Fataga is a
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
in the municipality of
San Bartolomé de Tirajana
San Bartolomé de Tirajana is a village and a Spanish municipality in the south-eastern part of the island of Gran Canaria in the Las Palmas province in the Canary Islands. With an area of , San Bartolomé de Tirajana is the largest municipal ...
on the island of
Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain).
History
The village can trace its origins back for more than 2000 years, when the area was inhabited by the
Guanche natives.
The village became known as Adfatagad in the 16th century, around the time when the struggle for control of the Canary Islands between the Guanches and the
Spanish was taking place. Many of the battles in the final stages of this conflict took place in and around the Barranco de Fataga.
By the end of the 19th century, Fataga had some 650 inhabitants, dedicated to the farming of cereals, vegetables and fruits, as well as cattle. At that time it was a self-sufficient farming community, owing its prosperity to the water source known as "El Cercado de Fataga" (The Orchard of Fataga) or "Fuente Grande" (Great Spring).
Description
Fataga is a very popular day-trip destination for holidaymakers staying in the coastal regions of Gran Canaria.
It is a characteristic village of the island, with its old narrow lanes paved with stones and famous historic Canarian houses. It is a candidate for a listing as
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
. The village is in Fataga ravine (''barranco de Fataga''), an environment of brown rocks strewn with green known as the "valley of the thousand palms".
The church, dedicated to St. José, was built in 1880. In the period up to the present day new farms and houses were built, often growing fruits such as oranges, lemons, apricots and grapes. However the population of the village has now dropped to around 265.
Fataga has three restaurants, tourist areas, one of the oldest bakeries on the island and a watermill. Little artisan shops can be found near the church as much as near the bakery. Lastly but not least, the
Arteara necropolis is halfway up from Maspalomas in Arteara.
See also
External links
Bibliography
References
{{Authority control
Populated places in Gran Canaria