The Llano de Las Lajitas on the Canary Island of La Palma is an ancient astronomical observatory created by the first Benahoaritas inhabitants of Palmeras, more than 2,000 metres high. With your cheap rental car in La Palma, discover the enclave of Llano de Las Lajitas which, due to its unique characteristics, is one of the most important archaeological remains of the Canary Islands.

The enclave, perfectly accessible with a cheap car rental in La Palma, is formed by a series of 18 stone cairns with which the Benahoaritas, the aboriginal people of this island, marked alignments in coincidences with key stars—stars that were part of the cosmogony, of the rites and legends with those who knew when the seasons began.

In the Canary Islands, ancient culture depended very closely on the quality of the pastures for its cattle and subsistence agriculture. An important part of this process was knowing in advance when the rainy season was about to start. Thus, the astronomical positioning system of the Llano de Las Lajitas functioned simultaneously as a marker for ritual events and to create conditions for the control of survival.

A more exhaustive investigation also determined that the highest point of the island of La Palma, the Roque de Los Muchachos, played a very important role as an axis for the positioning of the alignments that describe the cairns. It was also found out that carvings on the rock and the stones of the first full moon at the time of the summer solstice are key to marking certain positions. The Roque de los Muchachos is located in line at about 1,200 meters from the area of the landmarks and if you visit this island, do not hesitate to tour it with a cheap rent-a-car in La Palma.

It is suspected that the carvings of the Llano de Las Lajitas fixed its celestial horizon lunar phases and different positions of stars. Undoubtedly, it’s a unique enclave to meet for astrology lovers who are venturing with a cheap rental car in La Palma to discover the secrets of heaven.

The Llano de las Lajitas is currently located within the municipality of Garafía. To get to the there, you have to climb from the capital of the Santa Cruz de La Palma island with a rental vehicle or a cheap rent-a-car from La Palma. After this, you must ascend along the LP 4 road, travel the Caldera de Taburiente and cross the area of Roque de los Muchachos, then go down to the Llano de Las Lajitas, which is just over a kilometre away.

However, during the ascent, don’t forget to admire the views of the impressive natural cirque of the Caldera de Taburiente. With a cheap car rental in La Palma with the PaylessCar service, you’re sure to have an amazing experience!