GARAFÍA, village of windmills

Garafía is a big borough. It spreads for 102 square kilometres over the north west of the island, from the coastline to the Caldera rim and between the deep ravines of Izcagua and Franceses. Its dramatic landscape is influenced by the ever blowing trade winds; in fact , the sight of old windmills characterizes its very landscape. The green coat of fayal-brezal and pine trees that covers its mountains was long ago the main source of income for its inhabitants.
The ancient territory known under the name of Tagalgen was mainly populated by Portuguese J ews who had been expelled from the Continent. From 1579 on, they were given ownerless fields and in return they were obliged to pay on fifth of the product of their labour. This system, known as los quintos , lasted until quite recently.
Garafía became a municipality in 1812, but it was not until 1906 that the King Alfonso XIII conferred on it the title of Villa.
The economic activity of the b orough is based on agriculture and livestock , giving rise to an important cheese industry which has a ripening and commercialisation centre . Today, tourism has turned out to be another economic resource, one full of novelties; the quality of the accommodation on offer and Garafía's beautiful scenery guarantee the future of this prosperous sector. 
Last but not least, the mountain summits of the b orough have world-standard clear skies for the international astrophysicists community who are researching the Universe.

ROBERT'S WALL (la Pared de Roberto) and its legend

The magic nature found throughout the i sland is especially intense on the summits of Garafía's mountains. The local lore places the tragic legend of two lovers on one of its many ridges. Up there, by a volcanic dyke (a lava wall) not far from Los Andenes, two lovers met under the glittering stars. She was a beautiful girl from Garafía, and he came from Barlovento. Their passionate love awoke the jealousy of the Devil's himself . It is said h e created the dyke overnight in order to separate the lovers , but the brave young man defied h im and fell into the depth of La Caldera de Taburiente while trying to climb over it. The d emon then wanted to possess the grieving girl, but she rejected h im and jumped into the abyss so as to be reunited with her beloved. So it happened the d evil's task was of no use, and, in a rage, h e split the basalt wall which gave rise to the tragedy in two halves, and it stayed like that ever since.

TRADITIONS linked to goat-herding

Despite the hardships the job conveys, goat-herding has a long tradition in Garafía. Our ancestors drove their animals from seashore to mountain peak in search of nourishing pastures. F or them, their livestock meant survival.
Goatherds are great connoisseurs of hillocks, ravines, winding paths, springs... which they travel across accompanied by the jingling bells that help them recognise their animals in the distance if need be. They keep their supplies in a satchel and use a long pole -inherited from their pre-Hispanic predecessors- with which they skilfully help themselves across the rough terrain of the wildness. These cool and self-possessed men live through a thousand stories, unexpected risks, extreme temperatures, long distances, silent hours and an infinite solitude only alleviated by the faithful company of their dogs, the noble-hearted Garafiano, today considered to be an indiginous race.
After peacefully milking the goats , they will set themselves to make the local cheese by hand. This gets its delicious flavour from being smoked over a small fire of of prickly pears, tree heather, or almond shells.

AUTHENTIC, POPULAR FESTIVITIES

The Garafian calendar is full of traditional folk celebrations which take place in each region of the borough. Small chapels are bedecked with colourful garlands and nights are lit by sparkling fireworks.
Thus, the Christmas celebrations culminate in the allegory of the Three Wise Men (El Auto de Los Reyes Magos), on January 5th. The Festival of the Cross, on May 3rd, is celebrated on the summit of Montaña de La Centinela, a natural lookout point, where the visitor will be greeted with a variety of traditional foods and music.

The hermitage of San Antonio del Monte, which dates from the XVIth century, holds its fiesta on June 12th and 13th.
It was the people of Gallegos who chose San Antonio de Padua, Portugal's patron saint, as their own benefactor . Many different events that take place, but it is the livestock fair that attracts the most visitors. Beautiful ex amples of sheep, goats and cattle from the whole i sland are exhibited together with the handsome goatherd's dogs. The day goes by among the scent of grilled pork, good cheese and abundant sips of local wine.
On July 15th and 16th, the festivity of La Virgen del Carmen in Las Tricias is most well-known: They burn a scarecrow (La Quema de Judas), after satirising the local society by reading out his will.
The feasts in the honour of La Virgen de La Luz, during the second fortnight of August, and the fiesta of Roque Faro in the first week of October, put an end to summer and joyous gatherings.

SUGGESTIONS

The beauty and variety of Garafía's landscape make it a treasure waiting to be discovered. Its many sites of natural, archaeological and cultural interes t, as well as its traditions and varied gastronomy, not to forget the beauty of its handicraft, make Garafía appealing to those in search of a genuine rural environment and way of life. Also, trekking, climbing, mountain-biking or c anyoning ( barranquismo ) will provide the visitor with opportunities to explore every single nook, and be surprised by natural gems.
There are many routes the tourist may follow. Thus, we propose -for more experienced hikers - the ancient public footpath which long ago communicated the different villages found on Garafía's stunning rocky coastline: Setting out from Franceses, we will walk past El Tablado, Don Pedro, Juan Adalid, El Mudo and El Palmar down to Santo Domingo while enjoying the botanical richness of this gorgeous landscape. The enchanting Green Route ( Ruta Verde ), which owes its name to the abundant vegetation and springs found within Barranco de la Madalena, runs between Don Pedro and La Zarza. Other bewitching routes run from Las Tricias to Buracas, Barranco de Izcagua, El Castillo or Briestas. Other attractive walks start in Santo Domingo and lead to the nearby drago woods at El Palmar or lead up to San Antonio del Monte.
The mountain summits also constitute a full range of possibilities. Undoubtedly the route with the most stunning views is the one from Roque de Los Muchachos to Pico de La Nieve, all along the ridge overlooking La Caldera de Taburiente.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Santo Domingo

Strolling along the steep lanes of Santo Domingo, the capital of the municipality , t he visitor garners a whole world of sensations. T raditional red-roofed houses jostle together, while the symmetrical façades of neoclassical manor houses stand proud on the square, still a meeting place for locals. The old church also s tands on the square . Although it was built in the XVIth century, the church was remodelled during the XVIIth century into the current two-naved temple with it's Mudéjar-styled coffered ceiling. Within its walls the visitor will find interesting samples of religious images, the most outstanding one being the venerated statue of our Lady of the Light ( La Virgen de Nuestra Señora de La Luz . )

Coastal Walk

The long coastline of Garafía has been pounded by the ocean into spectacular cliffs and breathtaking scenery, part of which is protected in the Guelguén Nature Reserve.

From the Serradero viewpoint , located in Santo Domingo's harbour, we can admire the rocks standing out to sea on which ospreys - guinchos – used to nest. These rocks were once part of the land.
The roughness of the coastline has turned every inlet into a prois or mooring , through which goods and people came and went in the past.
The botanical richness of the coast is also appealing: robust thickets of Euphorbia obtusifolia (tabaibales) sink their roots deep in the ground so as to endure the strong winds that long ago turned the sails of wooden windmills, and which today move the slender arms of modern wind generators.

Garafía Pine Woods

The green coat made up by pine trees is especially valuable in this area of the i sland for it adapts easily to the roughness of the ground and it can endure extreme temperatures and dr o ughts , and it will even re-sprout after a devastating fire.
This natural resource provided our forebears with tar, and wood for fires and carpentry. But t he intense exploitation of the forest throughout the centuries has not diminished the thickness of the woods that still cover La Palma between the brush of the summits (codesal) to the heather and bay-berry woods (fayal-brezal).
In the heart of Garafía's forests, now an Integral Reserve, the highest of the ancient and majestic tree-tops stand up to 50 meters above the ground.

La Zarza-Zarcita Cultural Park

Within the green luxuriant laurisilva woods near La Mata, the visitor will find one of the most important archaeological sites of the Canaries. The moist nooks known as La Zarza and La Zarcita jealously guard these fine engravings which we have inherited from the old A waras. Spirals, meanders and circles mix in a complicated weaving of profound magic and religious meaning, for they were used to invoke the divine power and beg for the fertility of the fields which would then feed their herds.
The Archaeological Interpretation Centre has been built within the watercourse of the ravine. The exhibits explain the key elements of this people's lifestyle. Visits may be guided. The centre's paths are doted with panels which will reveal interesting facts about the flora and wildlife of the area.

El Roque de Los Muchachos

Sky and earth form a perfect chemical mixture on the summits of Garafía, creating astounding landscapes where the two sides of the island meet. The enormous crater of the Caldera de Taburiente can be admired from a number of viewpoints, like Los Andennes, where we can see the sheer walls that ring the wide watershed of the National Park.

Several roques, or natural rock pinnacles , crown the summit, which is 2,426 meters above sea level. A great number of archaeological sites testify that the old inhabitants took their herds up here in order to feed their animals and pay tribute to their gods.
The stony ground is covered by a thick coat of codeso ( a shrub related to gorse) and a number of endemic plants such as the blue-flowered tajinaste ( Echium ) and the Palmeran violet .
This exceptional place is home to the most important astronomical observatory of the Northern hemisphere. I t's extremely clear, dark skies have convinced several countries to install telescopes here to reveal the mysteries of the Universe.

The villages of Franceses, El Tablado and Las Tricias

Among the many rural settlements of Garafía, the rugged coastline of Franceses stands out: the neighbours' lives are framed by gigantic cliffs. The traditional houses cluster along the winding lanes which snake down the undulating ridges. Many of the local barns have stone walls and roofs made of Canary Pine. In bygone days, these were the houses of the poorest inhabitants.

The picturesque, protected landscape around El Tablado is also unmissable. Huddled between two deep ravines, the houses and fields climb the steep slope facing the Atlantic Ocean.

At the western edge of the borough lies Las Tricias, a beautiful enclave on the edge of the dramatic Izcagua ravine. The hermitage of the Virgin of Carmen ( Virgen del Carmen ) stands at the heart of the village of family homes and almond trees. The most popular features of the area are an old windmill, a grove of dragon trees, and an archaeological site.

San Antonio del Monte

The iconic hermitage of San Antonio del Monte lends its name to a wide area where many natural charms mix with the local heritage. Next to the old hermitage, the visitor will find the new Nature and Leisure Park ( Parque de Ocio y Naturaleza ) , a beautiful place to enjoy what t he area has to offer through hik ing or camping... Nearby stands a hostel which can house 48 people, an experimental farm and the cheese ripening factory.
Besides, the walker will be able to reach the interesting archaeological sites at La Zarza by following a beautiful trail.

The Ethnografic Interpretation Centre

For those who wish to learn more about Garafía, Santo Domingo's Cultural Centre (La Casa de Cultura de Santo Domingo) is open six days a week. The visitor will be able to make a historical journey from the pre-Hispanic times till the present through a series of panels, photographs and interactive multimedia systems.
Three thematic rooms reflect the richness of Garafía's landscapes, of its flora and wildlife together with its most deeply-rooted traditions and those linked to farming and handicraft. Furthermore, traditional customs are exhibited together with ethnographic material which confirms the identity of this n orthern borough.

Copyright. Asociación para el Desarrollo Rural de la Isla de La Palma ( ADER-La Palma ). (Association for the Rural Development of the Island of La Palma)