Garachico

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Municipality Description

Garachico is a municipality and town on the north coast of Tenerife, It is located on the TF42 Road about 60km West of the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife (City), and 50km from Tenerife North Airport.

In 1706, life stopped here when the town was buried by a raging volcano, the Trevejo Volcano. But Garachico was born again from the ashes and today the town presents itself to us in all its charm, with unique architecture, in which not only churches and monasteries are offered from another time but also a number of private houses of great size,with large internal courtyards, enormous doorways and shady hallways which give the buildings a truly remarkable atmosphere. The sea is one of the most charming aspects of Garachico so it is no surprise that there are swimming pools, beaches and sheltered little bays. And then, in contrast, the pine forest at La Montañeta, where the sand of the old volcanoes contrasts with the green of an immense pinewood, which encircles the shoulders of Mount Teide.

Garachico has always taken care of its environment and protected the most diverse cultural manifestations. For all these reasons, the Spanish government awarded the town the Gold Medal of Fine Arts, which was presented in 1980 by His Majesty the King.

More info

Garachico in Wikipedia

Garachico in Panoramio

Symbols of Garachico

Flag

The flag of Garachico is made up of three horizontal stripes of the same with, the upper one black, the central one white and the lower one turquoise blue.

The black symbolizes the huge rivers of lava caused by the 1706 volcanic eruption. The white is included in two of the quarters of the coat-of arms, and in the flag it symbolizes the houses and the water. The (turquoise) blue symbolizes the harbour, being the most prominent color in one of the arms' quarters.

Approved:
Order Consejería de Presidencia y Relaciones Institucionales of 15 october 1998 (BOC of 11 noviember).

Coat of Arms

The coat-of-arms of Garachico is quartered. First, gules, a tower or. Second, rgent, a volcano proper, sitting flames gules. Third, argent, a rock proper, covered of bushes sinople, and a ship sailed argent, all on waves argent and azure. Fourth, gules, an anchor or. Base or, a pine cone proper. Overall, inescutcheon sinople with an escallop oro. As supporters, two dogs rampant, proper, langued gules. On each side of the shield, two flags gules. Under the base, a riibon azure holding the Gold Medal of the Fine Arts, with inscription "Glorioso en su Adversidad" (Glorous in its Misfortune) in gold. Ensigned with a royal crown.

Its a modified version of the arms adopted in 1987, in order to add an allusion to the municipality's forest areas (the pine cone) and the 1706 eruption (the volcano in the second quarter) that destroyed the harbour (representer by the anchor), the most important of Tenerife up until then. This same disaster is represented by the inscription in the ribbon. The tower represents the fortress of San Miguel, built in 1575 and still standing. The rock in the third quarter is the islet known as El Roque lying in font of the towns shores. The escallop symbolizes Saint Rock, who is thought to have protected the town during the 1601 plague. The two dogs come from the arms of the Canary Islands, and the flags indicate that Garachico was the headquarters of the Regiment. The gold medal of Fine Arts was granted to the town by King Juan Carlos I on 7 march 1980.

Approved:
Order Consejería de Presidencia of 19 october 1992 (BOC of 11 november).

Coat-of-arms of 1987

Quartered. First, gules, a tower or. Second, azure, an anchor argent above waves argent and azure. Third, azure, a rock proper, covered of bushes sinople, and a ship sailed argent, all above waves argent and azure. Fourthgules, a compass or and sable. Overall, inescutcheon sinople with an escallop oro. As supporters, two dogs rampant, proper, langued gules. On each side of the shield, two flags gules. Under the base, a riibon azure holding the Gold Medal of the Fine Arts, with inscription "Glorioso en su Adversidad" (Glorous in its Misfortune) in gold. Ensigned with a duke's crown.

It's a modified version of the arms designed in 1832 and used without official approval. The main difference with the arms approved in 1992 is the compass, symbolizing the many expeditions that sailed from its port to América and other destinations prior to the 1706 eruption. On the other hand, the duke's crown meant that Garachico was home of most of Tenerife's nobility.

Approved:
Order Consejería de Presidencia of 17 march 1987 (BOC of 27 march).