Garachico

Garachico is a municipality and town on the northern coast of Tenerife, about 52 km West of the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 50 km from Tenerife North Airport and 67 km from Tenerife South Airport. The town itself nestles below a 500m+ (1500 ft) cliff.

Garachico
Flag
Coat of arms
Municipal location in Tenerife
Garachico
Location of the town in Tenerife
Garachico
Garachico (Canary Islands)
Garachico
Garachico (Spain, Canary Islands)
Coordinates: 28°22′20″N 16°45′50″W
Country Spain
Autonomous community Canary Islands
Province Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Island Tenerife
Area
  Total29.28 km2 (11.31 sq mi)
Elevation10 m (30 ft)
Population
 (2018)[2]
  Total4,819
  Density160/km2 (430/sq mi)
ClimateCsa

The city of Garachico with its port was founded by the Genoan banker Cristóbal de Ponte after the conquest of Tenerife in 1496.

The May 5, 1706 eruption originating from the northwest rift zone was a major event in the town's history. Prior to then, Garachico was an important port exporting Malmsey Wine and other local produce. However, a several-week-long eruption poured lava into the old bay and effectively destroyed the town's livelihood. The town itself was partially destroyed. (contrary to the 'Tourist trade' myth, which will tell you that the town was completely destroyed, except for the church where the townfolk took refuge)

Garachico has always taken care of its environment and protected the most diverse cultural manifestations. For all these reasons, the Spanish government awarded the town the Gold Medal of Fine Arts, which was presented in 1980 by His Majesty the King.

Pictures

References

  1. "SUPERFICIE, PERÍMETRO Y ALTITUD DE LOS MUNICIPIOS DE CANARIAS" (in Spanish). Instituto Canario de Estadística (ISTAC).
  2. Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.