Arafo

Arafo is a town located on the island of Tenerife, where the Center for Leisure, Craft and Farming is located. This center is an enclosure built by the architects Jorge Méndez and Andrés Morales and was put into operation in 1994 with the aim of putting at the service of citizens a complex in which to acquire what best of the Canarian garden, shopping in the different shops that can be visited and those that buy many handmade products. The complex is divided into four levels where besides the shops it is possible to enjoy the garden areas, fountain and a playground for the little ones to have their place of recreation. In the Center for Leisure, Artisan and Farmer of Arafo has taken place several craft fairs, in addition to the well-known Farmer's Market, Ganadro y Artesano Tradicional de la Villa de Arafo in which the attendants will have the opportunity to acquire the best of Canarian crafts.

In Arafo you will find one of the symbols and the pride of the villa, it is the Chapel of the Lord. Previous to the island being conquered, there is a more than 100-year-old pine tree, at whose feet is "El Calvario" and one of the stops during the Via Crucis that is celebrated in the locality every Holy Week. This stop is made from the eighteenth century when they placed three crosses at the foot of the tree. Here is the well-known Chapel of the Lord of the Pine, built in the second half of the 19th century after a neighbor of the Villa de Arafo deposited an image of the Christ Crucified at the foot of the pine. The Pino del Señor is one of the most characteristic elements of Arafo, has a height of 18 meters and is several times centennial, according to experts and It existed in 1705 when there was a volcanic eruption that altered the configuration of the town.

One of the most important religious temples of the Villa de Arafo is the Church of San Juan Degollado famous for venerating the Canonically Crowned Image and declared Honorary and Perpetual Mayor of the Villa de Arafo, the size of Maria Auxiliadora brought in 1907. Before being a church, it was built a primitive hermitage that over the years was restored expanding to become the church that is today back in the eighteenth century. The façade of the Church of San Juan Degollado stands out for its gray stone façade, while in its interior you can see four altarpieces attached to the wall, which is dedicated to the Ánimas, San José, Our Lady of Sorrows and the Immaculate Conception. Inside the temple also stand out other elements such as the valuable paintings of San Agustín in the Studio, the Virgen del Rosario with Santo Domingo, San Francisco and Santo Domingo Penitente that according to experts date from the 18th century. Finally, we must also mention other images such as San Juan Degollado, San Bernardo and San Agustín, all of them also from the 18th century.

After the Civil War, the Barrio del Volcán in the Villa de Arafo began to become a populous area in the town, the population began to grow little by little and therefore began to demand the construction of a sacred reciento in which to carry out religious acts, thus arose the Parish of Our Lady of Carmen. Under the supervision of Víctor Servilio Pérez Rodríguez an image of the Virgen del Carmen was moved to this place a small chapel was built. In 1946 a commission was formed and the free concession was obtained by the city council for some land for the construction of a temple, passing the neighborhood to be called Del Carmen. In principle, the temple that was built consisted of a single nave with an attached sacristy and bell tower, but over the years it was enlarged to become a parish in January 2006. The parish is presided over by the

In the Barrio de la La Cruz or also known under the name of "Sawmill", in Villa de Arafo is the one known as Chapel of the Cross, a small temple blessed in 1871 and which was erected at the initiative of Tomás Pérez Bencomo, who from La Orotava brought at its expense the group of the Pieta that is venerated in the chapel. In addition to La Piedad, the Chapel of the Cross houses a wooden cross depicting details of passion, a decorative armchair in relief, a chalice and a painted stand. The Chapel of the Cross draws attention for the half-point stone arch and the shield with a cross that can be seen on the main façade. Since 1975 the Pilgrimage of San Agustín starts from the Chapel of the Cross, a very interesting celebration that was declared of tourist interest.

In villas like the one in Arafo, you can perfectly see the best of traditional Canarian architecture, buildings that are part of the Canarian cultural heritage and that characterize the landscapes of the archipelago so well. The Spanish and European cultural contributions have been adding a series of constructive elements over the coming decades that the way of building and the needs of living have been transforming, giving as a result a particularly differentiated architecture. In Arafo this type of architecture can be clearly seen in places known as " Perdomo" but above all in the Neighborhood of "El Aserradero". The eruption of a volcano caused that part of the urban helmet of the island was transferred to avoid the rivers of lava, still in the Neighborhood of the "Sawmill" you can see some of These traditional houses, although also where the buildings are best preserved, are on Libertad Street, the Casa de la Esquina de los Carros, Casa de los Núñez, Casa de Ricardo Rodríguez and Casa de Marcelino Batista.

Los Molinos and Lavaderos Villa de Arafo is located on the right bank of Barranco de Añavingo or of Amanece, the area is known as the old "path that goes to the water" because it was the main point of water supply of Arafo. The water that emerged from galleries of Añavingo and Los Huecos passed through the junctions and through a canal ran to supply the complex of the mill, the laundries and sprays of supply . According to the experts, the public laundries are dated from the first part of the 19th century, until now not only were laundresses of the municipality, but also women from other population centers such as Malpais or Cuevecitas. they came to him. The laundries were in operation until 1979 when it closed but today the entire complex has been declared Asset of Cultural Interest with Ethnological Site category "El Mill and Lavaderos ". For its part, the mill was built in 1895 by Antonio Marrero Pérez and it is Historic Artistic Monument since 1984 and it is one of the most important architectural complexes of Arafo, located on the slope of the Pond.

In the municipality of Arafo there is an area known by the name "Lo de Ramos", in the midlands of the Valle de Güimar, were the Augustinian monks who built this enclosure of tools or farmhouse with its small oratory, a winery, housing area, ponds and ovens. The whole complex was acquired in the 19th century by the military and politician Domingo García Torres, after the Confiscation, but disagreements with its enemies caused the entire group to burn down. The Ruins of Lo de Ramos and the Farm were saved from a volcanic eruption after the lava was diverted, this eruption occurred in 1705 and came from the volcano of the Arenas. A few meters from the ruins you can see a calvary. The Ramos was declared Asset of Cultural Interest in 2008 in the category of Historical Site. The Dominicans had properties in Arafo until the 19th century, such as La Granja or La Hermosa.

Arafo es una localidad que se encuentra en la isla de Tenerife, en ella se encuentra el Centro de Ocio, Artesanal y del Agricultor. Este centro es un recinto obra de los arquitectos Jorge Méndez y Andrés Morales y fue puesto en funcionamiento en 1994 con el objetivo de poner al servicio de los ciudadanos un complejo en el que poder adquirir lo mejor de la huerta canaria, hacer compras en las diferentes tiendas que se pueden visitar y las que adquirir muchos productos artesanos.El complejo está dividido en cuatro niveles donde además de las tiendas es posible disfrutar de las zonas ajardinadas, fuente y un parque infantil para que los más pequeños tenga su lugar de recreo.En el Centro de Ocio, Artesanal y del Agricultor de Arafo ha tenido lugar varias ferias de artesanía, además de el conocido Mercado del Agricultor, Ganadro y Artesano Tradicional de la Villa de Arafo en el cual los asistente tendrán la oportunidad de poder adquirir lo mejor de artesanía canaria.

En villas como la de Arafo se puede ver perfectamente lo mejor de la arquitectura tradicional canaria, inmuebles que forman parte del patrimonio cultural canario y que tan bien caracteriza los paisajes del archipiélago.Las aportaciones culturales tanto españolas como europeas han ido añadiendo a lo largo de los decenios nuevos una serie de elementos constructivos que la forma de edificar y las necesidades del habitar han ido transformando dando como fruto una arquitectura particularmente diferenciada.En Arafo este tipo de arquitectura se puede ver claramente en los lugares conocidos como “Perdomo” pero sobretodo en el Barrio de “El Aserradero”.La erupción de un volcán provocó que parte del casco urbano de la isla fuese trasladado para evitar los ríos de lava, aún así en el Barrio del “Aserradero” se pueden ver algunas de estas viviendas tradicionales aunque también donde mejor se conservas los inmuebles son en la calle Libertad, cabe destacar la Casa de la Esquina de los Carros, Casa de los Núñez, Casa de Ricardo Rodríguez y Casa de Marcelino Batista.