Vilaflor is a municipality and village in the south-central part of the island of
Tenerife
Tenerife ( ; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. With a land area of and a population of 965,575 inhabitants as of A ...
, one of the
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
, and part of
Santa Cruz de Tenerife (province), Spain. Vilaflor, with an altitude of 1,400 m, is the highest village on Tenerife, situated south of the
Teide volcano. It is located 7 km north of
San Miguel de Abona and 51 km southwest of the island's capital
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Santa Cruz de Tenerife (; locally ), commonly abbreviated as Santa Cruz, is a city, the capital of the island of Tenerife, Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and one of the capitals of the Canary Islands, along with Las Palmas. Santa Cruz has a ...
. The population is 1,645 (2018)
[Instituto Canario de Estadística]
, population and the area is 56.26 km².
[
]
Sights
* Paisaje Lunar (Lunar Landscape), a geological phenomenon created by erosion.
* El Pino Gordo (Thick Pine tree).
* The mineral springs of Fuente Alta, which can be found at 1400 meters above sea level in a protected nature reserve. The bottled water company Fuentealta uses from this mineral spring.
* Church of Saint Peter, it is the parish church of the town.
* Sanctuary of the Santo Hermano Pedro, a church built in honor of Saint Peter of Saint Joseph Betancur (''Santo Hermano Pedro'').
History
Before the arrival of the Europeans in the 15th century, the territory was inhabited by the Guanches
The Guanche were the Indigenous peoples, indigenous inhabitants of the Spain, Spanish Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean some to the west of modern Morocco and the North African coast. The islanders spoke the Guanche language, which i ...
, the first settlers of the island, belonging to the kingdom or menceyato of Abona.
Once the conquest is over, the colonizing process begins with the distribution of land and other goods among the conquerors and settlers by the new governor Alonso Fernández de Lugo
Alonso Fernández de Lugo (; died 1525) was a Spanish conquistador, city founder, and administrator. He conquered the islands of La Palma (1492–1493) and Tenerife (1494–1496) for the Castilian Crown; they were the last of the Canary Islan ...
. The current town would be founded around 1520, reaching the category of municipality in 1812. In 1533, a hermitage dedicated to Saint Peter
Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...
was built by the Soler family. In 1568 the hermitage was elevated to the rank of parish church.
Saint Peter of Saint Joseph Betancur was born in Vilaflor in 1626. This religious was a missionary in Guatemala
Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
and is the first native saint of the Canary Islands. The Sanctuary of the Santo Hermano Pedro is currently located in the exact location of his birthplace.
Today, vines and potatoes, as well as fruits, flowers and vegetables are grown in the surrounding region. Vilaflor is currently the least populated municipality on the island of Tenerife, with 1,645 inhabitants in 2018.
Climate
Historical population
Twin towns – sister cities
* La Orotava, Spain
* La Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
Gallery
Plaza Doctor Pérez Cáceres, middle part, Vilaflor.jpg, Central square
Calle Santo Domingo, north part II, Vilaflor.jpg, Small houses
Road No TF-21, intersection, Vilaflor.jpg, Main road
Calle Santo Domingo, middle part II, Vilaflor.jpg, Santo Domingo street
Santuario del Santo Hermano - Vilaflor - 01.jpg, Sanctuary of the Santo Hermano Pedro
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vilaflor, Santa Cruz De Tenerife
Populated places established in the 16th century
Municipalities in Tenerife