The name Tijarafe goes all the way back to the days of the Awara, when this territory was ruled by the powerful Atogmatoma.

Tijarafe lies on the steep, western slopes of the i sland, hurling itself from the mountain ridge down t owards the wild cliffs that separate land and sea. Village s such as Amagar, Arecida, La Punta, El Pinar, El Jesús, Tijarafe, Aguatavar and Tinizara are scattered on a land deprived of the moisture brought by the southwest-bound trade winds, between the boundaries set by the huge rifts known under the names of Las Angustias and Garome,. In the past, the only means of travel were ancient footpaths and the o cean, which slowed the development of this all-farming b orough.
The landscape stretching along Tijarafe's cliffs was reshaped after the return of those emigrants that were successful in the Americas; they g ambled their savings on crops such as bananas, avocados citrus fruits, vegetables and potatoes, using traditional methods for farming without irrigation. On higher ground, hiding in the pine wood, vineyards reign amidst hillocks and ravines. The strong wine-making tradition is best shown at Montaña de Los Riveroles, where the wine cellars are excavated into the rock . Tijarafe's resin -flavoured wines enjoy a well-deserved fame. The vineyards here grow the grapes for the Canary Island's first organic red wine with a registered Designation of Origin.

Moreover, Rural Tourism is now living its golden days; the occupancy rate enjoyed by the b orough show that the sector has a great future .

PUNTA DEL MORO and its legend

According to the local lore a great many Moorish, French, English... pirate vessels reached the shores of the Archipelago during the 16th and 17th centuries; La Palma was no exception: looting and slave-trafficking jeopardized the quiet lives of its inhabitants. Place-names such as Punta del Moro (the Moor's headland) testify to the numerous visits stealthy Moorish vessels paid Tijarafe's coastline, where they chased and boarded the small fishing boats of the natives. The locals sometimes escaped by entering into Cueva Bonita (the Beautiful Cave) through one of its mouths and leaving through the other. Since the fearsome pirates knew nothing of the existence of this geological phenomenon, they had a great many unsuccessful pursuits.

BELIEFS between reality and fantasy

The presence of crosses along footpaths , crossroads, promontories and ravines is something inherent to Tijarafe's landscape. It is believed that the vertical axis of crosses link Heaven and the Earth on which mortals live. Also, as a symbol of the eternal glory, the cross puts chains on the Devil thus preventing him from doing wrong.
Many stories stem from this deeply rooted custom. It is said that on some nights, lights are seen wandering in the valley below El Time , and that these are lost souls, forever wandering for lack of God's forgiveness. The yarn spins as follows: it was a pitch-dark night and some pilgrims were treading their way down the ancient footpath that leads to Tazacorte's port. Having no other means to light their steps, they used the wooden crosses they found along the stony and steep path as torches. For this blasphemy they were doomed to wander forever.
The same sin was committed by a mother carrying her sick child, but when she arrived at the hermitage of Las Angustias she repented , and a voice in the night forgave her. Miraculously, her dying son was cured, too. The spirit of her goodwill still illuminates the steep footpath .
The existence of the ghostly island of San Borondón is also held to be true, for it has been seen on countless occasions, drifting aimlessly away to the horizon, although nobody has ever stepped on it. This belief used to be so strong that maps from the 15th century show the so-called eighth island, on which Earthly paradise was to be found, emerging from the sea like an enormous whale now and then.

TRADITIONS within dry fields

Closely related to the sustenance economy were those jobs which, long ago, used to fill people's everyday lives. Fruit trees which needed no irrigation were planted around the traditional rural houses, and farmers took advantage of the shade they lavished and the fruits they provided. Medlars, almonds, figs, prickly pears, grapes... filled the farmers' pantries through different seasons.
The skilful peasant created tools in order to make harvesting easier. Thus, they used long sticks with which to shake the branches of almond trees in S eptember, and picked prickly pears with long wooden tongs so as to avoid the vicious thorns.
The harvested product could be eaten fresh, or dried out in the sun to be eaten during the rest of the year. Grapes, figs and prickly pears are still dehydrated and stored in boxes of pine heartwood next to the almonds. These chores, t ogether with fishing, and the growing of cereals, vegetables and vines, kept the people of Tijarafe constantly busy, at a time when the word "countryside" meant hard work, but also food.

POPULAR festivities

Tijarafe's calendar of festivities , in addition to the religious Christmas and Easter celebrations, includes the most important of all, t he borough's signature fiesta: Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, on S eptember 8 th .

On the eve of the feast, the Devil dances on the streets among revellers until dawn. This is a man inside a costume, which used to be made of wood and cane and today is made of metal, with every part of his body alight with coloured fireworks which light up the mysterious and magical night

Gigantes and cabezudos (carnival figures with enormous bodies and heads) dance about the black and ever fleeing demon , the very embodiment of evil.
By contrast, in June the village of in June celebrates the festival La Cruz del Topito with the traditional "Papas Asadas" (roasted potatoes), and in La Punta on May 13th, they fête the visitors with the traditional foods and local wines. 

Also related to the merry atmosphere that characterizes these festivities is the musical expression known as punto cubano , which was brought to La Palma by returning emigrants. The "verseadores de Tijarafe" (versifiers) improvise ten-line stanzas to the rhythm of a lute and percussion, and thus recite their experiences, their greatest joys and even their deepest sorrows.

SUGGESTIONS

Tijarafe's rough landscape offers the visitor countless nooks along the network of tracks and paths that wind from the coastline to the mountain ridge -beautiful spots where the bountiful native vegetation sparkle s with different shades of green and, higher up, creep s into the old, abandoned fields .
Trekkers and plain wanderers can find d eep ravines riddled with caves, cliffs that overlook the transparent seawater and face the incandescent sunsets, modest dwellings that hide among the pine trees and an everlasting list of vistas.
We suggest a walk or a mountain-bike ride along the track that runs from Tinizara up to the viewpoint known as Hoya Grande. This geographical landmark is crossed by the route which starts from El Roque and heads down to El Time following the ridge that looks out into stunning views of La Caldera.

The tracks that run through ravines such as El Jurado, La Baranda and Garome are also attractive.

PLACES OF INTEREST


El Time Viewpoint

At a height of 535 metres over the sea level, on the summit of the cliff that overlooks the amazing sights of Barranco de Las Angustias and Valle de Aridane, the visitor will marvel at the towering cliffs that ring the crater of La Caldera de Taburiente. A great number of streams flow within the watershed to finally feed the river which roars in spate into the ocean after winter storms , but which gives life to the banana plantations that dominate the landscape. Towns and villages, plains and volcanic cones give way to the charming mildness of the ever present o cean.

Candelaria Church

Wandering through the narrow streets of Tijarafe, the visitor will find this 16th century parish church on the town's piazza . The stone building houses outstanding paintings and carvings. Its beautiful baroque altarpiece , unique in its kind on the Canaries, dates from the 17th century. The rich colouring of its oil paintings enhances the superb carvings representing the twelve apostles who accompany the Flemish image of the Virgin of Candelaria. 
The building itself follows a simple design, with white walls and a tiled roof. Above rises the stone belfry, whose bells of which strike the hours, call the faithful to prayers , or alert Tijarafe's inhabitants to fire or tragedy 

Cueva Bonita

This sizeable cave, accessible only from the sea, hides not very far from the old mooring ( prois ) at Candelaria. Its two mouths swallow the small boats which, followed by seagulls, sail into this black cavern only lit by the turquoise glitter of the sunbeams in the depth of its waters. The ten-metre high cavity ends on an eighty-four-metre long stony beach.
The cave is beautiful at any time, but everyone agrees that it is particularly lovely at sunset, when the vault fills with shimmering pink and orange.

Hermitage of El Buen Jesús

On the edge of the Jurado ravine, among the among the dwellings that make up the village of El Jesús, stands the modest 16th century hermitage of El Buen Jesús. The images of El Niño Jesús (the Holy Child) and the Virgin de La Consolación rest behind its door, which overlooks the blue o cean. Today the hermitage has been classified as a State Cultural Property, displays a renovated façade and combines harmoniously with the surrounding popular architecture, which it makes a picturesque spot.
The exhausting footpath which used to be the only means of travel between Tazacorte and Tijarafe passes close by.

Pico Palmero

Pico Palmero is Tijarafe's highest peak, at 2,321 metres above sea level. It forms part of the rim of La Caldera, and the old people of A wara used to climb up here , high above the world, in search of answers to their miseries. Twisted cedars sink their roots near the abyss and guard a number of symbolic cairns and rock carvings, which for ages have testified to the sacred and obscure nature of this ancient this site.

Barranco de El Jurado

On the way to Tijarafe the visitor will inescapably find Barranco de El Jurado , an extremely deep and rocky ravine.
Chroniclers said the ravine was named after the remainders of a natural rocky arch which people used in olden times as a natural bridge to cross over . The palm trees, Canary spurges ( tabaibas) , dragon trees and a great many endemic plants gradually make way a t higher altitudes, for pine trees within this protected natural space as the steep rocks rise to where kestrels and choughs nest.

Fuente del Toro Barbecue Area

The municipality has prepared a small recreational area next to La Fuente del Toro, one among four springs that used to supply Tijarafe's inhabitants with water. The site, just by the main road to Tijarafe, provides wooden tables and benches as well as barbecue pits.

The Teacher's House (La Casa Del Maestro)

Quiet and steep cobbled streets guide the visitor amidst one-storey houses whose painted woodwork add a touch of colour to their whitewashed walls. The house that once hosted Tijarafe's first school can be found within the old part of the town, close to the church. The building has thick walls and a roof of pine heartwood, and it is handsomely laid out around a closed patio. This beautiful example of Canary Islands architecture is today the Ethnographic Centre ( Centro Etnográfico ) and Handicraft Shop (Venta de Artesanía).

The building, which has quite recently been restored, has been designed to show the b orough's history, and exhibits, among other things, a collection of photographs dedicated to traditional Spanish festivals. The traveller will also find Tijarafe's Asociación de Turismo Rural booking office here.

La Casa del Maestro also exhibits an array of handicraft goods : delicate embroidery, crochet and macramé, basketwork of various sorts made out of different fibres -palm and almond trees, wheat, rye, cane...- all constitute a handicraft with a strong sense of identity.

But without doubt, the best examples of the old aboriginal culture is pottery. The museum contains many reproductions of fired clay from La Palma, including hand-made bowls, usually round or cylindrical. The dark surfaces are decorated with incisions, dots, grooves, straight lines and concentric semicircles.

Another room exhibits the historical and photographic material that illustrates the figure of the Devil, whose festival draws some of the biggest crowds on the island.

The Delicatessen (La venta )

This old house built in the purest traditional architectural style stands within the old part of the town, near the Teacher's House ( La Casa del Maestro ).
The building is wholly dedicated to the promotion of the local gastronomy; therefore, all the basic regional food products can be found here . However, the shop's speciality is confectionery made from almonds, which are extensively cultivated in this part of the island . The visitor will be able to see the most famous deserts being made, and then taste them : almendrados (almond pastry), bienmesabe (almond and egg cream), queso de almendra (almond cheese), praline, etc. Fruit liquors , mistelas ( sweet orange liquor), and various kinds of jam will delight anyone with a sweet tooth.

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)