Santa Cruz de La Palma

Santa Cruz de La Palma is a Spanish town that is the capital of the island of La Palma.  It was founded on May 3, 1493 by Alonso Fernandez de Lugo, and was originally named Villa de Apuron.  Juan Fernandez de Lugo Senorino, nephew of the conqueror, was in charge of the city, along with the rest of the island.

Subsequently, and as Santa Cruz de La Palma, King Philip II granted it the title of Very Noble and Loyal.  There is evidence of the existence of the church, El Salvador, since 1512.  The Santuario de Nuestra Senora la Virgen de las Nieves is the patron saint.

Its location, in a bay that serves as a natural harbor, was the reason this place was chosen as the capital.  The characteristics of the port enclave, being protected from the wind, make it ideal for calling vessels.

The city is located on the eastern slopes of the island of La Palma, on the edge of the stew (the old volcano Caldera) and Barranco Seco.  Part of the city and port are located on the old lava spilled from the stew, which cooled sharply and breaks as a wall to the left toward the northeast, so that the lava reached the sea where it quickly formed a basalt casting.

Santa Cruz de La Palma enjoys year-round mild climate, although it is not unusual for the sky to be covered by clouds due to the influence of winds from the Atlantic Ocean.
The municipality covers an area of 43.38 square kilometers, with 4.03 kilometers of coastline.  It has a population of 17,353 inhabitants (INE, January 2007), of which 15,000 live in the city, the remaining population live in the suburbs.  The town is at sea level, but the municipality stretches to an altitude of 1,800 meters.  Its zip code is 38700.

The city grew rapidly thanks to its port, which was the ultimate path to the Americas and was used to export the sugar cane produced on the island.
The pirate Francois Le Clerc, known as Wooden Leg destroyed the city in 1553, and so it was consequently rebuilt and fortified.  Of the old fortifications, the Castle of Santa Catalina and the Castle of Santa Cruz del Barrio have been restored.  They are to the north of the mouth of the Barranco de Las Nieves, where there are also remains of a wall and cover.
Santa Cruz de La Palma is privileged to have the first democratically elected council of Spain.  A plaque at the entrance of the current council confirms this, which is located in what is now known as Cave Carias.  In 1773 the first elections were held by popular vote across Spain.  Following the elections a lawsuit was brought against the city council, perpetually maintained by the Irish businessman Denis O’Daly and Anselmo Perez de Brito, who obtained a favorable resolution from the Crown Castilla.
The economic crisis that the agricultural island has suffered through its history, as well as the limited space for expansion, have caused the population to stagnate.  In 1900, the city had about 11,000 inhabitants, only 7,000 less than today. Communes around the area (and Brena Alta and Brena Baja) have grown dramatically in recent years as dormitory towns.
When the military uprising of 1936, which would result in the Spanish Civil War, came to the city of Santa Cruz de La Palma on the gunboat Canalejas, the island of La Palma resisted the blow and kept the republican legality until July 25.  This episode is known as Red Week.
Following the democratic transition of 1975, and the first free municipal elections of 1979, the municipality is the first of the PCE to have a mayor.
The city suffered serious flooding in January 1998, causing damage to many materials, although there were no deaths or damage to any buildings.
The city has a rich artistic heritage of Renaissance, Baroque and neoclassical styles, as stressed in the church of El Salvador.  Also notable are works of art imported from Flanders and America, especially those having a religious theme.  Santa Cruz de La Palma also has two theaters: Teatro Circo de Marte (currently under restoration) and the Teatro Chico.
Every five years the Festival of Lustral Bajada de la Virgen de las Nieves is held in honor of the patron saint of the island.  Parties are very popular, not only among the inhabitants of Santa Cruz but throughout the whole island.  The latest took place in July 2005 with a great popular reception.

The port city is the only port for passengers and goods on the island, and maintains regular connections with the ports of Cadiz, Los Cristianos (Tenerife), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Arrecife.

Despite the obstacles caused by the topography, the lines of communication with the rest of the island’s municipalities are quite good, especially after the improvements made in recent decades.

We must not forget that while Santa Cruz de la Palma has a smaller population than Los Llanos de Aridane, it has a prosperous economy through trade as the most important route for imports and exports on the island.

Mazo Airport is just south of the city, through which a highway to the west (which goes to the airport) was opened through a tunnel that cuts one of the walls of the stew.  And the commercial area of the city starts at the end of the port, consisting of two streets parallel to the coastline.  One is Bridge Avenue and the other is Plaza de La Alameda.