Ingenio

Ingenio is a small Canarian town which is known for its arts and crafts. There is a sugar press monument on the roundabout which you will see when you enter the town. A lot of sugar cane used to be grown in the area but it isn’t any more. Ingenio won independence from Aguimes (the neighbouring town) in the 1800s and became a municipality. It was economically important because of the sugar cane and most of the locals still work in the agricultural sector, with tomatoes being the main crop.

Advertisements

Shopping

Look out for ceramics, lacework or pintadera in Ingenio. Pintadera is Aboriginal symbols and you can buy various ceramics or knick-knacks decorated with pintadera. You can also get good quality rugs, curtains, bedspreads and other textiles in Ingenio. The Stone and Crafts Museum is open every day and you can see embroidery being made too.

Photo by Risager

Places of Interest

The Plaza de la Candelaria is an important part of the town and if you are around in mid-August you might like to visit on August 15th, for Dia de la Candelaria to watch the procession. Visit Casa del Reloj, the Clock House, which belongs to the Royal Water Rights Association. This is where the farmers used to set their clocks and buy the water they needed for their crops.

Parque las Mimosas at the bottom of the hill is also nice, especially if it’s a hot day and you want to sit somewhere cool for a bit. There’s a play area for the kids and some beautiful plants for the adults to enjoy. If you live in Gran Canaria it’s also nice to see grass and smell a freshly mown lawn.

Photo by Risager

How to Get There

Advertisements

Take the no.11 bus or the no.21 bus from San Telmo in Las Palmas to Aguimes and then get a taxi to Ingenio. The buses leave every hour. Alternatively you can follow the southern motorway out of Las Palmas and follow the Ingenio road signs. Ingenio is one of the oldest towns in Gran Canaria and it is an interesting place for a visit.

Advertisements

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *