Tag Archives: Canary Islands

Transatlantic 2022 — La Palma; Museo Naval Barco de la Virgen and Castillo de la Virgen


Apartment building mural as seen from Avenida Las Nieves

Today’s article is still on Santa Cruz de La Palma, but this is the last week in that series before moving on to another Canary Island. Last week I left you hanging outside Castillo de Santa Catalina. In today’s installment we’ll continue north on Calle el Castillete until we reach Avenida las Nieves. It is at that intersection you will find yourself looking uphill, with some pretty spectacular colors to the northwest:

View from Avenida las Nieves looking toward Castillo de la Virgen
Cascading bougainvillea

We’ll be climbing that hill in a moment (don’t worry; it’s not as bad as it looks), but first Ursula and I stumbled across a beached ship in the middle of the road. This is Barco de la Virgen:

Museo Naval — Barco de la Virgen

This “ship” is a reproduction of Christopher Columbus’s small caravel, the Santa María.

Barco de la Virgen — Boat of the Virgin

And, no, unlike the ship she’s modeled after, this one is not wood. It’s realistically painted to appear as wood, but it’s some type of masonry. You can see what I mean in this closeup:

Not wood!

Just a few steps west of Barco de la Virgen is a footbridge that takes you from Avenida las Nieves, across a deep runoff to Calle Carías. Jog slightly left, onto what appears to be a narrow road, onto Carretera la Encarnacíon and stay on that road as it banks left. From here on you’ll be going uphill where you’ll quickly reach some great views at:

El Castillo de la Virgen — The Castle of the Virgin

The Castle of the Virgin is, of course, appropriately painted in bright virgin white. And as I previously mentioned, you’ll get some great elevated views from here of Santa Cruz de La Palma. Here’s today’s gallery/slide show of this fortress:

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Fun Photo Friday — Transatlantic 2022; Santa Cruz de La Palma favorites 2


Whimsical Monumento a el Enano (Monument to the Dwarf)

For an explanation of the whimsical statue above, try this link: Monumento a el Enano. And after you’ve perused that, here’s a photo of Ursula being “Different”:

Ursula being “Different”

Now here’s the rest of today’s second of three Fun Photo Friday favorites of Santa Cruz de La Palma:

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Transatlantic 2022 — La Palma; Continuing on Pérez de Brito, then on to Castillo de Santa Catalina


Back on Calle Anselmo Pérez de Brito and heading north

Today I’m taking you on a stroll that begins on Pérez de Brito and winds up at a castle dating back to 1685, or even 131 years earlier if you count the original structure built at that location. But before we arrive there, let’s have some colorful fun along this magnificent pedestrian street, which is a continuation of Calle O’Daly and Calle Real.

If Doors, Windows, Balconies, and Color are your thing…

You may have noticed from past articles and myriad Fun Photo Fridays that I love photographing architectural details, and I have a particular affinity for the more mundane — interesting doors, balconies and such. Pérez de Brito really fed into that.

A little photographic HDR (High Dynamic Range) fun.

Once again, the hilltop views along Pérez de Brito give great shots above the heads of tourists roaming below:

View along Perez de Brito

And those gorgeous side streets looking toward Santa Cruz de La Palma’s black sand beaches! Here’s a view of Calle Baltasar Martín taken from Pérez de Brita:

Calle Baltasar Martín

Let’s now continue upon:

You’ll love the tiled street signs here

And another picturesque and colorful side street. This time it’s Calle Santa Catalina. But this photo wasn’t taken from Pérez de Brito. We’ve turned left onto Calle el Castillette.

Calle Santa Catalina

It is at this point, the intersection of Calle el Castillette and Calle Santa Catalina, that we’re now only about 165 feet/50 meters from our next destination. You’ll know you’re just about there when you stumble across this next fun little side street, Calle Méndez Cabezola:

Calle Méndez Cabezola

We’ve now arrived. Here is:

Castillo de Santa Catalina (Saint Catherine’s Castle)

With this convenient plaque to prove it:

St. Catherine’s Castle

Let me zoom in on the English portion of this historical marker so you may read up on this wonderful castle:

St. Catherine’s Castle information.

For more information, here’s an informative article on this 17th century fort Castillo de Santa Catalina (La Palma). One more photo before I leave you until this week’s Fun Photo Friday. This is the castle gate with the moat bridge in the foreground:

The moat access to Castillo de Santa Catalina

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