The Guanches — Indigenous People of the Islands

Long before the first Europeans set foot on Canary soil, the Guanches lived here — a people that remain an enigma to this day. Where did they come from? DNA analysis clearly shows: They descended from the Berber peoples of North Africa and likely reached the islands between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD. The truly astonishing part: They had no ships and no seafaring knowledge. How they crossed over 100 kilometers of open Atlantic is one of the great mysteries of Canary history.

The Guanches lived as shepherds and farmers, keeping goats and growing barley. Each island developed its own distinct culture with its own language, laws, and social structure. On Tenerife, nine Menceys (kings) ruled, dividing the island among themselves. On Gran Canaria, there were two Guanartemats (kingdoms) — that of Gáldar in the north and that of Telde in the south. The Guanches mummified their dead in caves (the famous mummies in the Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre in Santa Cruz de Tenerife are a must-see), lived partly in cave settlements, and left behind enigmatic rock carvings (petroglyphs) — particularly impressive in the Barranco de Balos on Gran Canaria.

Their daily life was remarkably advanced: They produced Gofio (roasted grain flour), which remains a staple food in the Canaries, crafted intricately decorated ceramics, and practiced a complex ancestor cult. The famous Cueva Pintada (Painted Cave) in Gáldar on Gran Canaria displays geometric patterns whose meaning is still debated today — calendars, tribal symbols, or religious signs?