Teror

Introducing Teror

In spite of its name, Teror, 22km southwest of Las Palmas, does anything but inspire fear. The central Plaza Nuestra Señora del Pino and Calle Real are lined with picturesque old houses with leaning walls and wooden balconies. The only jarring building is the new and modern Auditorio de Teror, just west of the basilica. Aesthetics aside, it has admirably provided the town with a new cultural venue. There’s a farmers’ market in the plaza on Saturday mornings with stalls selling wheels of local goat’s cheese (ask for a taste). The Sunday market is larger and more commercial.

One of the loveliest houses is the 17th-century Casa de los Patronos de la Virgen (Plaza Nuestra Señora del Pino 3; admission €3; 11am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sun). Pleasantly musty, this house is devoted to preserving 18th-century life and is full of intriguing odds and ends, mostly from the Las Palmas family who used it as a second home.

Dominating the square is the Basílica de la Virgen del Pino (8am-noon & 2-6pm), a neoclassical 18th-century church, and home to Gran Canaria’s patron saint. According to legend, the Virgin was spied atop a pine tree in the nearby forest in the 15th century, which turned Teror into a quasi-Fatima pilgrimage site. The church interior, a lavishly gilt-laden affair, sees the enthroned Virgen de la Nieve illuminated in her place of honour at the heart of a lavishly ornate altarpiece, surrounded by angels. It’s a pity about the piped religious music, but the sign to turn off your mobile phone is spot on, stating that ‘you don’t need a mobile to talk to God’.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009