A Gustatory Modality Of The Novel World: The Colonial Heritage Of Tenerife

Tenerife, the biggest of  the Canary islands, is famous for all-inclusive resorts where tourists larn drunkard and enjoy the year-round sunshine, experiencing aught of the island. Locals insist that the existent Tenerife is elsewhere, and especially in the due north of the island, where the charming towns too the incredible landscapes volition exit you lot agape.

Tenerife is rich inwards civilization too unique inwards its diversity. A volcanic isle off the coast of southern Morocco, it is habitation to a biodiversity that is comparable to that of Galápagos. To the tourist it offers a variety of sceneries, from the volcanic lunar landscapes of Parque del Teide to the lush forests of the Anaga mountains, or the golden beaches alongside sand imported from the Sahara. Because of the microclimates of the island, Tenerife is green inwards the due north too arid inwards the south.

 

The Anaga Mountains, on the north-eastern tip of Tenerife

Although the Romans knew close it too called it Nivaria because of the snow-capped Teide volcano, Tenerife was get-go colonized past times the Spanish at the end of the 15th century. On the isle the colonizers found a population, the Guanche, that were even too then living every bit if inwards the rock age. Just to give you lot an idea, they didn't know the cycle too they still  lived inwards caves. Exactly every bit it happened inwards the novel world, this population was decimated past times illnesses too really petty is known close them (only bits too pieces of the language, for example).

San Cristóbal de La Laguna

 

 

In the Canary islands the Castilian established the get-go colonial towns, which became a model for those inwards the Americas (think Cartagena de las Indias inwards Republic of Colombia or Antigua inwards Guatemala). Walking along the streets of San Cristóbal de La Laguna or La Orotava, alongside its beautiful colonial architecture, I felt that these islands have a connector alongside "the novel world". Palm trees, the endemic too beautiful dragon trees, the soft shapes of the volcanic mountains remind you lot that you lot are non actually inwards Europe anymore.



A balcony inwards La Laguna



 

The Castilian built beautiful timber mansions all over Tenerife, alongside a fundamental courtyard too carved wooden balconies. They used a potent wood locally known every bit pino tea. These mansions tin dismiss even too then survive visited inwards San Cristobál de La Laguna too La Orotava. They straight off host museums, institutions or handicraft shops catering to the many tourists who catch the isle every year.



La Casa de los Balcones, a colonial mansion inwards La Orotava

Being on the merchandise road betwixt Kingdom of Spain too the colonies, American products too traditions came hither to stay. For example, potatoes hither are called papas as in South America too the buses guaguas as inwards Cuba. In the enchanting pocket-size town of Garachico in that place is a statue of Simón Bolívar, the political leader who played an of import share for the independence of many South American countries. As a affair of fact, his maternal ancestors came from this pocket-size Canarian village.

 

A church building inwards Garachico

 

The island is amount of fascinating stories from its colonial too pre-colonial past. For example, inwards 1390, earlier the Castilian arrived on the island, 2 Guanche goatherds found on a beach a statue of the Virgin, perhaps washed ashore from a ship. They started to venerate it every bit Chaxiraxi, the mother of the gods inwards the Guanche religion. Of course, when Christianity arrived alongside the colonizers, a basilica was built too the worship of the virgin of Candelaria was turned into a syncretic belief. 

 

Another adept story can be found in Icod de los Vinos, where in that place is a gigantic dragon tree, called el Drago Milenario. It is said to survive a 1,000 years old, but as these trees don't receive got annual rings it is difficult to guess. Dragon trees are a remnant of the prehistoric historic stream too this explains their strange aspect. Moreover, every bit this tree did non look peculiar enough, its resin is reddish too is known every bit dragon's blood.

 

 

The Drago Milenario inwards Icod de los Vinos

 

Tenerife is an year-round destination. Even inwards the wintertime it is possible to bask or too then sunshine too larn to the beach. The crazy microclimates of the isle hateful that patch it may survive mutual coldness too moisture in La Laguna, 1 the prettiest towns of the isle too a UNESCO basis heritage site, along the sandy beaches it could survive sunny too warm plenty to receive got a bath. You don't demand to larn to the crowded southward for this. Playa de las Teresitas, non far from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is an fantabulous alternative. Clean, frequented past times locals too alongside a beautiful backdrop of palm trees too forests.

 

Playa de las Teresitas

Have you lot e'er been to the Canary Islands? Would you lot regard visiting Tenerife?

 

 

 



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