Teror: the town of balconies in Gran Canaria

Some villages in Gran Canaria are a stop on the way to somewhere else. Teror isn't one of them. It's the island's pilgrimage town, home to the Virgen del Pino, patron saint of Gran Canaria, and the place with the most photographed row of balconies in the archipelago. A slow morning walk, no mountain driving required, covers the essentials.

The Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pino

Tradition says the Virgin appeared among the branches of a pine tree in 1481, and a small hermitage went up beside that tree, later replaced in the 18th century by the three-nave basilica still standing today, finished in 1767. The image was canonically crowned in 1905, Pope Pius X declared her patron saint of Gran Canaria in 1914, and her sanctuary was raised to basilica status in 1916. Every 7 and 8 September, the Romería Ofrenda and the feast of the Virgen del Pino fill Teror with tens of thousands of people from across the island.

Real de la Plaza and its balconies

Leading off the square in front of the Basilica is Real de la Plaza, the street that made Teror famous well beyond the Canary Islands. Stately 16th and 17th century houses, whitewashed and fronted with hand-carved pine wood balconies painted in greens, blues and deep reds, line it one after another. It's the image that shows up in every Gran Canaria guidebook, and the reason the historic centre is protected as a Site of Historic and Artistic Interest.

The Sunday market

Every Sunday morning, the square and the streets around the Basilica fill with Teror's traditional market: goat and sheep cheeses, Teror chorizo, palm honey, gofio and flowers from the island's interior. It's also where, since 1916, the town has bottled Agua de Teror, one of the best known mineral water brands in the Canaries, named after the town itself.

Getting there with an organised tour

If you'd rather not drive the interior roads yourself, the full-day tour of Gran Canaria's highlights picks up from the southern resorts and Las Palmas, combining Arucas, Teror, Roque Nublo and the Valley of a Thousand Palms in Fataga in a single day. 8 hours with a guide and lunch included, €44 per adult.

What else to see nearby

1. Arucas: its Church of San Juan Bautista, neo-Gothic and built from volcanic stone, can be seen from much of the island's north. The same tour that stops in Teror also calls here.
2. Firgas: fifteen minutes from Teror, its Paseo de Gran Canaria has water running over tiles illustrating the island's poems and places.
3. Roque Nublo: the monolith that symbolises Gran Canaria, the usual last stop on the tour that covers Arucas and Teror.

Tips

1. Visit on a weekday if you can: on Sunday market days the town fills up and parking near the square gets tight.
2. The Basilica closes during Mass: avoid those times if you want to take your time with the interior and the image of the Virgin.
3. Try Teror chorizo or black pork at one of the bars by the square, it's the local speciality.
4. Bring a light jacket: Teror sits at 450 metres and the Gran Canaria interior is noticeably cooler than the coast.

FAQs

Why is Teror famous? For the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pino, patron saint of Gran Canaria since 1914, and for the carved wooden balconies of Real de la Plaza, among the most photographed in the Canaries.

When is the Teror market? Every Sunday morning, in the square by the Basilica and the surrounding streets.

Can you visit Teror without a car? Yes: the full-day tour of Arucas, Teror and Roque Nublo picks up in southern Gran Canaria and Las Palmas, and spends time walking around the town.

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More plans on the island? Roque Nublo, the symbol of Gran Canaria, and all our tours in Gran Canaria.