Pyramids of Güímar

The Ethnographic Park Pirámides de Güímar was founded in 1998 by the renowned Norwegian researcher Thor Heyerdahl, who was responsible for safeguarding the pyramids from an urban plan, creating the Ethnographic Park to ensure its study and conservation. Throughout its more than 64.000m2 you can discover the pyramid complex, a museum, an auditorium, several outdoor routes and large garden areas.

The Casa Chacona Museum is found on the ground floor of a nineteenth century house. At the entrance, a life-size reproduction of the statue of Kon Tiki.

Various theories exist about the origin and age of the pyramids. Some researchers claim, that they are mere heaps of stones left by farmers clearing the land for cultivation.

Heyerdahl on the other hand related the existence of the pyramids to ancient civilisations on the island, arguing that the construction details of the pyramids resemble the architectural principles used in the Old and New Worlds, and therefore could not be the product of a mere accumulation of stones.

In 1991, a team of archaeologists from the University of La Laguna (Tenerife) and the foundation FERCO conducted the first excavations in the plaza located between two of the pyramids that form the main complex. This campaign yielded a series of materials from the mid-nineteenth century.

Meanwhile, researchers of the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canaries undertook a study of the archaeoastronomical characteristics of these structures. These investigations showed that the pyramids are oriented astronomically to the summer and winter solstices.

In 2017, Pirámides de Güímar obtained the prestigious denomination of Botanical Garden, granted unanimously by the Ibero-Macaronesian Association of Botanical Gardens.

This recognition is the fruit of the work of many years: as an open-air museum, several open routes have been created on the culture, history, botany and nature of the Canary Islands, giving a greater role to a botanical collection