Only 6km
from
Puerto
de la
Cruz, La
Orotava
is an
easy day
trip
from the
resort.
Not only
the
town's
name,
but also
the bulk
of its
original
wealth
has come
from the
prosperous,
lush
valley
surrounding
it - the
town
quickly
grew as
cash
crops
were
developed
in the
valley
in the
sixteenth
century.
The
Town
LA
OROTAVA
's well-preserved
old town
centre,
with its
network
of steep,
cobbled
streets
is
particularly
known
for the
presence
of
twelve
striking
Canarian-style
mansions,
the
Doce
Casas
- the
former
residences
of the
area's
leading
families.
Only
some of
these
are open
to the
public,
mostly
as
souvenir
shops,
so their
exploration
and that
of the
rest of
the old
town,
which
includes
a large
ornate
garden,
the
Jardín
Victoria
, and a
reasonable
handicraft
museum,
the
Museo de
Artesania
lberoamericana
, can
easily
be done
in
around
half a
day. One
particularly
good
time to
visit
the town
is
before
or
during
the
celebrations
of
Corpus
Christi,
when the
streets
are
decorated
with a
multitude
of
flower
petals,
baked
leaves
and
volcanic
sand.
This
tradition
began in
1847 and
the
displays
mostly
involve
biblical
motifs.
|
