Tirajanas 
Tirajanas - Geography:
The municipality of Tirajanas has a surface area of 6,000 square kilometres, in the shape of a geographical wedge, from the central peaks of Gran Canaria in la Sepultura del Gigante to the southeast coast (Pozo Izquierdo and Bahia de Formas). Historically, the municipality has always been divided into two distinct areas: the interior, where the capital Santa Lucia is located, and the coast, with the three main settlements of the municipality (Vecindario, Sardina del Sur and El Doctoral). The interior is predominantly an agricultural area which forms a large oasis in the centre of the rocky slopes of la Caldera de Tirajana, made up of several rural settlements (El Ingenio, Rosiana, La Sorrueda, etc.) with beautiful palm groves and areas of crops. The interior has been inhabited since ancient times and a large number of pre-Hispanic remains have been found in the area.
Historic Santa Lucia de Tirajana � the capital of the municipality � is 680 metres above sea level, and 51km from the capital of the island, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Towards the coast the protruding rock formation, Ansite, is the fortress from where the natives of the island withstood the final siege of the Castilian troops. In this landscape of cliffs, rock formations and plunging ravines, visitors can feel in touch with the early inhabitants of Gran Canaria, both in terms of the spectacular nature of the area and because it is the part of the island which has been least touched by humans.
Tirajanas � History:
Like much of the land of the southeast of Gran Canaria, this area was at first used for sugar crops, a product which was almost entirely exported to markets such as America and the north of Europe. For this reason, a sugar mill with the name of "Ingenio Rojo de Tirajana" was built, which was to become the mainstay of the agricultural and industrial activity of the region.
Although sugar had a predominant role, cereals such as wheat, barley and rye held an important place in the economy of the area from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. All landowners used part of their land for cereal crops, and it can be seen that the major part of the Tirajana plantation was planted with sugar cane, although there were small plots for growing cereals which were most likely used for providing food for the large number of workers.
Fruit trees and palm trees for handcrafts (using the leaves) were other important crops grown here. The sixteenth century brought important economic activity based on grape crops, and from this time olive trees existing in the present day were probably also introduced. Today the area is the major exporter of tomatoes in the Canary Islands, which gives an idea of the importance of this crop in the social cohesion of the area.
Tirajanas � Sightseeing:
The historic areas of Santa Lucia de Tirajana are well worth a visit. Highlights include a walk to the famous fortress of Fortaleza de Ansite, a volcanic building where there are many caves which were used for dwellings and burials by the native Gran Canarian inhabitants and where a large number of archaeological items have been found. It is also possible to see burial sites in natural caves in the fortress, normally associated with inhabited areas.
The first chapel in Santa Luc�a was built in honour of Santa Lucia in the second half of the sixteenth century. In 1761, as the chapel was not well preserved, the inhabitants decided to knock it down and build another one in the same place but on a different plot of land. The second chapel was blessed in 1761, although it did not survive long due to its poor state of preservation. It was finally demolished and in 1788 the image of Santa Lucia was transferred to the chancel of a new chapel, although this third chapel suffered the same fate as the two previous ones. Then in 1905, the church Iglesia de Santa Lucia was built right in the town square, on a rise, replacing the third chapel. These days it is one of the main places to visit in the municipality.
Tirajanas - Our holiday accommodation and service:
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