The House of the Balconies has an authentic old canary wine press (lagar), that is located in the cosy patio at the end of the museum. First you will be immersed though in a house of the XVII century, breathing the atmosphere of that time. You can stroll through the long halls, dining room, dormitory and kitchen and admire the testimony of the colonial influence. You will find in its interior the uses and customs of the authentic canary tradition.
This house was constructed at the beginning of the XVII century and lodges a collection of almost a thousand pieces of pottery that have been used in the domestic environment. The collection is one of most complete that exists in Spain and contains pieces representative of all communities. Activities: pottery manufacturing where the whole process can be followed live.
Unfortunately for museums fans this museum, that was located in one of the oldest houses of la Orotava, has been turned at the end of 2003 in a rural hotel. A store with traditional Canary articles and a patio restaurant are still present.
The museum is in the district of Pinolere, above la Orotava, and is located in the area that houses every summer the Fair of Crafts of this district. The exposition shows different aspects of the architectonic, environmental, agricultural and socio-cultural landscape of the midlands of the Valley of la Orotava. It is divided in two thematic areas: the museum of canary basketwork "D. Juan González Fariña" and the museum of the history of Pinolere "D. Francisco Luis Acosta". The visitor is invited to ramble through the historical account of this agricultural surroundings of the midlands : the archaeological set "Cuevas de los Guanches", its territory, the economic resources, the celebrations and its traditions, the labor occupations of its habitants, the traditional habitat... the present and future of this community.
Much more information of the ´Ayuntamiento´ Tourist Information Office: 922 386 000
At the moment (March 2004) the museum is closed by reforms.
The parish church of San Marcos, built at the end of the XVII century, lodges an interesting museum in which numerous sacred objects are exposed, as the custodia of Sopranis, made in jewellery in the XVIII century; dalmatics embroidered in gold and the famous silver filigree cross - the largest of the world -, coming from the fabrication shop of Espellos of Havana (Cuba). According to old legends, the aboriginal Guanches came here to worship a small Gothic-Flemish statue which had mysteriously appeared in a cave at the beach of San Marcos long before the introduction of Christianity.
The museum is located in a traditional house of two floors. The first floor lodges samples of artisan production of the region, a museum of natural sciences and a Christmas crib inspired on the Icod of the XIX century. The top floor is dedicated exclusively to the poet from Icod with biographical and bibliographical data.
The ´casona´ ´La Baranda´, of the seventeenth-century, is a good example of canary rural architecture. The ´Cabildo´ of Tenerife has turned it into Tenerife's wine museum (Casa museum Insular de la Vid y el Vino). The museum shows us the history of Tenerife wines and the importance and present of the insular wine-cultivating sector. In the ´Sala de Degustación´ (tasting room) the visitor can try for a moderate price a total of 10 wines. All five denominations of origin of the island of Tenerife are represented in white, rosé and red, accompanied by exquisite cheeses of the island. There's also a good restaurant on site, the Tasca, offering Canarian food and, of course, wine at moderate prices.
The House of Honey (Casa de la Miel de Tenerife), created by the ´Cabildo´ of Tenerife in 1996, is located in the superior corner of the ´Finca La Baranda´, where also the House of Wine is located. It is a centre oriented to improve the quality of the honeys of the island. It offers training and services of extraction, wax analysis, packaging, quality control, recovery and wax lamination, as well as technical and sanitary assessment to beekeepers. One is aware that bees play an important role in conserving the floral and the agricultural richness of the island.
After a prolonged closure for renovation and refurbishment one of Tenerife's most picturesque museums reopened again in may 2004. The museum is located in a grand old eighteenth century mansion, set within attractive gardens, also known as "Casa de Carta" and dedicates itself to popular culture. It occupies an area of some 21,000 square metres and counts with fourteen exhibition halls, galleries and other spaces to show the sections that form traditional rural and domestic life. The tranquil museum celebrates Canary crafts, customs, agriculture and traditions. Visitors can see how poor and rich people lived and farmed, what they wore - the collection of costumes on display is first-class - and what their furniture was like. There are samples of ceramics of all the islands, farming equipment, textiles, looms and kitchens, pottery, basketry and musical instruments.
The primary goal of this museum is to show the visitor the fascinating world of science and cosmos in a simple and entertaining way. From its start in 1993, nearly 100 interactive experiments were created. Everyday numerous activities take place, like film projections, astronomical observations, laboratory demonstrations, etc. Through a series of experiments the visitor can gain insight in the following subjects: "the sun", "the earth", "the universe", "the human body" and "How does it work?". In addition there is a planetarium.
This museum has an ample selection of objects that make reference to the history of Tenerife, from the conquest of the island to the present time. The museum is installed in a building of the end of the XVI century known as the ´la Casa Lercaro´, old residence of a family of Italian traders.
This museum introduces its visitors into the natural and cultural patrimony of the islands and in the fields of Biology, Archaeology, Paleontology and Paleopathology. These labors are developed in three institutes: Museo Arqueológico (Archaeological museum) Their collections divide in skeletized and mummificated rests and collections of different geographic scopes: Pre-Columbian archaeology, African Ethnography, Ceramic Berber and the old Spanish Sahara. Museo de Ciencias Naturales (Museum of Natural Sciences) Is a center dedicated to the investigation, conservation and spreading of the flora and fauna (both present and fossil) of the Canary Islands and Macronesia (the Azores, the Madeira Archipelago, the Salvage Islands, the Canary Islands and the Cape Verde Islands) in general. Instituto Canario de Bioantropología (Canary institute of Bio anthropology) Its mission is the investigation, the diffusion and the education of the Bio anthropology, the Paleopathology and the forensic Anthropology being based on the study of the canary population from the pre-Hispanic stage to the present time. Exhibitions The museum of Nature and Man develops, throughout its exhibitions, two great thematic fields. On one hand, the field of Archaeology approaches the origin and form of life of the Hispanic populations of the Canary Islands. By another one, the field of Natural Sciences shows the insular biodiversity.
The museum is in the first floor of an old Canary house adapted to its new use. The exhibitions in the different rooms show reproductions of cultural parallelisms between the Old and New World leaving some questions open. In this way step-pyramids are presented of different parts of the world, as well as models of ancient boats, constructive details of the pyramids of Güímar and information about the excavations carried out in them.
The entrance fees for all the museums of the OAMC (´Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre´ (Museum of Nature and Man), ´Museo de Historia de Tenerife´ (Museum of the History of Tenerife), ´Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos´ (Museum of Science and Cosmos) and ´Museo de Antropología de Tenerife´ (Museum of Anthropology of Tenerife)) are as follows:
- Normal fee: 3 euros - Reduced fee: 1,50 euros (retired persons and students) - Free: Minors until 8 years - Tourist groups: 1,80 euros (12 or more visitors + free guide) - Sundays: Free entrance to all the public - When paying with the TITSA Bonobús card: 1,50 euros
The price of other services: - Planetary of the Museum of Science and Cosmos: 1 euro - Audio guide of the Museum of Nature and Man: 3 euros (English, German and Spanish)
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