Los Realejos

In Los Realejos is the well-known Casa de José Viera y Clavijo, formerly known as La Casa de El Agua. José Viera y Clavijo was a Canarian historian who was born in this building on December 28, 1731 who died on February 21, 1813, such was the contribution he made to the Canarian culture that since 2006 was chosen the date of death as Day of the Canary Islands. The importance of the home of José Viera y Clavijo is reflected in the fact that since 1986 his home has been declared Asset of Cultural Interest with category Monument for the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands. The construction has an important Mudejar influence, from the outside you can see a shed that is attached to the facade, with the roof of Arabic tiles and the distribution of the doors and windows. From the interior of the house of José Viera y Clavijo the austerity of the dimensions and decoration is highlighted. It should be remembered that the interior has been renovated, what remains of the original home is the facade.

The Parroquia Matriz del Apóstol Santiago which is located in Los Realejos is a very important temple for the history of the population, so much that it is declared Historical Monument Artistic of National Character according to decree, in addition the part in which it is located El Realejo Alto has since 2014 the name of historical group. The Parish was one of the first temples to be built on the island of Tenerife, the foundation of which dates from July 1496 and received the rank of church two years later. The Parish has had several stages in which it has been restored and expanded to get the appearance it has today, three naves, chapels flanking the presbytery and sacristies. The tower was added in 1714 and already in the twentieth century an additional body that expanded the dimensions of the facade. The interior of the temple should be noted the altarpiece in honor of Santa Bárbara dating from the eighteenth century and attributed to Pedro Duque Cornejo, being one of the most outstanding elements of the Canarian baroque. We must also talk about the Misericordia, the artist Antonio Álvarez. You can see carvings such as Our Lady of Sorrows, Saint John the Evangelist, Saint Isidore Labrador, Saint Lucia and Saint Francis.

In Los Realejos you will find the Mother Church of Our Lady of the Conception. In its beginnings, the current temple was a small chapel that with the passage of time has been expanded to have three naves with two chapels in its head and two in the nave of the gospel of the late seventeenth century. It was not until a century later in the 18th century that another extension made it the temple that it is today. Inside the Church of Our Lady of the Conception of Los Realejos you can see religious carvings of great interest such as San Miguel and goldsmith works. The tower of the church is the element that catches the attention from the outside, of classicistic bearing, and already raised in the XX century. The church suffered a fire although some sizes such as the Virgin of the Rosary and Our Lady of the Dolore s, as well as some canvases, could be saved. The Church of Our Lady of the Conception was also declared Asset of Cultural Interest with a monument category in 2003.

In Los Realejos, from the well-known Mirador de El Lance you can have one of the most impressive views of the entire northern part of the Island of Tenerife To reach the viewpoint it is necessary to go to the population center of Icod el Alto and on the hillside of Tigaiga you access this picturesque place. The first thing that catches your eye when you reach the Mirador del Lance is an imposing bronze sculpture of a male figure representing Mencey Bentor, a Guanche King, according to the legend, opted to jump into the void from this point before being captured by the Castilian troops that conquered the island of Tenerife. The work was created by the sculpture Carmen Len Rodrguez. The second of course are the views from the viewpoint, you can see the municipalities of La Orotava, Puerto de Cruz and Los Realejos. In addition to the entire coastline, even in clear days the Island of La Palm a. An incredible place to relax and admire the beauty of this part of the island.

At about 750 meters above sea level, in the municipality of Los Realejos is the Mirador de la Corona, it is undoubtedly one of the most impressive that you can enjoy in Tenerife, is part of the cliff of Tigaiga. From the Mirador de la Corona you can see the Valle de la Orotava and the northeastern part of the island, and from here many trails start. This viewpoint was the resting place of many inhabitants who in the past tended to climb to the top in search of firewood and cisco. In 1922 a cross was placed after the request of the residents of Realejo Bajo after leaving unharmed an accident that occurred in the area. The Mirador de la Corona is also a starting point for lovers of paragliding. Thanks to its location, altitude and the conditions for the flight it has become one of the reference points for the practice of this sport.

In the neighborhood of San Agustín in the town of Los Realejos is the Catholic temple known as the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, patron of the Orotava Valley and Perpetual Mayor of the municipality of Los Realejos. The importance of this sanctuary is reflected in that it is considered the most outstanding Marian temple in the north of the island of Tenerife. The place where the sanctuary is now was Convent of San Andrés and Santa Mónica, in 1952 a fire destroyed the convent and three years later the first stone was laid of the new sanctuary under the project of Tomás Machado, in 1965 it was opened to the cult. The image of the Virgen del Carmen was crowned canonically in 1982, it was one of the first images to which this distinction was given. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Carmen was declared Good of Cultural Interest in 1999. It has three naves, it has a floor plan with an apse in the head , the fontispicio is attached to the body of the church. Inside you can see images such as the size of the Virgen del Carmen made by Antón María Maragliano in the 17th century. Other images are St. Augustine of Hippo of 1777, St. Andrew the Apostle and the Lord of the Garden an anonymous work of the seventeenth century.

The Rambla de Castro is in the municipality of Los Realejos, it is a coastal route that starts from the Hotel Maritim and reaches the impressive Mirador de San Pedro. It is a route with a medium degree of difficulty and has an approximate distance of 4 kilometers and is part of the Protected Landscape of the Rambla de Castro. This rambla has dimensions of about 45 hectares, during the route you walk through some places that have an interesting variety of threatened flora such as Canarian palm trees, Tabaibal-vardonal and dragon trees. The fauna is also interesting, in its majority you can find birds including the Cinderella Shearwater. On the route of the Rambla de Castro you can see the hermitage dedicated to San Pedro that rises on the hill and dominates the landscape. There is also the Hacienda de Castro which is one of the most important on the island and with a façade dating from the sixteenth century. We must mention other constructions, such as the San Fernando Fortress, the former Godejuela water lift, which in the last century helped bring water to the crops and that was a milestone in the era in which it was built because of the technical complication it entailed.

The hermitage of San Pedro Apóstol is a small temple that is located in the municipality of Los Realejos. This chapel was built in the first decade of the seventeenth century very close to the Camino Real, just opposite the well-known Cruz de de Castro, in the lands of Las Ramblas and thanks to the sponsorship of P edro de Castro Navarro who was at that time the owner of the hacienda. The hermitage replaced an old hermitage erected by Francisco Ruiz in the ravine of horses or Ruiz. The hermitage of San Pedro Apostle of Los Realejos is characterized by its simplicity, inside you can see a modest altarpiece.

La Gordejuela is an old water lift, a hydraulic pumping station that is currently in ruins, but it is still a picturesque place, which is the end of a cliff and whose function was to use the waters that were born in Gordejuela to move the flour mill and raise them to the highest areas to irrigate the plantain crops that stretched through the Valle de la Orotava

The San Fernando Fort is located in Los Realejos, is a small fortress that was built at the end of the 18th century with the aim of monitoring and in case of attack to be able to defend the coast from possible pirate attacks. Among the highlights of the Fort of San Fernando are three of the old 5 guns he had. Being such a picturesque site, it has served as a stage for films such as the first version of Moby Dick or one of films from the James Bond saga. The Fort San Fernando is very close to the well-known Castro Agency and from here or around there are several routes with stunning views of an area full of palm groves and the coast itself.

The Playa del Socorro is located in the municipality of Los Realejos, a small beach that is especially designed for surfers. It is a beach where bathers must take special care since the tides can turn this point of Tenerife into a dangerous beach. The beach has a dimension of about 400 meters long by 60 wide, of fine black sand, can be accessed by car or on foot, has toilets, showers, litter bins, cleaning service, post office lifeguard, points where you can rent everything you need to surf and receive classes among other activities. The Socorro Beach celebrates surfing and bodyboarding annually.

The Ermita de San Sebastián Mártir is located in the town of Los Realejos. This temple, of simple construction, began to be built in 1735, two years later it was already finished. Like many of the religious buildings that exist in the Canary archipelago, its construction was promoted by the neighbors of Los Realejos, after the demolition of the old hermitage. The Hermitage of San Sebastián is characterized by the typical elements of religious architecture with thick walls and masonry covered with wood of Mudejar roots. It is possible to emphasize the arc of half point of gray stonework and a very unique crenellated bulrush. Once inside the hermitage, it is worth mentioning the simple style altarpiece with the image of San Sebastián that is linked to the artistic circle of the sculptor José Luján Pérez

Entre las plantas más características que existen en el archipiélago canario se encuentra sin duda el Drago, un indudable símbolo que se encuentran diseminados por todas las islas, motivo de orgullo de sus habitantes. En Los Realejos, en la parte norte de la isla de Tenerife se encuentra uno de los más famosos el conocido como Drago de San Francisco. El Drago de San Francisco es uno de los más bellos de la isla, no tiene la magnitud del Drago Milenario de Icod de los Vinos pero es uno de los más destacados y todo un orgullo para los habitantes de Los Realejos.Junto al drago hay una antigua hacienda del mismo nombre que antaño era el lugar donde se hospedaba la familia encargada de cuidar la finca en la que se sitúa el drago

Pastelería artesanal tradicional y vegana