Teguise which is the former capital of Lanzarote has a rich history and trace its roots all the way back to 1418 and can boast it is the oldest Spanish settlement anywhere in the Canary Islands
Its position on high ground and it being to the centre of the Island conferred a tactical and defensive advantage over other towns located on the coast of Lanzarote, securing it as the Islands capital for over 400 years until 1852 when the capital was moved to its current location of Arrecife.
Overlooking Teguise is the 'Castillo de Santa Barbara', a castle built in the 16th century in an attempt to protect the island from marauding Moorish pirates. This on-going pillage reached a violent climax in 1618 when a horde of 5,000 Algerian buccaneers overran the town. A little street called La Sangre, which means blood in English, serves as a monument to the brutal slaughter that ensued and can still be found beside the church, Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, just off the central Plaza.
At the centre of Teguise is a picturesque square, the San Miguel Plaza, which becomes the heart of a lively open-air market open every Sunday morning which runs between 9am and 2pm. At this market you will find many locally produced crafts alongside more modern merchandise. For the remainder of the week though Teguise is very quiet place.
This makes Teguise great for sightseeing and visitors looking to discover the authentic Lanzarote should pay a visit to see why the town was declared a site of historic and architectural interest by Spain over 20 years ago.
There are several buildings of historical interest that are open to the public with date from between the 16th and 18th century.
