La Laguna (also known until recently as Tajuya de abajo or La Laguna de Tajuya) is a town and neighbourhood of

Los Llanos de Aridane Los Llanos de Aridane is a municipality of the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. It is located in the west of the island of La Palma, in the Aridane Valley. With 20,930 inhabitants (2013)La Palma,

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

, Spain. It was significantly affected by a lava flow from the

2021 Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption An eruption at the Cumbre Vieja complex volcano, volcanic ridge, comprising the southern half of the Spain, Spanish island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, lasted from 19 September to 13 December 2021. It was the first volcanic eruption on the ...

, which destroyed hundreds of houses in the town.

History

The town was also known as "Tajuya de abajo" or "La Laguna de Tajuya", with historical references going back to the 17th century.

Description

The town center is marked by the "Venta de Doña Rosario", a canopy named after a pond that formed nearby when it rained. The neighbourhood does not have many historic buildings; it is known more for the local agriculture, which has changed over the years from sugarcane, to tomato, to banana and avocado, with many small plots owned by locals. It has a parish church dedicated to San Isidro, construction of which started in June 1966, funded by local donations, and significant contributions from local women. As of 2020, it had 1645 inhabitants.

Culture

It has been described as one of the more traditional Los Llanos neighbourhoods. It holds a festival in May called "La Patrona chica", a prelude to Our Lady of Los Remedios festivities in Los Llanos. It had a school since 1875. It was the location of the founding of the Velia Cultural Society in 1932.

Volcanic eruption

The town was affected by the

, with the town's football field, as well as a nearby supermarket and other buildings, consumed by lava on the 14th October 2021. The town had been partially evacuated a few days earlier, which was followed by a complete evacuation of the town. A filling station, followed by the school, and hundreds of houses in the town were destroyed by the lava flow shortly afterwards. Map of 2021 Cumbre Vieja eruption.png, Location of La Laguna within the lava flow on November 23, 2021 Buildings destroyed by 2021 Cumbre Vieja eruption.png, Extent of lava coverage with highlight of destroyed buildings i.a. in La Laguna on November 23, 2021

References

{{Reflist, refs= {{cite web , title=La Laguna , url=https://aridane.org/ciudad/portfolio_page/la-laguna/ , website=Los Llanos de Aridane , access-date=18 October 2021 , language=es {{cite news , last1=Herrera , first1=Ricardo , title=Un cruce de caminos en pleno corazón del Valle de Aridane , url=http://www.diariodeavisos.com/2012/05/un-cruce-de-caminos-en-pleno-corazon-del-valle-de-aridane/ , work=Diario de Avisos , date=28 May 2012 , language=es-ES {{cite web , title=Instituto Nacional de Estadística. (Spanish Statistical Institute) , url=https://www.ine.es/nomen2/index.do?accion=busquedaRapida&subaccion=&numPag=0&ordenAnios=ASC&nombrePoblacion=laguna&botonBusquedaRapida=Consultar+selecci%25F3n , website=www.ine.es , access-date=18 October 2021 {{cite news , title=El ‘monstruo’ de lava arrasa con el supermercado y el campo de fútbol de La Laguna {{! Canariasenred - Noticias de Canarias , url=https://diariodeavisos.elespanol.com/canariasenred/el-monstruo-de-lava-arrasa-con-el-supermercado-y-el-campo-de-futbol-de-la-laguna/ , date=14 October 2021 , language=es {{cite news , last1=Vega , first1=Guillermo , title=La lava del volcán de La Palma entra en el casco urbano de La Laguna y provoca nuevas evacuaciones , url=https://elpais.com/sociedad/2021-10-20/la-lava-del-volcan-de-la-palma-entra-en-el-casco-urbano-de-la-laguna.html , work=El País , date=20 October 2021 , language=es Populated places in La Palma