Church of Our Lady of Candelaria (La Oliva)

Every wall of the exterior is whitewashed except one: the bell gable on the left of the façade, a single arched opening built in bare dark volcanic stone. Below it, the main door sits under a round arch, and the top of the façade follows the two slopes of the roof.

Inside, three naves run under a plain timber roof held by four simple tie-beams, over a floor of local stone flags. The interior is quiet and well lit. The piece to look for is the polyptych of the main altarpiece, painted by Juan de Miranda (1723–1805), one of the leading Baroque painters of the Canary Islands. Over its long life the church was bound up with the Cabrera family, the line of colonels who held military command over the island.

• The church is listed as closed Monday to Friday and open only for short slots at the weekend — check the hours before you drive over.
• The entrance and the nearest parking are both wheelchair accessible.
• Public toilets stand about 50 m from the church.
• There is no drinking water close by, so bring your own.

The church sits on its own square beside the main road through La Oliva, so there is no hunting for it. The nearest car park is about 90 m away in a straight line, with a second one about 230 m off. Two bus stops are closer still: Iglesia, about 40 m from the church, and La Oliva, about 70 m. An information map stands about 40 m from the church, useful if you plan to carry on round the town on foot.

Best: at the weekend, within the listed Saturday-evening and Sunday-midday hours, or on 2 February, the parish feast.

Avoid: Monday to Friday.

The church is listed as closed on weekdays, and on 2 February the feast-day mass, with candles lit in honour of Our Lady, is followed by a procession, fireworks, music and dancing.