Santa Cruz de La Palma: A Colonial Port Frozen in Place
Canary Islands, Spain
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Santa Cruz de La Palma
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250
XP
+100 Spain
= 350 total
1 day
Santa Cruz de La Palma: A Colonial Port Frozen in Place
250 + 100 XP
Santa Cruz de La Palma was one of the three official ports of the Spanish empire, alongside Seville and Antwerp, which is why a town of this size on a small island has the merchants' houses, the carved balconies and the churches that it does. Its street of wooden balconies on the Avenida Marítima is the image of the place. Every five years it holds the Bajada de la Virgen, a fortnight of ceremonies that includes the Dance of the Dwarves, in which dancers transform on stage into tiny figures in tricorn hats — a piece of theatre nobody has convincingly explained the origin of.
Required Activities
1
of 5
Walk the Avenida Marítima and look at the run of carved wooden balconies over the sea wall
2
of 5
Work out what this port was: one of three authorised ports of the Spanish empire, with Seville and Antwerp
3
of 5
Find the replica of the Santa María, built as a naval museum in the middle of the town
4
of 5
Come for the Bajada de la Virgen, held every five years, and see the Dance of the Dwarves
5
of 5
Walk up into the Barranco de las Nieves behind the town to the sanctuary the Virgin comes down from
Walk the Avenida Marítima and look at the run of carved wooden balconies over the sea wall
Work out what this port was: one of three authorised ports of the Spanish empire, with Seville and Antwerp
Find the replica of the Santa María, built as a naval museum in the middle of the town
Come for the Bajada de la Virgen, held every five years, and see the Dance of the Dwarves
Walk up into the Barranco de las Nieves behind the town to the sanctuary the Virgin comes down from
Before you go
The Bajada de la Virgen happens only every five years — check the year before planning around it.
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Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
250 XP
Spain country bonus
+100 XP
Potential total
350 XP
Country bonus earned on completion of your first challenge in Spain.
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