Tegueste is located in the northeast of Tenerife, at the gates of the Anaga Rural Park, a natural treasure of Tenerife.
Surrounded by the municipality of La Laguna, Tegueste does not have a coastline, but rather it is located in a wide hydrographic basin that guarantees a mild climate and a vast natural wealth. In addition, it has a historical center declared a Cultural Interest (declared in 1986). Not all towns can pride themselves on this honor, but the uniqueness of its historical and artistic ensemble abundantly credits this title.
Tegueste has established itself as a Tenerife benchmark for wine tourism and its rural landscape is a sea of vineyards. To know the history of this picturesque town is to delve into its wine tourism proposals. From the Tourist Office, upon reservation, wine history routes are carried out that bring the public closer to the agricultural landscapes and the wineries where you can taste their excellent wines.
Although the hand of man has modified the primitive landscape of the area, remnants of pine and laurel forests can still be admired today, coexisting with eucalyptus trees and fodder species. The Camino de los Laureles, for example, is an ancient remnant of the laurel forest representative of the Tertiary, this trail is part of the old royal road by which the town was accessed since before the conquest of the island, and it connects with the Camino de las Peñuelas.
The construction of the municipality began in the early 16th century in the area known as El Llano between the Las Tapias ravine and the Las Ceras ravine, where the first hermitage in honor of St. Mark the Evangelist was erected and which in 1701 moved to its current location. With a Mudejar-Romanic style, its construction was prolonged during years in which reforms and expansions were constant. It currently has three naves with a tower, a bell tower, a two-sloped roof and stone entrances.
The construction of the old Town Hall began in 1843 thanks to the contribution of the neighbors and the drive of the parish priest Antonio Pereira Pacheco y Ruiz. Although Tegueste had been constituted as a municipality in 1813, it did not have a seat for the municipal dependencies.
The Casa de los Tacoronte is an old manor house with two floors and has a beautiful garden where you can admire exotic and tropical species. It was the summer residence of the French consul Baron de Chasserieu, although it owes its name to Eduardo Tacoronte, who married the daughter of said diplomat. It is located next to the Camino de Los Laureles.
La Placeta (photo above) also receives the name of Plaza de Pedro Melián or Eduardo Tacoronte, located at a crossroads, it has always been a meeting place for neighbors. This function was confirmed with the construction of a Calvary at the end of the 19th century and a water jet at the beginning of the 20th century.
The Plaza de la Arañita, a place known as El Llano, is the place where Tegueste was founded, as it has favorable orographic conditions for the settlement of the population, especially in terms of ease of access and availability of water.