A day trip to Chirche is like being transported to a previous century due to the authenticity and uniqueness of the village. It’s a beautiful name for a beautiful and highly traditional location situated 880 meters above sea level, where barely 200 people live. This inconspicuous hamlet in Guía de Isora, near Aripe in the area of El Bailadero and Era Azul, is a must-visit spot, and those who have visited never forget how rich the caserío is in history and tradition.
This hamlet traces its roots directly back to the Guanche period. Archaeological evidence has been found that solidifies the connection with the original inhabitants. It was only later, in the middle of the 17th century, that the hamlet developed into what we know today.
In the ‘Constituciones Sinodales’ by Bishop Pedro Dávila y Cárdenas from 1737, we read that there were 17 families living there with a total of 85 people. Nearly 130 years later – in 1865 – we read in the ‘Diccionario Estadístico-Administrativo’ by Pedro de Olive that this barrio had 161 residents who, in part, engaged in breeding cochineal (Dactylopius coccus), used as a carmine dye for textiles. The lice thrive as parasites on the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia), and the color pigment comes from the eggs of the female insects and, to a lesser extent, from the blood of the parasite. Just before laying their eggs, the lice are manually scraped off the cactus, then killed, and the dye is obtained after they are dried, crushed, and filtered.
Canarian heritage
In this region, many Hornos de Teja (tile ovens) have been preserved. Firing clay into roof tiles in wood-fired kilns provided comfortable roofing for homes in the surrounding area. Also, Hornos de Brea, which produced tar and pitch, can still be found in the Tágarage mountains. The pines in the vicinity were perfect for producing the material that fishermen needed to waterproof and repair their wooden boats.
Since 2008, Chirche has been part of the Bienes de Interés Cultural of the Canary Islands due to the architectural significance of the houses. Today, 213 people live there, and these residents are essentially the actors in the annually recurring event Días de las Tradiciones. Chirche is a prime example of Canarian heritage: many buildings and numerous objects date back to the time of our great-grandparents.
Part of the beautiful landscape
A beautiful and picturesque rural hamlet, located in a landscape dominated by rough terrain, also called malpaís, although fertile lands of El Bailadero and Era Alta are nearby. Located just 2 kilometres from the centre of Guía de Isora, it has been declared a Good of Cultural Interest in the category of Historic Site due to its significant historical, architectural, and ethnographic value. Some restorations have been carried out using materials similar to the originals to retain its unique charm.
Here you can admire the houses in traditional style, many of which date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, which have been preserved and are part of the rich heritage it possesses. Together with the ovens, catteries, rainwater tanks, baskets, cellars, ponds, and communal wine presses, they form an integral part of the beautiful landscape.
Unique event
El Día de las Tradiciones is one of the most unique festivals, held every year over a weekend in July. It’s a celebration that all the inhabitants of this beautiful hamlet participate in with special dedication, bringing hundreds of visitors to this picturesque village of Isorrese every year. This is a recommended event that makes a day trip to Chirche worthwhile.
In this particular celebration, time seems to have stood still in the 1940s. During the festivities, the villagers, dressed in the costumes of that era, reenact the most typical scenes of rural life from the previous century: Fieldwork, making and baking bread, roasting wheat and coffee, milking goats, fetching water from the springs, carrying it in large buckets on their heads, washing clothes in the stream, charcoal burning, seamstress work, grinding gofio, and even reenacting the old school, among many others. There’s also an exhibition dedicated to livestock, as well as various demonstrations of traditional sports. This makes a day trip to Chirche a unique event.
Truly worthwhile
Much of the houses and courtyards also hark back to the 1940s, and in some of them, there are outlets and exhibitions of handmade products such as trout, liqueurs, honey, bags, fruits, and baskets.
The celebration concludes with an entertaining dance, naturally in the style of the era. It’s a fun event that also connects you with cultural values and folk knowledge in an atmosphere filled with magic and nostalgia.
El Día de las Tradiciones is the day when rural life from the previous century is recreated. The hamlet is transformed into Tenerife’s version of Bokrijk, showcasing the typical crafts and traditions of the past. The residents transport visitors back to a time when hard labor on the land and on the finca was a daily routine. For the occasion, they dress in retro attire, transporting visitors to another world without electricity, away from all the hustle and bustle, making a day trip to Chirche truly worthwhile.
By bus
Activities include threshing wheat, baking bread, grinding gofio, sewing and tailoring, hat making, milking the goat herds, activities in the outdoor laundry, basket weaving, and traditional crafts such as making sweets, liqueur, and honey, among many other enactments. You can also taste the freshly baked bread, freshly harvested vegetables, and flavorful, hand-picked fruits, which are the delicacies of the countryside. On Sunday afternoon, a procession takes place, followed by dancing to the music of the retro group ‘Cardon Adeje’. An exhibition featuring (of course) old prints completes the day and the experience.
Public transportation is available on the day of the event, with a shuttle departing every half hour to Chirche. The municipality of Guía de Isora provides free transportation from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM, every 30 minutes from the Guardia Civil station in Guía de Isora. Don’t forget your camera… this event is an excellent opportunity for taking the most imaginative photos.
If you wish to take a day trip to Chirche at another time, you can take the bus. From Guía de Isora, you can take line 491, and from Adeje, you can take Titsa 460 or 417. If you prefer to walk, you can do so via the senderos known as the Camino de Vegueta, the Camino de los Garañones, and the Camino de La Campana.
More day trips are listed under Excursions.
Sol del Sur Tenerife © Photography
A day trip to Chirche ©
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