La Orotava Travel Guide
On the northern coast of Tenerife lies its biggest municipality, La Orotava, which is coincidentally also the highest town of Spain for being perched 3,718 meters above sea level, at the peak of El Teide, Spain's highest mountain-volcano. The well-to-do Spaniards of the 16th century built grand churches and elaborate manor houses here, alongside with a labyrinth of footpaths and vast fields of chestnuts, vineyards, bananas, and pine trees, making La Orotava a hikers' paradise today.
Mansions of history
One of La Orotava's most peculiar features is the 17th century Cada Lercaro, one of the 12 Doce Casas or historic Canary mansions. Cada Lercaro has an up-market café, restaurant, and cerveceria (beer bar). Other notable residences in town are the palatial Liceo de Taoro, and Casa del Turista and its classier twin, Casa de los Balcones, which has a wide selection of for-sale alfombras (woven mats), pottery, and embroidery, as well as a museum that displays 17th-century costumes and furniture.
The beauty of Baroque
Among the finest examples of baroque structures in the country is the La Orotava's Iglesia de la Concepcion. A rich mudejar ceiling and beautifully carved doors also make the Iglesia de Santo Domingo standout among the city's churches. A simpler version of Iglesia de Santo Domingo is Iglesia de San Agustin in Plaza Contitucion.
The biggest clay-pot collection in Spain is in Museo de Ceramica, while in Museo de Artesiana Iberoamericana, the exhibitions zero in on ceramics, artifacts, and musical instruments.
Watermills
In Calle Collegio 3, the old water mills and stone towers of Molino la Maquina make gofio (flour) from ground wheat or corn. Gofio can be tasted while sipping wine in one of the town's botanical gardens such as the 19th-century Jardines del Marquesado de la Quinta Roja, and its smaller branch, Hijuela del Botanico. Both flower gardens are French-styled, with cascading hillsides and a tiny 18th-century marble temple.
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