If you have been lucky enough to have visited Teror, in Gran Canaria, you will have seen the charm and beauty of one of the most touristy towns, whose cobbled streets and houses with their typical Canarian wooden balconies make it without doubt one of the most beautiful in the archipelago. At Marca Canaria we tell you what to see in Teror, with a list of places and things you can't miss in the town.
Virgen del Pino Square and Basilica
The Virgen del Pino is the patron saint of the island of Gran Canaria. Tradition has it that on the 8th of September 1481, the statue of the Virgin appeared at the top of a pine tree, next to the Green Cross in the Plaza del Pino. The Basílica del Pino, which houses the carving, is the town's main monument, and is one of the most important churches in the Canary Islands. It has three naves, crowned by semicircular arches, with a gabled roof. In the lower chancel we find the altar of Christ tied to the column by Luján Pérez, which is carried in procession on Good Friday, and in the upper chancel, the Virgin of El Pino. Near the basilica is the Plaza Teresa de Bolívar, which was renovated in the middle of the 20th century, and where there is a bust of Simón Bolívar.
On the other hand, the irregularly shaped Plaza del Pino is another of the must-see places in Teror, where all the celebrations in Teror take place, both fiestas and fairs, and of course, its municipal street market. The Plaza del Pino is surrounded by the houses of the most important families of Teror, houses that are magnificently built and give colour to the square. Next to the basilica, we can find the Cruz Verde (Green Cross), nowadays an iron cross that replaced the original one, made with remains of the pine tree where the Virgin appeared, although it is located a few metres further from its original position, a change that was made so that cars could pass without any problems.
Teror street market
If you are lucky enough to be in Teror on a Sunday, you won't want to miss its street market, which takes place every Sunday from 08:00 to 15:00 h. All the life of the village is concentrated around the square and the Basilica del Pino, in a very festive atmosphere, and which has traditionally been celebrated for more than two centuries. With more than 150 stalls, you can find, on the one hand, all those typical products of Teror of handicraft or textile production that you cannot miss: baskets of all shapes and sizes, brass objects, wood carvings, embroidery of many techniques (macramé, with looms, crochet...). The flea market is definitely one of the must-see things to do in Teror.
The gastronomy of Teror
And on the other hand, in the street market you can buy those products of the gastronomy of Teror that have made it famous, such as its famous soft chorizos, to spread, which have the reddish colour given by the paprika and an oval shape, and which are manufactured in three local factories. On the other hand, there are the sweet black puddings, made with cow's blood, with a spicy touch, which you should not resist, and which you will eat with its famous wood-fired bread, which you will find in many different formats. But you'll also find breads made with different flours, egg, potato or millet, figs, walnuts and sultanas. And the cheeses: magnificent goat's, sheep's or cow's cheeses, cured or fresh, seasoned with gofio or paprika.
... and the confectionery of Teror
Teror is also a town famous for its sweets. These sweets are as popular as trout, queques, marzipan, aniseed buns, roscos, mantecados or turrones ( but beware, they are not the same as those on the mainland, and are eaten all year round). Apart from all the local pastry shops and bakeries, of which there is no shortage, other great specialists in the production of all these delicacies are the cloistered nuns of the Cistercian order, whose convent was completed in 1888, and whose farmland is essential for producing the raw materials for all their excellent handmade pastries. The nuns sell them in their monastery on a lathe, for a fee, although they can also be bought at the Sunday market. Another must-see in Teror is the Benítez ConfectioneryFor more than 80 years it has been sweetening its inhabitants.
Photos: grancanaria.com, okgrancanaria.com, Pastelería Benítez, Government of the Canary Islands.
