The Pyramids of Güímar are located in the Ethnographic Park Pirámides de Güímar and reveal an ancient history of and about Tenerife.
The Guanches were a developed people and had a resilient culture. This contrasts with what the Spanish sent out into the world at the end of the 15th century, that the original inhabitants of Tenerife were an underdeveloped and primitive people.
Still, it took the Spanish four years before Tenerife was taken, after the Battle of Acentejo in 1494. Only two years later could the Guanches be subjugated by the Spanish.
Güímar is located on the southeastern coast of Tenerife about 30 kilometres south of the capital Santa Cruz and, with its 103 km² and 18,000 inhabitants, it is a medium-sized municipality stretching vertically from sea level (Barranco de Erques) to well above 1,500 metres (Volcán de Arafo).
Pyramids
And right above that is the Parque Etnográfico Pirámides de Güímar. Six pyramids, the museum ‘Casa Chacona’ with replicas of paintings, sculptures, models, ceramics and photographs form the backbone of this centre. An auditorium where explanations and projections are given in various languages also makes the museum worthy.
According to researchers, the pyramids of Güímar were built in the 19th century with stones found by farmers while ploughing. At that time, dye was mainly extracted from the cochineal, a louse that was present in large numbers on the disc cacti. And for these cacti to thrive, a lot of space was needed. So stone-free fields were created and the stones collected were used to wall off fields and yards.
There would have been more pyramids on Tenerife in the past, but they were demolished over time to be used as building materials.
Thor Heyerdahl
According to anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl and his 1991 research, the stones did not simply form a pile; he discovered that the corners of the pyramids had been manually worked and the ground levelled before the pyramids were built. Moreover, the pyramids were not built with stones from nearby fields, but from lava rocks. Heyerdahl further discovered that the pyramids were placed in special astronomical positions. On the day of the summer solstice, a double sunset can be seen from the largest pyramid. This is because the sun descends behind the highest peak, then becomes visible again and finally disappears behind the next peak. Curiously, all pyramids have stairs on the west side.
Despite his research, Heyerdahl was never able to find out the age of the pyramids or answer the question of who built them. In 1988, the 65,000 m² area of the Güímar pyramids was opened to the public as an ethnological park.
More information about the Ethnographic Park Pirámides de Güímar
Unknown © Photography
The Pyramids of Güímar ©
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