Barlovento, Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Encyclopedia
Barlovento is a municipality in the northern part of the island of La Palma
, one of the Canary Islands
, and a part of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
. Barlovento is on the main highway which encircles the island and is located north of La Palma Airport
.
The land rises steeply from a small coastal plain, to the rim of the Caldera de Taburiente at Pico de la Cruz (2,350m)
Farmland dominates the centre and coastline of the municipality, with forest in the mountainous southwestern parts. The majority of the population is rural, with the only town being Barlovento, where the ayuntamiento
(municipal office) is, at 548m above sea level. Being in the cloudier North East of the island, with a short, rocky, coastline, there is less tourism than other municipalities, although there are a number of casas rurales for rent. There is, however, a large recreation zone and campsite at the Laguna de Barlovento, an artificial reservoir, which is the largest area of freshwater on the island. There are also saltwater bathing pools, the Piscina Fajana, with a restaurant and other facilities at Punta del Corcho, near the Faro de Punta Complida lighthouse, at the North Eastern point of the island.
Residential houses in the mountainous area, and along the main road, are surrounded with beautiful laurisilva
forest along with other trees and grasslands. The Atlantic Ocean
can be seen directly to the northeast offering glimses of Tenerife
and La Gomera
.
Unlike the southern municipalities of La Palma, which have had large increases in population, Barlovento has historically seen a slowly decreasing population, which has recently stabilized.
s.
La Palma
La Palma is the most north-westerly of the Canary Islands. La Palma has an area of 706 km2 making it the fifth largest of the seven main Canary Islands...
, one of the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, and a part of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Santa Cruz de Tenerife (province)
Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife also Province of Santa Cruz is a province of Spain, consisting of the western part of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands. It consists of about half of the Atlantic archipelago, including the islands of Tenerife, La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma, and...
. Barlovento is on the main highway which encircles the island and is located north of La Palma Airport
La Palma Airport
La Palma Airport is an airport located in Breña Baja and Villa de Mazo, south of the city of Santa Cruz de La Palma on La Palma in the Canary Islands. It is operated by Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea, who operate the vast majority of civil airports in Spain...
.
The land rises steeply from a small coastal plain, to the rim of the Caldera de Taburiente at Pico de la Cruz (2,350m)
Farmland dominates the centre and coastline of the municipality, with forest in the mountainous southwestern parts. The majority of the population is rural, with the only town being Barlovento, where the ayuntamiento
Ayuntamiento
Ayuntamiento In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . is the general term for the council of a municipality, or sometimes the municipality itself, in Spain and Latin America. Historically Ayuntamiento was often preceded by the word excelentísimo , when referring to...
(municipal office) is, at 548m above sea level. Being in the cloudier North East of the island, with a short, rocky, coastline, there is less tourism than other municipalities, although there are a number of casas rurales for rent. There is, however, a large recreation zone and campsite at the Laguna de Barlovento, an artificial reservoir, which is the largest area of freshwater on the island. There are also saltwater bathing pools, the Piscina Fajana, with a restaurant and other facilities at Punta del Corcho, near the Faro de Punta Complida lighthouse, at the North Eastern point of the island.
Residential houses in the mountainous area, and along the main road, are surrounded with beautiful laurisilva
Laurisilva
Laurisilva or laurissilva is a subtropical forest, found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable and mild temperatures. They are characterised by evergreen, glossy-leaved tree species that look alike with leaves of lauroide type...
forest along with other trees and grasslands. The Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
can be seen directly to the northeast offering glimses of Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
and La Gomera
La Gomera
La Gomera is one of Spain's Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. In area, it is the second-smallest of the seven main islands of this group.- Political organization :...
.
Historical population
| Year | Population | Change | Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3,286 | - | 61.36/km² |
| 1981 | 2,772 | -514 | 51.76/km² |
| 1991 | 2,644 | -128 | 49.37/km² |
| 1996 | 2,488 | -156 | 46.46 km² |
| 2001 | 2,382 | -106 | 44.48/km² |
| 2002 | 2,378 | -6 | 44.41/km² |
| 2003 | 2,367 | -5 | 44.20/km² |
| 2004 | 2,350 | -17 | 43.88/km² |
| 2007 | 2,383 | +33 | 44.50/km² |
Unlike the southern municipalities of La Palma, which have had large increases in population, Barlovento has historically seen a slowly decreasing population, which has recently stabilized.
Other
Barlovento has schools, a few lyceums, a gymnasium, churches, a small beach, a small port, a post office and a few squares plazaPlaza
Plaza is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. All through Spanish America, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo or administrative center, which might be...
s.
External links
- Map and aerial photos
- Street map: Street map from Mapquest, MapPoint or Google
- Satellite images: Google