For many years, Fuente Santa (Holy Spring) was practically a legend. It was said that Fuencaliente, La Palma, was home to healing water. Water that could cure any type of illness. A kind of spa enjoyed by the locals and Spanish settlers until the 17th century, when a volcano took it away. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that it was found again.

In this article, you will discover the history of the Fuente Santa, its importance to local residents, as well as its water’s healing potential. In fact, did you know that there are plans to build a spa there?

History of Fuente Santa

Fuencaliente owes its name to Fuente Santa. Specifically, this comes from the adaptation into Spanish of the word tagragito, which the natives on the island, the Benahoarites, used to refer to the hot water in the spring.

The spring had two thermal pools that were under the sea, at the foot of a steep cliff. The two pools of the so-called Fuente Caliente (Hot Spring) could only be used when the tide was low, which is why the Spaniards regarded this natural formation as a gateway between two worlds.

Over time, the Spaniards christened the spring Fuente Santa, and the pools came to be called San Lorenzo and San Blas. That is how “Fuente Caliente” became the name used to refer to the entire southern tip of La Palma.

The spa was visited by the sick, conquistadors, celebrities of the time and curious travellers between the 16th and 17th centuries. It’s in this last period that the spring boomed in popularity.

Word spread of the healing abilities of its water and numerous patients from Europe and America with rheumatism, arthritis and skin ailments arrived on the island of La Palma. The good results made the port of Santa Cruz de La Palma the most visited and renowned port in the archipelago.

Such was its fame that its water began to be exported. It was transported in barrels to Cuba and Antwerp, where it was sold in small containers. The wealth generated by the trade thrust the island to the top of the Canary Islands’ per capita income, and resulted in the creation of the small Las Indias neighbourhood to host the sick.

Disappearance and search of the spa

On 13 November, 1677, something unexpected happened: the San Antonio volcano erupted. The lava flows ran down the Cuesta de Cansado plateau until they reached the cliff at the top of the Fuente Santa. It disappeared.

The eruption lasted 66 days, completely razing and burying everything in its path, including the Fuente Santa. It was buried under 70 metres of lava near what is now Echentive Beach.

Its disappearance meant the loss of the largest source of income that La Palma had. This catastrophe caused unrest and desolation, and also prompted a revolution between those who wanted to dig up the spring and those who interpreted the disaster as God’s work.

The search lasted more than three centuries, with numerous failed attempts due to the lack of technology and the condition of the terrain.

Finally, in 1995, the then mayor of Fuencaliente, Pedro Nolasco, decided to commission its recovery once again. The project, assigned to the Department of Public Works, consisted of drilling a gallery that would be 200 metres long, and of various technical works and research. Finally, five years later, in 2005, they were able to reveal that the search had been successful.

The mineral-medicinal properties of Fuente Santa

Once Fuente Santa was discovered, one question came to the minds of locals: Did its waters still have healing properties? Fortunately for them, the answer was yes.

The Oliver Rodés Laboratory in Barcelona was tasked with determining the properties of the water. After careful studies, its technicians confirmed the mineral-medicinal properties of Fuente Santa. They concluded that the real reason for its healing power was that the water was high in sodium chloride and carbonic compounds, the composition of which matches that of other internationally renowned waters in Europe, such as those of Vichy, France, and Royat, Germany.

In order to take advantage of this resource, the La Palma council looked for a way to turn this space into a spa. In fact, there is already a project on the table that is set to go. It is spearheaded by the architect Federico Soriano, who intends to use the natural terraces of the land to develop thermal routes.

Soriano’s idea is to have pools and caves that harken back to the original spa while having a minimal impact on the volcanic environment in the area. The project also proposed a series of interior chambers lit by natural light, and corners that evoke and honour the struggle of the people of Fuencaliente to find the Fuente Santa again.

Categories: Canaries, La Palma