Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands - Unravel Travel TV

Santa Cruz de La Palma is a beautiful city with a colonial air which retains in its historic quarter, declared an Historic-Artistic Site, numerous palaces, colonial buildings and houses built in the traditional Canary style. The enormously varied landscape housed by what is known as the "pretty island" is accessible from the capital of the island. An authentic natural paradise which offers the possibility of hiking among volcanoes and laurisilva woodland in protected areas.

The history of Santa Cruz de La Palma dates from the late 15th century, when Alonso Fernández de Lugo conquered the island and made it part of the possessions of the Crown of Castile. From that point on, the city began to acquire substantial economic power. Its importance on the trade routes to Europe and particularly to the Americas was so great that in 1558 it became the home of the first Courts and Assizes of the Indies. The city had become a flourishing export hub and attracted a large number of merchants and bankers. All this, in combination with the intense naval activity undertaken by its shipyards, served to make Santa Cruz de La Palma the third most important maritime port in the Spanish Empire, after Seville and Antwerp. This glorious past can still be seen in the historic centre of Santa Cruz de La Palma in the priceless legacy of palaces, colonial-style buildings and houses bearing typical elements of traditional Canary Islands architecture such as the wooden balconies. Plaza de España square is home to some of the most important buildings on the island, and is the site of the Town Hall, built in the 16th century during the reign of Philip II. The building's façade is presided by an image in relief of the monarch, and the coat of arms of the Habsburg dynasty. Another exceptional example of noble architecture is the Casa de Salazar, built in the first half of the 17th century. Around the centre of town there are also a number of outstanding religious buildings. Along one of the sides of the Plaza de España square stands the church of El Salvador, begun at the start of the 16th century. The 16th-century church of Santo Domingo belongs to what was once the convent of San Miguel de las Victorias. The church is built on the old shrine of San Miguel, and has a floor plan in the shape of a Latin cross and Mudéjar roofs. Flemish imagery is also present in the church of La Encarnación. It is also well worth visiting the church of San Francisco, which has been declared a Historic Artistic Monument, today the site of the Island Museum.

The shrine of the Virgin of Las Nieves is located in the highest part of the town and is one of the most popular in the capital as it contains the image of the island's patron saint (14th century).

La Palma is a genuine natural paradise with a multitude of hiking options. A national park and two nature reserves are evidence of the island's valuable ecological resources.

Santa Cruz de la Palma http://www.spain.info/en_IE/que-quieres/ciudades-pueblos/otros-destinos/santa_cruz_de_la_palma.html

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