Video of the Leper Village on Tenerife today provides a beautiful image, both photographically and cinematically, of a sanatorium that was never completed.
The leper village, located in Abades (Arico) – exit 43 from the TF-1 highway – on Tenerife, was created to combat the terrible leprosy disease that once spread destruction and threatened the island. No one knows exactly how leprosy arrived on the island.
The sanatorium was built in 1943 by architect José Enrique Marrero Regalado on the southeast coast of Arico and was originally named Sanatorio de Abona. The location name changed to Los Abriguitos in 1978, and in 1986, it became known as Abades. The architectural style breathes pure Franco-era design and stands in stark contrast to the eight hundred white cottages in the village of Abades.
A ruin, but what a ruin…!
Today, the site is owned by an Italian investor who plans to turn it into a tourist destination by building a few hotels within an ecological park, along with a golf course. Previously, the municipality of Arico owned the site, and the land was often used for military purposes.
The leper village was built to house all the lepers who lived in smaller communities scattered across the island. You can freely walk in and out; no one will bother you, and no one will speak to you. You can just wander around and immerse yourself in a pseudo-leper world, a stone’s throw away from the lighthouse built at Punta de Abona.
The stunning video by Jose Antonio Alonso Vazquez can be watched below. How Beautiful Tenerife is can be read [HERE].
Guy Devos & Mike Pattyn © Photography
Video of Leper Village on Tenerife ©
More EXCURSIONS can be read [HERE]
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