San Andrés y Sauces

On the island of La Palma you will find Las Nieves Natural Park, a protected ecosystem that keeps a wealth of flora and fauna, in the same park there is a place where it is possible to be informed of all of the benefits offered by this very interesting point located in the municipal area of San Andrés y Sauces, the Los Tilos Visitor Center. The Los Tilos Visitor Center has free access and aims to educate and inform about the entire ecosystem through the four rooms where fauna and flora are explained. Next to the Los Tilos Visitors Center you will find a Recreation Area, from here you can enjoy a place of rest, start different routes that reach the heart of the forest. The Los Tilos Visitor Center is surrounded by vegetation and highlights the laurel forest in which important endemic species are found.

In the heart of the island of La Palma is the spectacular Bosque de Los Tilos, the wealth of this natural environment is very extensive, as well as having places of rest and some spectacular corners, it is necessary to emphasize the impressive Waterfall of the Tilos. This natural space is located in the bed of the ravine of Los Tilos and is a beautiful fall of water wedged between walls and surrounded by vegetation. It is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable places on the island and is part of the municipal district of San Andrés y Sauces. The waterfall is one of the most potential tourist resources, totally recommended and very close to the recreational area of Los Tilos, next to the Visitor Center.

San Andrés y Sauces has the Church of San Andrés Apóstol, this building dates from 1515 and some experts qualify it as one of the The first temples that the Spanish conquistadors built on the island when they arrived there. The church is located in the center of the town, San Andrés, which was one of the most important towns during the 15th and 16th centuries. The importance and value of the Church of San Andrés Apóstol have made the temple declared Asset of Cultural Interest in 1986. The plant of the Church is of Latin cross, it has an amalgam of artistic and architectural styles because over the years it has been restored. It is worth mentioning the Mudejar roof, the baroque altarpiece where you can see the representation of San Matías, San Andrés and San Pablo and a flamenco image Our Lady of the Rosary. It also has a flamenco tapestry from the beginning of the 17th century that represents San Andrés Apóstol in a bucolic scene. The Church keeps a legend that says Maria Liberata de Guisla was buried in the crypt of the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, a few days later the sacristan heard blows and voices of help. Years later the crypt was opened and the woman's skeleton was found outside the grave.

In the municipality of San Andrés y Sauces is the El Tendal Cave Archaeological Zone, a park where you can see in its 57 meters in length until 16 caves and shelters with remains and archaeological remains, in the middle of Las Nieves Natural Park. In the middle of the San Juan de San Andrés y Sauces ravine, the site has provided the most information about the way of life of the benahoaritas according to the experts. In the excavations carried out thousands of evidences have been found that have given rise to numerous theses and investigations. The name of Tendal comes from the central part of the cavity and just at the entrance the remains of an oven are preserved to cook pieces of clay. These pieces were put to dry before putting them in the oven in the central area of the cave and popularly known as tendal. The archaeological site of El Tendal is undoubtedly the point where it has been possible to find the greatest and best knowledge of Prehistory on the island of La Palma.

The church of Our Lady of Montserrat is located in San Andrés y Sauces, was erected in 1513 with the aim of attending to the spiritual needs of the owners and workers of the sugar that was founded by Marcos Roberto de Montserrat, personality that was natural of Tarragona. He was in charge of carrying out the works for the rise of the water. The temple of Our Lady of Montserrat was not always kept like this, in the 70s it was demolished at the end of the sixties and it was rebuilt so in April 1968, Our Lady's Day Señora de Montserrat was inaugurated. The church has three naves, with an apse, the wood paneling of tea and marble flooring, has pieces of undoubted value, one of the most remarkable is the flamenco table in which the virgin of the mountain is represented, the Virgin of Montserrat. The work of the flamenco tabla was commissioned to Flanders by owners of the so-called Hacienda de Los Señores or Inheritance of the Catalans. This element has been exposed for decades in different places of the population until finally it was placed in the temple in honor of the Virgin of Montserrat.

The El Regente Hydraulic Mill is located in the ravine of the same name in the town of San Andrés y Sauces. The situation allowed to take advantage of the force of the water to move the machinery of the mill and thus to grind the grain, also it was used to provide electricity to some houses. The Molino El Regente was built by the landowner Luis de Vandewalle and Quintana, Marqués de Guisla Guiselin in 1873 and supplied grain to the population of Windward. This mill was restored in 1994 and is formed by a house, tower and aqueduct, cavalry and patios can also be seen. The Regent is included in the Network of Thematic Centers of La Palma because in its facilities it is currently possible to visit an ethnographic museum on the gofio, it also houses a Centro de Exhibition and it is possible to acquire any souvenir in the craft shop and find out about all the leisure alternatives in the tourist information office of the region. In the facilities of the ethnographic museum that is located in the Molino El Regente artisanal works of pottery, ceramics, embroideries, typical costumes or baskets as well as agro-food products of the municipality are exhibited and from other points on the island of La Palma. Currently the mill is launched on occasion to show visitors how it was working.

In the town of San Andrés y Sauces is the Mirador del Jardín de las Hespérides. The first thing that strikes the viewpoint is that it is presided over by a sculpture that makes the allegory of the ancient Greek classical myth of the Garden of the Hesperides and its connection with the Canary archipelago. The figure represents Juno through La Venus, goddess of nature and fertility while the ram that accompanies it is the solar symbol. The island of La Palma is related to the myth of Juno because the Carthaginians and Romans who came to the island called it Junonia in honor of the divinity. From the Mirador del Jardín de Hespérides you can see a good extension of the Barranco de La Galga and its luxuriant and lush vegetation, among which ferns stand out, fayas, vineyards, acebiños, laurels among other flora. It is also possible to see the crops of vegetables and fruit trees that the farmers of the area take care of and in the background the ocean, which makes it one of the most incredible views of La Palma. The viewpoint can be reached through the LP-1 north road and is at the height of the Barrio de Los Galguitos.

Considered one of the most complete natural swimming pools on the island of La Palma is the Charco Azul, undoubtedly a different place to enjoy the waters of the ocean without supporting the strong currents or the whip of the waves. The natural pool of El Charco Azul is located between San Andrés and Sauces, rated as one of the most beautiful villages in the northern part of La Palma

En el corazón de la isla de La Palma se encuentra el espectacular Bosque de Los Tilos, la riqueza que guarda este entorno natural es amplísimo, además de disponer de lugares de descanso y unos rincones espectaculares, hay que destacar la impresionante Cascada de Los Tilos.Este espacio natural está situado en el cauce del barranco de Los Tilos y es una bella caída de agua encajada entre paredes y rodeada de vegetación. Es sin duda uno de los lugares más destacables de la isla y forma parte del término municipal de San Andrés y Sauces.La cascada es uno de los recursos turísticos de mayor potencialidad, totalmente recomendable y muy cercana al área recreativa de Los Tilos, junto al Centro de Visitantes.