Agüimes: Experience the Historic Center and Culture

Agüimes is a destination for anyone who wants to make history and cultural expression the focus of their trip. In the historic center, streets and squares shape the impression just as much as the sculptures associated with local figures and traditions. Museums and historic buildings offer further perspectives on the region’s development.

Discover the History of the Historic Center

The Museo de Historia de Agüimes presents four centuries of regional history: from the establishment of episcopal rule after the Castilian conquest of the island to the mid-19th century. The Interpretation Center of the historic center is located on the site of the former Ermita de San Antonio Abad, built in the mid-16th century. Its exhibition traces urban development from prehistory to the present through construction techniques, materials and characteristic buildings. We recommend checking for current visitor information before visiting the center.

The parish church of San Sebastián stands in the town center and preserves paintings by local artists, including works by Luján Pérez del Moro. The neoclassical temple was declared a National Historic-Artistic Monument in 1981. Together with the sculptures in the historic center, the church reveals different aspects of local cultural heritage: religious art, architecture and connections to the people and traditions of the town.

For groups, the Agüimes Tourist Office organizes guided tours of the historic center. We recommend checking availability before your trip. When planning, you can choose between a group tour and exploring the streets, squares and buildings at your own pace.

Cultural Heritage and Landscape in the Municipality

The Centro de Interpretación de Guayadeque presents the environmental and cultural heritage of the Barranco de Guayadeque. Topics range from its geological formation through erosion and volcanic activity to Indigenous settlement, European colonization and present-day use. We recommend checking visitor information before your trip. The ravine connects the municipalities of Ingenio and Agüimes, is about eleven kilometers long and has an elevation difference of 1,273 meters. It is protected as a natural monument and as an Asset of Cultural Interest in the category of Archaeological Zone.

Rock engravings are also among the area’s defining cultural themes. Morro del Cuervo is home to one of the most important rock art sites in the area; at least six engraved panels have been identified there. They were created through continuous pecking and/or abrasion. Los Letreros is at the confluence of the Barranco de Temisas and the Barranco de Balos and is considered the most important complex of rock engravings on Gran Canaria. These sites give regional history a tangible archaeological dimension.

The municipality also includes the Valle de Temisas, at an altitude of 650 meters. It comprises the hamlets of San Miguel, Corazón de Jesús and La Inmaculada; the Ermita de San Miguel, built in 1730, is in the hamlet of Temisas. The Observatorio Astronómico de Temisas is a cultural reference point for teaching, outreach and research in astronomy and related sciences—in Agüimes, in the southeast of Gran Canaria and across the island.

Festivals That Mark the Year

Several annual festivals bring together music, performances and local traditions. The Fiestas de Nuestra Señora del Rosario include the Encuentro en el Casco, with musical and gastronomic performances, the Traída del Gofio y Agua, and the Romería-Ofrenda. The Cabalgata passes through the historic center every year on January 5. It has been held since 1956 and depicts key scenes from the Nativity and the arrival of the Three Wise Men. During Holy Week, La Pasión de Cristo has been performed in the streets of the historic center since 1993.

The Carnaval de Agüimes features costumes, music and batucada and is designed to involve the community. The festivities in honor of San José Obrero include a Romería offering to San José Obrero and a livestock fair. They are associated with sharecropping and pastoral farming. The events therefore differ not only in their dates but also in their forms: street performances, music and costumes sit alongside religious celebrations and links to agriculture.

Local Cuisine, Crafts and Activities

Agüimes’ culinary tradition includes stews, fish, mojos, meat, desserts and liqueurs. The Traída del Agua y el Gofio reenacts the traditional carrying of grain to a mill to make gofio; participants are served gofio along the route. Agüimes also has a municipal winery where wine and oil are produced.

Local crafts include ceramics, basket weaving, pottery, palm-leaf work, stone carving, jewelry, blacksmithing and crochet. Visitors are invited to meet local artisans. For another way to explore the area, permanent orienteering courses are available year-round for residents and visitors; we recommend checking the current course conditions before taking part. Playa de Vargas, within the municipality, is a destination for radical windsurfing.

Discover more destinations: La Goleta, Trasmontaña, Tarajalillo, El Estanco, Arinaga, Guía, El Chorrillo, El Majuelo.

Back to the main travel guide: Gran Canaria.