Telde has historical roots going back to the pre-Hispanic era. It was one of the two great centres or kingdoms of ancient Tamaran (Gran Canaria) and both the city and the municipality as a whole are full of remains of the ancient Canary Islanders, with around a hundred archaeological sites. In addition, there are references to Telde before the Conquest. The most striking is the creation of the Bishopric of Telde in 1351 at the request of the first European settlers on the Islands.
Later, in 1386, Carmelite and Augustinian friars settled in the city, until around 1391 they were thrown into the pit known as the Sima de Jinámar by the islanders. Following the Conquest, in 1483, Telde became an agricultural, industrial and commercial city, rich and prosperous, with an active social and cultural life, and was the fourth most populous city in the Canary Islands.
The San Juan district is the foundational nucleus of the city of Telde. Its origins date back to 1483, when the conquistador Pedro de Vera ordered the fort of San Juan to be built. At the end of the fifteenth century he also founded a small chapel, which, in time, became the Church of San Juan Bautista (St John the Baptist). Around the church and the Plaza Mayor were clustered the main secular and religious buildings, and this became the administrative centre of the municipality.
San Juan grew as a stately district with some notable houses: that of Ponce de León, which has now become the Parish Archive, that of the Castillo Olivares family, and Casa Ruiza de Vergara, among others.
Basilica of San Juan Bautista
The façade of this basilica harmoniously combines sixteenth-century Gothic in its main doorway and early twentieth-century neo-Gothic in the towers. Inside, Baroque and Flemish Gothic altarpieces can be seen, and in the upper part the silver cross bears the venerated figure of Christ of the Waters, whose Mexican origin gives it great historical and artistic importance. Much of the treasure belonging to this basilica is kept inside the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Location:
Plaza de San Juan, Telde
León y Castillo House and Museum
Birthplace of the brothers Fernando (Marqués del Muni) and Juan de León y Castillo, prominent figures in the history of the island at the end of the nineteenth century. It is a Canarian-style building that houses an art collection, including oil paintings and watercolours by Eliseo Meifrén, José Cusachs, Raimundo Madrazo, Antonio Caula and José Arencibia Gil, among others.
Opening hoursMonday: closed
Tuesday to Friday: 9 am to 8 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 8 pm
Sundays and public holidays: 10 am to 1 pm
Location:
Calle León y Castillo 43–45, 35200 Telde, Gran Canaria
Hospital Church of San Pedro Mártir de Verona
As you enter Telde you will find this church, which served as a hospital or hostel. In a Renaissance Gothic style with stonework and a pitched roof, it was declared a National Historical-Artistic Monument at the end of the 1970s. It is currently a centre for exhibitions on the history of the Municipality of Telde.
Location:
Plaza de San Pedro Mártir, Telde
City Hall and Tourism Information Centre
A nineteenth-century Neoclassical building, renovated in the 1980s. It has a beautiful neo-Canarian patio and a council chamber notable for the skill of the local carpenters. On the ground floor there is a multipurpose room for art exhibitions. It is very close to the Alameda de San Juan, so this tourist information centre is one of the most visited places in the city.
Plaza-Alameda de San Juan Bautista
This is the foundational core of the city, a prime location and a very important part of the urban fabric. In its immediate vicinity is the Basilica, which is also the shrine of the Holy Christ of Telde. The square, with an area of some 2,400 square metres, also has a variety of plants and trees, including Chinese banyans, palm trees, etc.
Casa Condal – Ethnographic Museum of the City
The Mansion of the Counts of La Vega Grande de Guadalupe, former residence of the Ruiz de Vergara family, features a Manueline architectural style. Distributed around its imposing central courtyard are halls and rooms, notable for the grey stonework and mature Gran Canaria pinewood columns. It is used as an ethnographic museum and a cultural space. Adjoining it is one of the most beautiful English landscape gardens in the Canary Islands, with fountains and a variety of flora, including aromatic plants.
Location:
Calle Conde de la Vega Grande 9, Telde
Santa Rosalía Zoo
This small park in the pedestrian street Calle Licenciado Calderín is a recreational space where children and adults can relax and look at various species of animals (ducks, parrots, birds, etc.).
Location:
Llanos de San Gregorio or Jaraquemada
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