Abaco - The Old Governor's Mansion

The old governor's mansion, Abaco, is a pearl among Tenerife's sights. Abaco is located on the offramp from the Santa Cruz motorway into Puerto de la Cruz, about midway between the town of Orotava and what used to be Orotava Port, today known as Puerto de la Cruz.

Abaco's history is closely connected to Tenerife's general history. Sugar cane was grown on the property, until all trees in the neighbourhood had been chopped down, because it was used as firewood in the sugar boiling process. Then production was changed to wine.

Abaco was built in 1760. The governor chose the location because he and his wife thought that the people of Orotava, which was the big town at the time, didn't pay them enough respect. So they moved out of Orotava, and closer to the harbour, from which much of the produce from Abaco was shipped.

Abaco is in frequent use today. In the morning tour groups visit and sightsee, and Friday and Saturday - and sometimes Sunday as well - a bar is open on the ground floor, and concerts are given on the first floor in the piano room.

If you wish to visit in the morning on your own, then this is entirely possible. Expect to be asked to pay an entrance fee. If a tour group is visiting during your visit, then consider joining them for the guided tour around the beautiful and well kept rooms in Abaco. It is a genuine experience.

Whenever a tourgroup visits, the guided tour is ended in the yard, and a local folk group performs.

The performance includes local folk dances, which give you a good and pleasant insight into the culture of Tenerife.