Santo Domingo is a village in Tenerife’s north with its own Canary Islands pyramid

Santo Domingo is a village that lies on the coast of the north of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. It is between Icod de los Vinos and San Juan de la Rambla, and its neighbours are Buen Paso and Santa Catalina.

If you are in a car or bus whilst travelling through Santo Domingo you could easily miss it and it doesn’t look as if there is a lot to see there, however, appearances are often very deceptive in Tenerife. So it is in this charming village and it even has a tiny pyramid, though "tiny" is an apt description and many people would argue it was just agricultural terracing put there by local farmers clearing their land and trying to make more growing space for their crops. There is an ongoing debate over the authenticity or not of the Tenerife pyramids.

Santo Domingo has its own beach, which can be reached by car or on foot down the Camino Vista la Playa. This winding road snakes its way through farmland until it reaches the sea.

Playa de Santo Domingo is a mainly rocky beach but it gives some great views out over the sea and along the coast. It is an interesting walk down but remember you have to walk back and it is uphill all the way so if it is a hot day take plenty of water!

Farms around Santo Domingo grow a variety of crops that include artichokes, grapes and papayas.

Lichens flourish on the volcanic rocks you can see along the road down to the beach, and this shows that the air in Santo Domingo is very free of air pollution.

Lichens do not grow where the air has toxins floating about in it. The clean seaside air is just right for them and of course is good for us to breathe too!

Pretty bougainvilleas climb and cover garden walls of lots of the houses in Santo Domingo’s side streets and add to the village’s charm.

Santo Domingo has a traditional square by the village church and a gushing fountain gives it an even greater visual appeal.

Santo Domingo has a selection of various bars and restaurants, a supermarket, a chemist and a vet. You can also visit the local hairdresser there if you need a trim or change of style.

Tenerife TITSA bus services run through Santo Domingo going to Icod de los Vinos and Buenavista in the one direction and on to Puerto de la Cruz or as far as Santa Cruz travelling the other way.

Santo Domingo has another surprise tucked away because at the end of the village in the direction of San Juan de la Rambla, if you look down from the road on to the farmland below you will see a small but unmistakeable stepped pyramid.

Copyright © 2013 Steve Andrews. All Rights Reserved.