The Royal Villa of Teguise officially entered the select club of the most beautiful villages in Spain on Friday night, joining the network of towns in the Canary Islands and Spain that have this recognition, which encompasses them under a single quality brand. A total of 104 destinations that have earned this distinction, "placing them even more on the world map and which represents, in addition to pride, an additional incentive for our visitors and potential tourists, and above all, a recognition of the effort to preserve and disseminate our intangible heritage," declared the mayor of Teguise, Oswaldo Betancort, who addressed his first words to the residents of the Royal Villa of Teguise and congratulated the representatives of its most deeply rooted traditions, such as the Rancho de Pascua or Los Diabletes, as well as the folklore groups of Teguise, "because thanks to them, we have not only managed to be one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, but also to have one of the best-preserved heritages."
"There is a before and after the incorporation into this quality network, the significant increase in tourism has been a breath of fresh air for small businesses in Teguise, it is the future for our young people, the pride of its residents and the call to community and national institutions to value the rural world, its culture and its economic importance," said Betancort in an emotional act in the Plaza de Los Leones, in which the poster of One of the Most Beautiful Villages was unveiled, an award that recognizes "many years of respect, admiration and conservation of a past with tremendous historical, heritage, cultural and natural value and that today we make official in this present that, despite the pandemic, continues to offer an evident attraction from the tourist and aesthetic point of view," added the mayor of the illustrious Villa de Teguise.
The official chronicler of Teguise, Francisco Hernández, opened the proclamation ceremony by recounting part of the historical wealth of the town of Villa, and then, Francisco Mestre, as president of the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Spain, highlighted "the hard work of many generations that has allowed Teguise to be considered today as one of the Most Beautiful Villages of Spain, an honor that residents, entrepreneurs and administrations must take care of and maintain, to get closer every day to the excellence that our network defends."
"We have managed to deseasonalize tourism in our villages and that the villages are poles of attraction and generation of wealth and employment throughout the year, creating new hotels and rural houses and also new restaurants, thanks to which wealth is generated and population is fixed in our beautiful villages," concluded Francisco Mestre, in an act whose final touch was put by the Acatife Group.
Teguise and The Most Beautiful Villages of Spain support the residents of La Palma
The mayor of Teguise, Oswaldo Betancort; the president of the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Spain, Francisco Mestre, and the mayor of the Canarian village of Tejeda and president of the southern zone of the association, Francisco Perera, also presented the charity campaign in support of the people affected by the eruption of the volcano on the island of La Palma.
The initiative, 100% solidarity, is about the sale of t-shirts with a special design for a price of 10 euros, and Canarian companies have been counted on for their design and manufacture. The t-shirt consists of the image of the island, the logo of the association and the phrase The Most Beautiful Villages of Spain with the most beautiful island.
"We are 104 villages that have our hearts broken by the suffering that thousands of families on this beautiful island are experiencing. We wanted to show our solidarity in this way, so that our own neighbors can collaborate in some way with this disaster," said Francisco Mestre.
The president explained that "all the municipalities of the network have made these solidarity t-shirts available to their residents and visitors, to help with only 10 euros, all the people of La Palma" and added that "Our villages are mobilizing from the schools themselves, where many of our children will have a solidarity t-shirt, to the tourist offices or the official website of The Most Beautiful Villages of Spain, where anyone can get a t-shirt."
On the other hand, Francisco Perera has detailed that "the idea arose in a meeting of the Canarian villages of the association and was very well received by all the mayors and councilors of the network" and added that "it is a solidarity campaign in which the money raised will be deposited in the accounts of the Cabildo of La Palma and from this will cover the needs of the people affected at all times." The mayor of Tejeda explained that "in this way, not only is direct help given to the victims with the purchase of food or clothing, but also to the local commerce of the island where the products will be obtained."
It should be explained that each of the 104 villages of the network will inform where these t-shirts can be purchased in their localities, which have a price of 10 euros and will also be sold on the official website of the association. The initiative encourages buyers to share a photograph with the t-shirt on social networks, with the hashtag #PueblosBonitosXLaPalma symbolizing the commitment to the island, to mobilize the largest number of people and that a simple gesture becomes viral to help the largest possible number of families.
About the brand of The Most Beautiful Villages of Spain
The Association The Most Beautiful Villages of Spain, which already has 104 unique locations, is born from the conviction and need to make known to the world the wonderful villages that dot the Spanish geography. The objective is to promote small municipalities, preferably rural, grouped under the same quality brand, through the promotion actions and cultural events that the association undertakes both inside and outside of Spain.
This network encompasses places of great beauty and personality that exude history and culture at the same time, villages marked by tradition that the traveler can enjoy by walking their paths and mingling with the locals.
The brand The Most Beautiful Villages of Spain is a benchmark of prestige and quality at national and international level. The initiative is based on the French model Les Plus Beaux Villages de France and the Spanish network is part of and currently chairs the Federation of the Most Beautiful Villages of the World, with networks in France, Italy, Belgium and Japan. Other countries are creating new associations such as Russia, Germany, Liechtenstein, Lebanon, Switzerland and Portugal.
The Association carries out activities throughout the year focused on the enhancement of the rural world and specifically of the 104 villages that are part of the network, for which each year it organizes an event in the Senate of Spain, raising awareness and trying to find solutions to the problems of the rural world, such as depopulation, the necessary economic diversification, proper public funding, or the establishment of good telecommunications in the inland villages that favor teleworking and increase the quality of life of its residents.
Since 2011 it celebrates the Day of the Most Beautiful Villages of Spain, every October 1, where the recognition of our ancestors is claimed, who have taken care of the historical, cultural and landscape heritage of our villages for generations and have made it possible for us to enjoy an authentic rural world today.
Throughout the year the association develops four ethnographic meetings in different villages of the network, to encourage the sociocultural and tourist activity of the municipalities, where popular performances, craft shows and tastings of typical products are held in the stands of the 104 villages of the network. Special mention for The Romantic Night, and that during the weekend closest to the summer solstice, residents and visitors pay tribute to love with the setting of the Most Beautiful Villages of Spain, and that is done jointly in more than 300 villages in France, Italy, Japan, Wallonia, Lebanon, Russia, Saxony, Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein, and that every year at 12 o'clock at night, thousands of people show their affection, their love or their eternal love with the kiss 'Most Beautiful in the World'.
