Garachico

Garachico is a small town on the north-west coast of Tenerife, and it has one of the most dramatic stories in the Canary Islands. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries it was the island’s most important port, the place from which Tenerife’s wine and sugar were shipped to Europe and the Americas, and merchants built fine houses, churches and convents on its streets. Then, in 1706, the volcano of Trevejo, a vent on the slope above the town, erupted, and rivers of lava poured down to the sea, filling the harbour and burying part of the town. Overnight the port was lost, and trade moved to other places, but the people of Garachico stayed and rebuilt, and the town that visitors see today is the result.

The lava created a landscape that is unlike any other on the island. Black rock now fills what was the harbour, and in the hollows of the lava, the sea has formed natural swimming pools, known as El Caletón, where visitors can bathe in calm, clear water protected from the waves, with the black rocks all around. The pools have been developed with steps and platforms, and in good weather they are a popular place for a dip. The sea can be rough on this coast, and care should be taken when it is rough, but the pools are among the main attractions of the town.

The old town survived much better than its harbour, and it is one of the best-preserved historic centres in the Canary Islands. Its streets are narrow and cobbled, with whitewashed houses with carved wooden balconies, stately mansions with coats of arms, and open squares. The Plaza de la Libertad is the main gathering place, with the Church of Santa Ana, a sixteenth-century church that dominates the square, and the former Franciscan convent, which is now a cultural centre. The Castillo de San Miguel, a small fortress built in the sixteenth century to defend the port, stands at the water’s edge and survived the eruption, and a monumental gateway, the Puerta de Tierra, is a reminder of the town’s old defences. The Casa de la Lonja is another historic building.

The atmosphere today is calm. Cafes and restaurants serve fresh fish and local dishes, and the town’s position at the foot of steep green slopes, with the volcano above and the ocean in front, gives it a dramatic setting. Garachico is about sixty kilometres from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and the drive along the north coast passes banana plantations and viewpoints. It can be reached by bus and car.

It makes a good half-day or full-day trip. The Dragon Tree of Icod de los Vinos, with its ancient trunk, is a short drive to the east, and the Los Gigantes Cliffs are to the south-west, so Garachico fits well into a tour of the north-west of Tenerife.