Named after the last Princess of the native, pre-Spanish Guanche inhabitants, Teguise was the island’s top dog until 1852.
It’s central position, high ground and commanding views gave it a defensive and tactical advantage over coastal towns like Arrecife, so securing it’s status as Lanzarote’s capital for some 450 years.
For many centuries Lanzarote was subjected to wave after wave of invasion by pirates and the on-going pillage reached a violent crescendo in 1618 when an armada of 5,000 Algerian buccaneers overran the town.
Today Teguise is only ever invaded by shoppers — as the town plays host every Sunday to the island’s biggest street market. Tourists and locals alike pack the streets in the morning looking for a bargain. For the rest of the week Teguise is very quiet.
There are very few hotels in the town and coach tours don't really bother to stop here leaving Teguise's streets and squares hushed and deserted. The past appears to be perfectly preserved.
Teguise was the capital of the island for hundreds of years, until it lost this title to Arrecife. Now largely ignored by tourists, it has some excellent architecture, cobbled streets, atmospheric squares and remains relatively quiet.
Unlike it?s more modern coastal counterpart, Teguise is steeped in history and can lay claim to being the oldest Spanish settlement in the whole of the Canaries, dating back to 1402.
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