Guía de Isora

Before Tenerife was conquered for the Crown of Castile, one of the nine kingdoms the Island was divided into was called Daute, next to the kingdom of Icod, stretching beyond Punta de Teno, to the Erques ravine, thus including the Isora badlands.

Most settlements were in the upper part of the borough.

It was not a very densely populated area however: in 1558, it is called "unpopulated land, apart from the odd cave or hut, which is the dwelling of someone with his herds of goats or sheep".

Maybe this explains why it was not declared a parish until 1738, under Bishop Juan Francisco Guillén, and then only after several vicissitudes and many petitions in order to achieve it, although it had had a church since the 16th century, thanks to the Ponte family.

The first mayor of Guía de Isora, however, was appointed in 1624. Life and development of the borough has been characterised by a struggle for survival that has caused successive waves of migration. It did have herds of goats and sheep, which explains the presence of textile manufactures.

It was only when water was brought to the area this century, that development of the borough really took off.