Argual is the oldest district of Los Llanos (two kilometers from Los Llanos towards Tazacorte) and consists of an upper (arriba) and a lower (abajo) part. Between the Plaza de Ramos, lined with old laurel trees and tiled benches, and the many small alleyways, you can discover many pretty flower-decorated courtyards.
Mansions of the sugar barons
In Argual abajo, around Plaza Sotomayor, with its high eucalyptus trees, there are magnificent mansions with beautiful courtyards and wood-carved galleries: the Casa Sotomayor (Palacio Moriña, administration of a banana exporter), the renovated Casa Massieu-Vandale (tourist information), as well as the Casa Monteverde (Casona de Argual). In the 17th century, sugar barons from Flanders and Germany had built their homes here, because Monteverde was originally called Groenenberg and came from Cologne.
Glassblowing and flea market
To the left of Casa Massieu, in Dominic Kessler's Artefuego glass studio you can admire the art of glassblowing and its products. On Sundays, a flea market takes place in the Plaza, which has been brought to life mainly by German residents. Nearby, in the Plaza de San Pedro, stands the small 17th-century church of San Pedro, donated by sugar barons.
