Nature knows how to set out it’s stall, and Valle San Lorenzo, just 7 kms above the Los Cristianos coast, put on a wonderful spread for my Sunday morning trip to the Arona Farmers Market. Usually I am tempted up by a specific event like the chestnut night, but the time was ripe to enjoy the free market coach provided by Arona Council (Ayuntamiento) and to check out the delights of the town.
Bang on time, the 10.20 red coach whisked me from the Escuela Idiomas (language school) just above the Apolo Commercial Centre, and 20 minutes later I was dropped off in the main street near the market. It was already 24 degrees as I passed the statue of the Guanche native at the roundabout, a homage to the goat herds and other people who founded the town. The main street was dominated at the lower end by the craggy peak , and at the other by the modern Terrero, where Canarian Wrestling still thrives.
The Mercado del Agricultor de Arona has been open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am to 2 pm since its October 2017 inauguration. Flowers, vegetables, cakes, wines, biscuits, cheeses, and seasonal specials fill the stalls. It´s a home to culture too, on past visits I have enjoyed live music and dance, this time there was an exhibition of sculptures by Slovenian artist Jurij Jesovnik. Entrants from a recent painting competition hung outside near the entrance to the free car park, and posters invited entries for upcoming cake, and tortilla competitions.
Back outside, I strolled up the main street to see the impressive rise of the mountains and made a rough note of the Barranco del Chijas, an old ravine route that I intent to re-walk soon. Lower down in town the modern murals showed the pride in the agricultural past of the area. Colourful artistic brush strokes made their own impressions as I took a break for a coffee in one of the many well priced bars and cafes. There are some fine restaurants as well, popular with evening visitors due to their price and quality.
The market is just a weekend attraction but Valle San Lorenzo is worth visiting any time, the journey up and down from the coast offers great views. The green public buses of the TITSA company run frequently through Valle San Lorenzo, look for the 416 and 417. I didn´t have long to wait under the shade of a tree for the free bus back to Los Cristianos, bang on time again.