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Ingenio

March 8, 2018
Old Town of Ingenio

Do you want to get to know beyond the resorts on Gran Canaria? At Gran Canaria Local, we travel the length and breadth of the island to show you the sights less seen. Like the south-east Ingenio’s. Here are five fun facts:

  1. Ingenio’s Gran Canaria’s sweetest spot
  2. Park life in Ingenio
  3. Ingenio: of yeast and beast
  4. Shrine divine in Ingenio
  5. Independence days, Ingenio style

1. Ingenio’s Gran Canaria’s sweetest spot

Sugar, sugar. Ingenio owes its birth and name to what the Spanish call azucar. Ingenio translates as sugar mill and sugar-cane plantations flourished in the nearby agricultural areas where tomatoes now grow. The produce was then transported to the Bahia de Gando (Gando Bay), for export to the ports of Flanders and beyond.

2. Park life in Ingenio

For those from the UK missing its green and pleasant land, there are a couple of parks in Ingenio to make you feel less homesick. At the bottom of the hill lies Parque las Mimosas which offers precious shade from the solar onslaught. Higher up is Parque Nestor Alamo, where a tree’s errant branch means you have to almost limbo-dance under it to continue on your way.

3. Ingenio: of yeast and beast

Two of Ingenio’s most famed culinary delights are pan de puño and carne de cochino. Pan de puño‘s the result of the baker kneading the dough with their fist to create a distinctively-shaped bread. Carne de cochino’s pork and the area’s pigs are immortalized with a statue outside the parish church.

4. Shrine divine in Ingenio

Ingenio’s a typically Spanish town where religion plays a key role. In the casco antiguo, you’ll see one of the original houses, dating back to 1526, with a cross above it.  Rather newer is the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, built in 1901. It was, however, built on the remains of an old hermitage. Nearby, you’ll find a churreria and two bars if you want to wile away the afternoon Canarian style with a beer and, indeed, cheer.

5. Independence days Ingenio style

Ingenio’s old town is the equal of its rather more famous neighbour, Agüimes. The former gained independence from the latter back in 1835. 100 years after it first bid to become a parish in its own right.