Visitors' guide to Los Silos, Tenerife

Los Silos

On the Map

Los Silos lies on the northwest coast of Tenerife in an area known as Isla Baja or the Lowlands; an emerald carpet laid at the feet of the 7 million year old Teno Mountains.

Los Silos snuggles into the deep pile of the landscape between Garachico and Buenavista is a picturesque town with pretty plazas, traditional architecture and narrow cobbled streets.

Named after 3 grain silos built here within the 15^th century, Los Silos initially grew wealthy on the production of cereals and later, on sugar production.

Give it Your Best Shot

Stealing the camera limelight in the little town is the icing sugar-coated 16^th century Church of Nuestra Señora de La Luz (Our Lady of the Light). With the sun reflecting off its surface and a brilliant blue sky behind, it’s worthy of the front cover of a magazine, which is precisely where it appeared, on the December 2005 issue of Living Tenerife.

The Main Attraction

Inside the church, instead of the gloomy, sombre, intimidating atmosphere of many churches, windows allow the sunshine to flood in illuminating its beautiful altars and statues. One that’s worth popping in to see is a sculpture that’s reproduced frequently in churches on Tenerife and depicts a seated Christ with his chin in his hand and his knees torn and bloodied. It’s known as the Christ of Humility and Patience and this particular one was sculpted by a craftsman from the neighbouring island of La Gomera in the early 17^th century and remarkably, still has its original paint.

The adjoining 17^th century Convent of San is also worth a visit. There’s a small visitor centre where you can pick up a walking guide for the area and lots of information on Los Silos and its environs and the beautiful courtyard has nice clean toilets (it’s always worth knowing where you can take a ‘convenient’ stop when you’re out and about in Tenerife).

Facing the square is the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) and if you go inside and upstairs you can see the enclosed wooden balcony and the extremely valuable Gothic Tableau of ‘The Martyrdom of San Sebastián’.

One of the most intriguing fiestas on Tenerife, December sees Los Silos hosting the ‘International Storytelling Festival’; bookmark this page to return in December when I’ll be reporting on the event.

Choice Menu

Don’t leave town without sampling the sweet delights of the El Aderno chocolate cave and cake shop opposite the side entrance to the church. Confectionary delights such as mojito cakes and gofio chocolates await your palette and your purse.

Los Silos is featured in the 'Hidden Depths' drive in Real Tenerife Island Drives

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