Güímar

Understand

Güímar is used to refer to the municipality and town with the same name, as well as the famous valley in the eastern part of Tenerife. It borders La Orotava and the Teide National Park to the west, Arafo to the north, and Fasnia to the south. The town has 20,000 inhabitants (2018).

History Until the 15th century, the territory of modern Güímar was part of the Kingdom of Güímar, an aborigine (Guanche) Menceyato. Its economy was based on livestock (goats, sheep, pigs) and agriculture, as well as fishing and forestry. After the conquest of the island, an attempt was made to integrate the Guanches into the new society, but few managed to obtain ownership of the lands they possessed previously. As a result, many were forced to continue to live in caves like Guaza in relative isolation until the 17th century. The first modern settlement was established in the 16th century in the neighbourhood San Juan, referred to as Güímar de Arriba. The first buildings constructed were linked to a sugarcane mill founded by the brothers Juan Felipe and Blasino Piombino. The economy gradually diversified, and vineyards replaced much of the sugarcane sector. Güímar became known for its honey as well.

Climate

Güímar has a hot semi-arid climate, with extremely dry summer months (June-September) and limited rain the rest of the year. Temperatures vary between ca. 12°C in winter to nearly 30°C in summer, when its steppe climate is fortunately tempered by the mild influence of the Atlantic Ocean. A pleasant wind makes the temperature even in summer quite tolerable, but make no mistake: the sun is shining mercilessly, and sun cream is a necessity!

Getting there

By bus Línea 111 stops along the highway, connecting with Santa Cruz, Costa Adeje and the southern airport. From there you have to walk to the road connecting Güímar with Puertito de Güímar, from where to the center (3-4 km away) you can catch another more regional bus connecting both towns. Línea 035 and Línea 037 connect with Granadilla de Abona and Arico.

Getting around

On foot The city centre of Güímar is walkable, with the ethnographic park about 10 min uphill from the 1 Plaza de San Pedro.

By car Finding a parking spot can be challenging in Puertito de Güímar, so it might be easier to commute with a TITSA bus rather than driving.

See

Güímar has enough to offer to spend at least a day exploring its natural and cultural treasures. The pyramids in the Ethnographic Park are the best known attraction of Güímar, but for those not interested in archaeology there are churches, architecture, and nature also well worth visiting.

1 Ethnographic Park (Parque Etnográfico Pirámides de Güímar), Antropólogo Thor Heyerdahl (Calle Veltran de Liz N°43), ☏ +34 922 514 510, [email protected]. 09:30-18:00 daily except 1 Jan and 25 Dec. Historic site with the 6 remaining lava pyramids, dated to the 19th century. The pyramids were popularized by adventurer and publisher Thor Heyerdahl, who researched the pyramids and became the driving force behind the development of the park. The origin of the pyramids is an ongoing topic of discussion: Heyerdahl believed until his death that their origin dates back to the Guanche period, whereas excavations by the University of San Cristobal de la Laguna suggests they can be no older than the 19th century. The current hypothesis is that the pyramids are a byproduct of farming practices at the time, a result of farmers clearing potentially arable areas from volcanic rocks and piling them up in the most efficient way. The park is set up as a Thor Heyerdahl theme park. The 6 remaining pyramids with adjacent museum, a botanic garden, and garden with poisonous plants can be visited. There is an optional exposition on Polynesia, which isn't worth the extra money. The audio guide (included in the premium ticket of €18) is highly recommended, a complete visit takes about 3 hours. At the end of the visit there is a cafetaria for snacks and drinks, as well as a souvenir shop selling memoralia, post cards, and seeds of endemic Canarian flora such as the Canarian palm tree and Drago tree. The cafeteria is open from 9:30 until 17:00. Adult €18, child €6.50, student €13.50. (updated Oct 2019)

2 Badlands of Guimar (Malpaís de Güímar), Camino del Socorro. 24/7. Natural Reserve consist

Do

1 District 9 (Distrito 9 Paintball & Airsoft), Carretera del puerto, ☏ +43 695 51 04 40. Outdoor airsoft and paintball range based on the SciFi cult classic, District 9. (updated Aug 2019) 2 Templo Radikal (Club Náutico de Güimar), Camino las Bajas, ☏ +43 609 142 311, [email protected]. 09:00-17:00 daily. Diving club. (updated Aug 2019)

Hiking 3 Ventanas de Güímar (Windows of Güímar). An impressive hiking trail above the town of Güímar along an abandoned water canal tunnel running through an almost 90-degree rock cliff with regular openings (the "windows") for breath-taking views across the valley and sea. The hike is not suitable for people with vertigo and should only be undertaken by more or less experienced hikers. It is a full-day tour to reach, wander and leave the trail again. For the tunnels you will need a flashlight, but your phone's one should be enough. The tunnels have sharp rocks inside, so a helmet would be optimal, but also a basecap will lower potential injuries in case you do not pay attention and hit your head. In case you are keen, a part near the middle of the tunnels are without canal and provide space to put a mattress or even a small tent.Download trail coordinates: GPX, KML. (updated Mar 2023)

Buy

Güímar is famous for cultivation of aloe vera and the various aloe vera products that are produced locally. These include soaps, shampoos, and many other types of personal hygiene style products as well as aloe vera based drinks. They are for sale at Finca Canarias.

1 Mercadona, Calle de la Laguna 34, ☏ +43 922 44 78 80. M-Sa 09:00-21:30. Supermarket selling food, drinks, and convenience items. (updated Aug 2019)

Eat

There are a few restaurants in the historic centre, but opening hours are somewhat limited, and on a Sunday evening it is nearly impossible to find anything open at all. On the other hand, also Mondays are sometimes closed overwhelmingly. The coastal town 1 Puertito de Güímar has many restaurants and taverns that offer patrons a view over the ocean. Many have later opening times, and some are also open during the weekend.

Budget 1 Restaurante Alex, Plaza Las Indias 1, ☏ +34 625 95 35 76. Th-Tu 10:00-20:00. Typical sea front restaurant with a simple menu that emphasizes authentic and fresh Canarian cooking without fuzz at a fair price. (updated Aug 2019) 2 Bodega Cha Juana, Calle Chacaica, ☏ +34 666 72 60 44. Family-run guachinche with honest food, on the outskirts of Güímar, but with a great view. (updated Aug 2019)

Mid range 3 La Charcada, Calle Almte. Gravina 11, ☏ +34 922 52 85 96. Su-Th 08:00-23:00, F Sa 08:00-23:30. Restaurant with outdoor seating right at the beach front, making dining with view over the ocean a nice experi