E. coast, on an open bay which is much exposed
to sand-drifts. The houses rise in terraces on the steep hill-side,
overtopped by tall Canary palms. The chief export is tobacco, which is
little inferior to that of Havana. Cigar-factory of J. Cabrera Martín.
The main street, in which rises the _Town Hall_ (Ayuntamiento) of 1563,
leads to a picturesque triangular plaza with the church of _San
Salvador_ and several handsome houses. Close by is the small _Museum_
(Museo de Historia Natural y Etnográfico). A beautiful palm-avenue leads
through the upper part of the town.
EXCURSIONS. To the N.W. we may ascend through the _Barranco de la
Madera_, with its cave-dwellings (Cuevas de los Guanches) to the
loftily situated pilgrimage-church of the _Virgen de las Nieves_ (16th
cent.); thence either to the _Montaña de Tagoje_ (about 3300 ft.; with
grand view of the E. coast, of Gomera and Teneriffe), or to the _Pico
del Cedro_ (7471 ft.) on the E. margin of the _Caldera_ (see below),
round which we may ride to the _Roque de los Muchachos_ (7693 ft.) on
the N. side.—To the S.W., following the old bridle-path which cuts off
the windings of the road, we may walk or ride to (1 hr.) _Buena Vista_
(about 660 ft.), whence a rough mule-track ascends to the (2 hrs.)
_Cumbre Nueva_ (4593 ft.), the chief mountain-pass in the island,
where we have a grand *View of the abrupt rocks and the pine-woods of
the central chain, of the fertile plains to the W., and of the distant
Peak of Teneriffe. Then we proceed through pine-forest, past the
venerable ‘Pino de la Virgen’, to _El Paso_ (2060 ft.; inn), whence we
may ascend the _Cumbrecita_ (4445 ft.) and the _Idafe_, the sacred
mount of the Guanches, on the S. margin of the Caldera. Finally we
descend to the (3 hrs.) little town of _Los Llanos_ (1000 ft.; poor
inn, bargaining advisable). From Los Llanos it takes a day (7–8 hrs.,
there and back) to visit the *=Caldera=, a vast basin, nearly 5900 ft.
deep and 3–4½ M. in diameter, situated in the heart of the island and
rarely quite cloudless. A tedious ride up the _Barranco de las
Angustias_ brings us to the farm-building of _Tenera_ (3642 ft.),
whence we look down on the floor of the Caldera, which is partly
clothed with pines. The best way to return from Los Llanos to Santa
Cruz is to drive (34½ M.) by the road passing _Las Manchas_,
_Fuencaliente_ (2297 ft.), _Mazo_ (1312 ft.), and _Breña Baja_; or we
may ride across the _Cumbre Vieja_ (6660 ft.), the pass between Las
Manchas and the _Barranco Aduares_.
[Illustration: MEDITERRANEAN SEA]