Tamaragua, Sansofe!

Or Good morning and welcome in the Guanche language!

The Guanches people are the ancient inhabitants of Tenerife, who lived here before the 1496’s Spanish conquest. They are one of the indigenous peoples of the Canary Islands, who are genetically and culturally related to the Berbers or Amazigh tribes of North Africa. They were dedicated to livestock and agriculture, and were animists, which means that for them everything had a soul: water, fire, plants, stones and earth. Even their gods had a strong connection with those elements of nature, such as the sky god Achaman, the sun god Magec, the rain god Achuhucanac, and the mother goddess Chaxiraxi. Since their greatest spiritual activities took place on this mountain, this place was sacred to them. Here, through their rituals and ceremonies they communicated with their ancestors, gods, and the rest of this multifaceted world. They had great knowledge of the sky and the stars, they even had solar and lunar calendars that were used to help them survive. 

All the information about their beliefs and knowledge of language, agriculture and astronomy can be seen, reflected in the numerous rock carvings present throughout the mountain. A prominent example is the so-called 'cazoletas', which are carved bowls in the rock connected by channels. This set of bowls represented constellations and their stars, and were used in rituals to ask for rain.

The Guanches lived in peace and harmony with nature, but something they valued above all else was their freedom. They were resilient people with great will power, which they demonstrated throughout the conquest of the Canary Islands, in their 100 year long and fierce battle against the Spanish army.

As Legacy of the Guanche People, The Roque de Jama and La Centinela are archaeological and cultural treasures of the islands. For this reason it is very important to appreciate and preserve this cultural heritage; know and pass on the knowledge of its rich history and that of the wonderful place where we live, Tenerife.