Guía de Isora is a town in the southern region of Tenerife. It is an agricultural centre, known for its many greenhouses, easily recognizable by their plastic-covered roofs to reduce evaporation.

Understand

Conjunto histórico de Guía de Isora

Guía de Isora is a town with about 21,000 inhabitants (2018) on the western flanks of El Teide, bordered by Santiago del Teide to the north and the Teno Rural Park to the west. Cultivation of tomatoes and bananas was gradually shifted towards flowers, which are a more economic usage of the sparse fresh water in the southern region of the island.

Climate

Guía de Isora has the same climate as the rest of the southern territories of the island: mild temperatures throughout the year, scarce rainfall, great sunshine — it is the area of the island with the most sunshine a year — and periods of drought.

Local information

• Guía de Isora Town Council website

Get in

By car

Guía de Isora is on the TF-82, but also passed as the first town on the TF-1 highway going south from Santiago del Teide.

By bus —

It is connected by the following Transportes interurbanos de Tenerife, SA (TITSA) lines:

• Línea 325 – Puerto de la Cruz - Los Gigantes Cliffs (via Icod de los Vinos)
• Línea 417 – Los Cristianos - Guía de Isora (via Costa Adeje)
• Línea 460 – Icod de los Vinos - Costa Adeje (via Guía de Isora)
• Línea 462 – Guía de Isora - A. Los Gigantes (via Tamaimo )
• Línea 473 – Los Cristianos - A. Los Gigantes (for Adeje)
• Línea 477 – Los Cristianos - A. Los Gigantes (direct)
• Línea 490 – Guía de Isora - Vera de Erques (via Tejina de Guía)
• Línea 492 – Guía de Isora - Chío (via Chiguergue)
• Línea 493 – Guía de Isora - A. Los Gigantes (via Alcalá )

Single fares vary by distance. A 1-day unlimited pass costs €10, or 7 days for €50 (2020).

Get around

The municipality has several taxi ranks in the town centre and in the coastal towns.

See

Most of the old town is protected cultural heritage and worth a visit. The central square and its parish church Iglesia de la Virgen de la Luz are surrounded by old laurel trees. The parish church, an old hermitage, preserves its traditional structure in three naves and its Mudejar- influenced coffered ceiling. North of the town square is a well and an oven next to the local police station.

Regarding modern architecture, the Isorano nucleus has architectural works such as the Municipal Auditorium and the Guía de Isora Cultural Centre.

In the municipality, samples of the Guanche presence have been found in numerous sites, rock engravings and archaeological remains such as those of the Laderas del Cedro, Hoya Azul or El Bailadero; as well as sepulchral caves in the Risco de las Cabras.

Traditional Canarian architecture is also represented in Guía de Isora in the hamlets of Las Fuentes and El Jaral, with cave dwellings excavated in the sandy walls.

Ethnographic heritage includes:

• Cal Kiln. Playa de San Juan that played a major role in the area.

Tile ovens. There are many kilns distributed throughout the upper part of the municipality, although the highest concentration is located in Chirche, where there are more than 10 kilns, which tells us about the important activity closely related to the construction of houses in the area.

• Pitch kilns. Remains of some of these constructions have been located in the mount of Tágara, a place where the oldest pines in the municipality are found and therefore susceptible to the extraction of Tea, raw material for the production of tar, raw material used to caulk the boats.
• Gofio Mill. Singular construction on the coast of the municipality, near the center of Varadero and of which only the main structure and some wooden beams are preserved inside.
• Cisterns. Although there are few examples of cisterns linked to buildings with urban characteristics, most of them are in open areas and mainly near the centres of Tejina and Vera de Erques.

Do

• The International Documentary Festival of the South (DOCUSUR), in which international documentaries with social content are shown, with a special dedication to those produced in the countries of the South.
• The Regional Art Contest Isora, an annual event that brings together hundreds of artists from all over the archipelago.

Festivals

• Procession of the Holy Christ of the Sweet Death and the Virgin of Sorrows in Guía de Isora (Casco)
• Holy Week, various pilgrimages such as that of San Isidro Labrador or that of San Roque, and the festivities in honour of the Christ of the Sweet Death and the Virgen de la Luz are of special importance. During Holy Week, the so-called Florida Easter is celebrated, in which the passion of Jesus of Nazareth is commemorated with floral motifs.
• As for the coastal area, the celebration of the Virgin of Candelaria festival stands out on August 15 and 16 in Alcalá where, as main events, the Virgin's boat and a well-known pyrotechnic show in the municipality take place.

Eat

Although Isoran gastronomy maintains certain similarities with Canarian gastronomy, the municipality is recognized on the islands for its pastries, especially the egg bagels, the almond cakes, composed mainly of almonds and flour.

Drink

There is a great variety of wines, both red and white, or the mistela made primarily of coffee.

Sleep

Camping

The closest free official camp ground is up towards Teide from Chio:

• 1 Zona de Acampada de Chío, ☏ +34 922239199. Free. (updated Apr 2023)

Go next

• Santiago del Teide – Desert town just north of Guía de Isora with great hiking around
• Masca – A picturesque mountain village, nothing more, overrun by tourist all year long