This was my last day in
Tenerife. Next day, I was to board a return flight at about 6 in the morning.
Hence, I had decided not to tire myself out, to limit myself to local
sightseeing in and around the hostel and to do a bit of shopping. Incidentally,
one of the lads staying in the hostel too had similar plans. So we decided that
we would venture out together and take a look around the city of La Laguna.
Being the only historic city of Tenerife, the city has its own significance. It
is the second largest city in Tenerife. Located at a higher altitude and on the
north of the island meant that the climate in the city was cool. However,
sudden overcast skies and torrential rain were the norm. Having lived in
Germany for a while, I was used to it. But as luck would have it, the day
dawned bright, clear and sunny.
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| The city center of La Laguna |
From
the city tourism information center we selected a guided walking tour to the
tourist attractions across the city. The guide provided us with a lot of
interesting information about the place.
Since
time immemorial, the Canary Islands were inhabited by a group of people called
the Guanche. The region at the base of Anaga hills was called Aguere. The place
had a lake that was considered to be holy by the locals. In the 15th
century after the Spanish inquisition, a city called La Laguna (the lake) was
built around the lake. Eventually, it became the capital city of the Canary
Islands. During the conquest of the north and south Americas, the Canary
Islands were an important port of call for Spanish seafarers. As a result, the
Spanish population grew in number and the locals mixed up completely into the
Spanish populace. Even today there are traces of the aboriginal traditions,
cuisine, and language in the Canarian culture. Hence, even though a resident of
the Canary Island is geo-politically Spanish, he still underlines his own
unique cultural identity.
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| The main church in La Laguna |
Using the layout of city of
La Laguna as a reference, many cities were built in central and south America
such as Old Havana in Cuba, Lima in Peru, San Juan in Puerto Rico etc. contributing to the importance of this city.
In 1999, the city center of La Laguna was declared a World Heritage Site. The
city center is the site of some of its most important churches, the main
museum, small shops and restaurants. After shopping around for a while, we had
our lunch and returned to the hostel.
The time for the return
trip was fast approaching. Although the island is small there are a number of
things to see. As I did not have a means of personal conveyance, it was not
possible for me to visit all the places that I would have liked to see.
However, I decided that the next time I am on the islands, I would ensure that
I have a driving license that is valid in Europe and the necessary driving
experience. Promising myself this, I boarded the bus back to the airport.
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| La Laguna and Anaga hills |
For more pictures click here.
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