Beyond the village we obtain a glimpse, and then, at the Humboldt Corner, a full and glorious view of the **Orotava Valley, the Taoro Valley of the Guanches, famed at once for its harmonious outlines, for its superb colouring, and for its luxuriant vegetation. The valley, about 7 M. long by 6 M. wide, probably formed by subsidence, and descending rather rapidly to the sea in terraces, is sprinkled with smiling villages and countless white country-houses, embosomed among palms, pines, orange-trees, rosebushes, and climbing plants, which are abundantly watered by cuttings and conduits descending from the cloud-region. The tropical character of the landscape is enhanced by the extensive plantations of bananas. On the E. and W. the valley is flanked by the lava slopes, about 1000 ft. in height, of the Ladera de Santa Ursula and the Ladera de Tigaiga, and on the S. it is bounded by the Cumbre, with the ‘organ-pipes’ at the S.E. angle (p. [40]). Far above its steep banks, but most often concealed by the trade-wind clouds, towers the majestic pyramid of the Peak. In the middle of the valley rise three eruptive cones of recent origin, the Montaña de la Horca (833 ft.; p. [39]), the Montaña de Chaves (p. [42]), and the Montaña de las Gañanias, which have sent forth lava-streams descending to the sea.
Beyond the Barranco del Pinito the direct road to (24½ M.) Villa Orotava (p. [40]) branches off to the left, and 1 M. farther on another road from that town joins ours. We are next carried through deep barrancos by means of cuttings, with their surprising variety of layers of slag and beds of lava, and at the Montaña de la Horca we come to a point where a new road diverges, to the left, for Realejo Bajo (p. [42]) and Icod de los Vinos (p. [43]). We descend to the right to Puerto Orotava, passing a private entrance to the Grand Hotel on our right.
27½ M. Puerto Orotava.—Hotels (often crowded in March and April). *Grand Hotel (or ‘Kurhaus Humboldt’; about 330 ft.), in a fine open situation on the N. slope of the Montaña de la Horca, with splendid views from the roof-terrace, beautiful grounds, and sea-baths on the Martianez beach (see below), R. from 4s., pens. 12s. 6d.–20s.; for guests ascending the Peak the hotel provides mule, guide, porter, accommodation in the Alta Vista hut, and food for two days for an inclusive sum of 30s. *Hot. Martianez, at the E. end of the town, not far from the sea, once a nobleman’s château, with a charming garden, pens. 12–15s.; Hot. Monopol, Plaza de la Iglesia, R. 2s. 6d.–3s., pens. 8–10s., good (all three under German management); Hot. Marquesa, Plaza de la Iglesia, pens. 5–6s., Spanish, well spoken of.
Post & Telegraph Office, Calle de Quintana, near the Plaza de la Iglesia.
Banker. T. M. Reid, Calle San Juan.—Photographer. Baeza, Calle de la Hoya.—Teneriffe Work. Franken, Calle de Santo Domingo 10.
Physicians. Dr. Lishman, Casa Montaña; Dr. Perez.—Chemist. R. Gomez, Calle de Santo Domingo.
Music in the Plaza de la Constitución.—Sortija Riding (tilting at the ring) in the grounds of the Grand Hotel.
Carriages. To Villa Orotava or Realejo 10 p.; to Tacoronte 20–25 p.; to Icod de los Vinos 25 p.—Omnibus to Villa Orotava twice daily, 1 p.—Mule (mulo) to Agua Mansa 10 p., to Güimar 12½, to the Peak 20 p.—Donkey (burro), 5 p. per day (according to bargain).—Guide to the Peak 20 p.
English Church (resident chaplain) in the grounds above the Grand Hotel.—English Cemetery and others to the W. of the town.
Puerto Orotava, officially called Puerto de la Cruz, the most popular invalid resort in the Canaries, a poor little seaport with 3100 inhab., lies on a delta formed by lava-streams. The Calle San Juan, the main street, in continuation of the highroad, descends, passing near the Plaza de la Constitución, with its garden-grounds, to the Pier (Muelle), whence the produce of the Orotava Valley is conveyed by small boats to the vessels in the roads.