Vila de Mazo, La Palma Island, Canary Islands, Spain

Vila de Mazo, commonly known as 'Mazo' is located on the southeastern part of the island. It's linked with the main highway that encircles every part of La Palma.

The town is 500 meters above sea level and has spectacular views of La Gomera in the southeast. The surrounding coastline and valleys are made up mostly of farmlands. In the northern parts, the landscape is mountainous and covered in forest.

Mazo is famous for its hand-made cigars, known as 'puros'. Tourists also shop here for various handicrafts, including woven baskets and lacework. You can pick up some handy gifts in the Escuela Insular de Artesania, where they hold demonstrations on how the pieces are made.

Places worth checking out include; the Ceramico Molino (where they produce replica black Guanche vessels); the Museo de Corpus (which exhibits street decorations for the feast of Corpus Christi); and the Iglesia de San Blas from 1512 (which features a beautiful Baroque altar and richly carved decorations).

About four kilometres to the south of Mazo, is the Cueva de Belmaco, where you can see some very interesting original Guanche inscriptions.