{"id":7989,"date":"2025-01-19T21:38:10","date_gmt":"2025-01-19T21:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/lugar\/town-of-guisguey\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T16:24:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T16:24:03","slug":"town-of-guisguey","status":"publish","type":"place","link":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/en\/places\/town-of-guisguey\/","title":{"rendered":"Town of Guisguey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guisguey, the village of a thousand gulls<\/h1>\n

Long before the arrival of Europeans, around the turn of the era, populations from the north of the African continent settled in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. Guisguey, with its fertile valley, offered excellent conditions for human settlement: shrubby vegetation, pastures, fresh water, protection from the constant wind and a proximity to the sea far enough away to avoid the danger of hostile landings. <\/p>\n

Of those probable pre-Hispanic settlements there are hardly any visible remains, probably because the subsequent conversion of the valley into an agricultural zone profoundly transformed its landscape. However, archaeological manifestations of clear indigenous roots can still be found in its mountains, hills and slopes, such as the Pico de La Muda<\/strong>, at the head of the valley, or the rock engraving station of Pico de Don David.<\/strong> <\/p>\n

Origin of the name and first written references<\/h2>\n

The first written reference that has been found about this place dates from 1602<\/strong>, being mentioned as “Tiguesgay”<\/strong> in a document of transaction and agreement between Mart\u00edn Hern\u00e1ndez Xerez and Catalina de Cabrera<\/strong>, where “the lands of Tiguesgay up to the Valhondo ravine with its waters and sheepfolds”<\/strong> are named.<\/p>\n

Two centuries later, Guisguey appears as a payment belonging to the now extinct municipality of Tetir<\/strong>. At the end of the 19th century, after several territorial disputes, the village became part of the new municipality of Puerto de Cabras<\/strong>, now Puerto del Rosario<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

In the Diccionario geogr\u00e1fico-estad\u00edstico de Espa\u00f1a y sus posesiones de Ultramar<\/em> by Pascual Madoz<\/strong>, Guisguey is described as:<\/p>\n

Payment of the Canary Islands on the island of Fuerteventura, Municipality of Vega de Tetir. It consists of 80 people, being located in a small valley full of trees that make it extraordinarily beautiful. It produces wheat, barley, barrilla and other fruits, and raises some cochineal. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A valley dedicated to agriculture<\/h2>\n

The excellent hydrographic and environmental conditions of the valley meant that, from its origins, Guisguey was mainly dedicated to agriculture<\/strong>, especially the cultivation of cereals<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The importance of this economic activity is reflected in the toponymy of the place<\/strong>, with places such as Morro Triguero<\/strong>, and in the existence of a multitude of threshing floors and tahonas<\/strong> (“mills” powered by animal power) that speak of the agricultural power that this fertile valley had.<\/p>\n

During the nineteenth century and most of the twentieth century, the village already had about thirty houses<\/strong> and a population of about a hundred inhabitants<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The gavias system: traditional hydraulic device<\/h2>\n

One of the greatest heritage treasures of Guisguey are its gavias<\/strong>, a cultivation system that made it possible to obtain crops in adverse weather conditions, with very little rainfall, playing a fundamental role in the economy of the two driest islands of the archipelago.<\/p>\n

This system was brought by the peninsular settlers who arrived in the Canary Islands after the conquest<\/strong> and has endured and evolved during the five centuries of cereal cultivation in Fuerteventura<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The gullies constitute an agricultural land designed to channel and remansar rainwater<\/strong>, causing maximum infiltration into the soil. The objective is to provide a level of humidity that allows cultivation on these soils. <\/p>\n

When it rains, the gavia is flooded and remains so for a few days. The water is absorbed by the soil little by little, at which time the gavia<\/strong> is said to have “drunk”,<\/strong> at which time the moist soil is ready for sowing. <\/p>\n

Parts of a topsail<\/h2>\n

The system is composed of several fundamental elements:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • The ridge:<\/strong> this is the earth wall that surrounds the cultivation plot, with a height that varies between 0.5 and 1.25 meters.<\/strong> This ridge must be very well constructed to resist the thrust of the water during the whole time it remains stagnant. The ridge can be made of earth only or be reinforced with stones and shrubs, such as tarajales or fruit trees<\/strong>. <\/li>\n
  • The torna:<\/strong> this is the point through which the water penetrates into the slickwater. It consists of a recess in the fret that must be reinforced with stones or branches. It can be a simple recess at the height of the pipe or more complex, with gates and systems for diverting the torrential waters from the riverbed. <\/li>\n
  • The drain:<\/strong> is an opening in the flask, located on the opposite side of the tower, through which the soda siphon sends excess water to the gully or to another siphon when it is full.<\/li>\n
  • The spout:<\/strong> is the channel that conducts the water to the gavia. It can consist of a simple channel that collects the water from the culvert or a network that is divided and hierarchized into main and secondary pipes. <\/li>\n
  • The floodgates: these<\/strong> are structures that, by opening and closing, control the flow of water entering some pipes of certain importance, channeling the water to one group of gullies or to another. They also prevent the entry of more flow when the gullies have received enough. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The Valhondo-Guisguey ravine<\/h2>\n

    The Valhondo-Guisguey ravine<\/strong> is the deepest on the eastern slope of the island. Its basin reaches a length of 13.5 kilometers<\/strong>, with headwaters in the Monta\u00f1a de la Muda<\/strong>, which with its 689 meters high<\/strong>, along with El Aceitunal<\/strong>, forms one of the highest mountain complexes of Fuerteventura. <\/p>\n

    The Guisguey valley, located only eight kilometers from the capital<\/strong>, is a privileged place: a land full of history that is worth knowing.<\/p>\n

    Ethnographic heritage and neighborhood recovery<\/h2>\n

    Guisguey received in 2017<\/strong> the Biosfera Award<\/strong> granted by the Cabildo of Fuerteventura<\/strong>, recognizing the commitment of its neighbors in the care and improvement of the landscape environment of the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

    This recognition is the result of the sensitivity of the locals to beautify the area and rescue ethnographic elements<\/strong> such as gavias, corrals, haylofts, taros and threshing floors<\/strong>, with the aim of keeping alive the agricultural history of the village.<\/p>\n

    The “Los Pajeros” Neighborhood Association of Guisguey<\/strong> has been instrumental in this work, promoting initiatives such as the planting of nearly 200 fig trees<\/strong> on the banks of the ravine to recover the traditional agricultural landscape.<\/p>\n

    Among the elements recovered is the Corral de Concejo<\/strong>, one of the two that existed in the town to guard the loose animals that had caused some damage in the neighborhood. This corral was swept away by a storm in the early morning of January 5, 1964<\/strong> and later recovered thanks to the prize funds obtained. <\/p>\n

    The tragic event of the murder of Pablo Espinel de Vera<\/h2>\n

    The recent history of Guisguey is marked by a tragic event that occurred on April 27, 1976<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    That morning, five legionnaires of the Tercio Don Juan de Austria<\/strong>, who had deserted the previous morning from the Puerto del Rosario<\/strong> barracks carrying a submachine gun, ammunition and other belongings, arrived in town.<\/p>\n

    Around ten o’clock in the morning<\/strong>, two of them approached the house of Pablo Espinel de Vera<\/strong>, mayor of Guisguey, to ask for water, food and civilian clothes, while the other three waited on a nearby hill.<\/p>\n

    After a fierce argument, Pablo ran away and one of the legionnaires shot him in the back, hitting him in the left shoulder. Badly wounded, he managed to flee to his house and tried to grab a hunting shotgun, but could not even load it. <\/p>\n

    Another legionnaire then unloaded a burst of CETME<\/strong> shots at close range on his body, ending the life of the young 43-year-old<\/strong> mayor.<\/p>\n

    His wife, Agustina Jim\u00e9nez Vera<\/strong>, witnessed the scene and was able to take refuge in a neighbor’s house until the danger passed.<\/p>\n

    The Era of Pablo Espinel: a heartfelt tribute<\/h2>\n

    In April 2017<\/strong>, thanks to the work of the “Los Pajeros” Neighborhood Association<\/strong> of the village and on the occasion of the 41st anniversary of his death<\/strong>, the “Era de Pablo Espinel”<\/strong> was inaugurated in his memory , an<\/strong> ethnographic ensemble that pays tribute to the murdered pedestrian mayor.<\/p>\n

    The space was made possible thanks to the collaboration of the neighbors, who “with the help of pioneers”<\/strong> and with the economic support of individuals and institutions managed to make the tribute a reality.<\/p>\n

    In this place there is a replica of a taro that was in his house<\/strong>, a pajero<\/strong>, symbol of the agricultural past of Guisguey, and a gate with a sculptural group made by the artist Lixber Reguera<\/strong>, in which Pablo Espinel de Vera, his wife Agustina Jim\u00e9nez Vera and his dog bardino<\/strong> are represented.<\/p>\n

    The space also has information panels<\/strong> with family photographs and press clippings related to his death.<\/p>\n

    Current events and landscape protection<\/h2>\n

    At present, Guisguey, thanks to the involvement of its neighbors and the effects of its Special Protection Plan<\/strong>, approved in 1997<\/strong>, has become a residential settlement that does not turn its back on its past, preserving its landscape and its agricultural and ethnographic heritage.<\/p>\n

    Its urban fabric is dispersed and of residential use, with the special plan ensuring no uncontrolled construction<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    The village has several attractions for the visitor: the surroundings of the Ermita de San Pedro<\/strong>, where there is a model of the village that represents rural life in the past; the sculpture “Camino al Sostiadero”;<\/strong> the Interpretation Center<\/strong>; the sculpture in tribute to rural women<\/strong>; numerous rehabilitated houses with great heritage value; the Corral del Concejo<\/strong>, the Plaza Pablo Espinel<\/strong> and the Jard\u00edn de las Tornas<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    To walk around Guisguey today is to immerse oneself in the rural soul of the island, where time seems to stand still and the connection with nature and tradition is still present in every corner.<\/p>\n

    Its streets, its gullies, its chapel and its people remember how life was forged in the interior of Fuerteventura, in a fertile valley that knew how to turn the adverse terrain into its greatest ally.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Guisguey, the village of a thousand gulls Long before the arrival of Europeans, around the turn of the era, populations from the north of the African continent settled in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. Guisguey, with its fertile valley, offered excellent conditions for human settlement: shrubby vegetation, pastures, fresh water, protection from the constant wind and a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7853,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","place-type":[220,221,226,223],"place-categories":[230],"place-amenities":[],"place-city":[237],"place-neighborhood":[],"class_list":["post-7989","place","type-place","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","place-type-aventura-en","place-type-merendero-en","place-type-mirador-en","place-type-turismo-rural-en","place-categories-ver-y-hacer-en","place-city-guisguey-en"],"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/MIRADOR-DE-GUISGUEY-1.png","golo-place_price_short":"","golo-place_price_unit":"m","golo-place_price_range":"","golo-place_booking_type":"","golo-place_booking":"","golo-place_booking_site":"","golo-place_booking_2":"","golo-place_booking_site_2":"","golo-place_booking_banner":{"id":"0","url":""},"golo-place_booking_banner_url":"","golo-place_booking_form":"19","golo-booking_form_title":"","golo-booking_form_description":"","golo-booking_form_image":{"id":"0","url":""},"golo-place_phone":"","golo-place_phone2":"","golo-place_email":"","golo-place_website":"","golo-place_identity":"10910","golo-google_review_placeid":"","golo-place_facebook":"","golo-place_instagram":"","golo-place_twitter":"","golo-additional_detail":"1","golo-additional_detail_icon":[""],"golo-additional_detail_name":[""],"golo-additional_detail_url":[""],"golo-opening_monday":"Lunes","golo-opening_monday_time":"","golo-monday_allday":"0","golo-opening_tuesday":"Martes","golo-opening_tuesday_time":"","golo-tuesday_allday":"0","golo-opening_wednesday":"Mi\u00e9rcoles","golo-opening_wednesday_time":"","golo-wednesday_allday":"0","golo-opening_thursday":"Jueves","golo-opening_thursday_time":"","golo-thursday_allday":"0","golo-opening_friday":"Viernes","golo-opening_friday_time":"","golo-friday_allday":"0","golo-opening_saturday":"S\u00e1bado","golo-opening_saturday_time":"","golo-saturday_allday":"0","golo-opening_sunday":"Domingo","golo-opening_sunday_time":"","golo-sunday_allday":"0","golo-yelp_review":"1","golo-yelp_review_title":[""],"golo-yelp_review_type":[""],"golo-place_views_count":"2118","golo-menu_enable":"0","golo-menu_types":"1","golo-menu_types_name":[""],"golo-menu_tab":[{"golo-menu_title":"","golo-menu_price":"","golo-menu_description":"","golo-menu_image":{"id":"0","url":""},"golo-menu_item_type":""}],"golo-place_address":"","golo-place_zip":"","golo-place_timezone":"UTC+0","golo-place_location":{"location":"28.5578953,-13.8821388","address":"35612 Guisguey, Las Palmas, Espa\u00f1a"},"golo-place_featured":"0","golo-place_logged":"0","golo-place_images":["https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/MIRADOR-DE-GUISGUEY-1.png","https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/HOMENAJE-MUJER-RURAL-GUISGUEY-1.png","https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GUISGUEY-2.jpg","https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GUISGUEY-CHICO-1.png","https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GUISGUEY-CHICO-1.jpeg","https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GUISGUEY-CHICO-2-1.png","https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GUISGUEY-CAMINO-EL-SOSTIADERO-1-1.jpg","https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GUISGUEY-2-1-1.jpg","https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GUISGUEY-1-1-1.jpg","https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/GUISGUEY-1-2.jpg","https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/CAMINO-DEL-SOSTIADERO-GUISGUEY-1.jpg","https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/CAsa-de-Felipito.jpg"],"golo-place_video_url":"","golo-place_video_image":"","golo-faqs_enable":"0","golo-faqs_tab":[{"golo-faqs_title":"","golo-faqs_description":""}],"golo-booking_item_name":"","golo-booking_item_id":"","golo-booking_item_author":"","golo-booking_adults":"","golo-booking_childrens":"","golo-booking_date":"","golo-booking_time":"","golo-place_coupon":"","golo-package_free":"","golo-package_price":"","golo-package_unlimited_time":"","golo-package_time_unit":"","golo-package_period":"","golo-package_unlimited_listing":"","golo-package_number_listings":"","golo-package_number_featured":"","golo-package_order_display":"","golo-package_featured":"","golo-package_visible":"","golo-package_extra_featured":"","golo-email_template_framework_type":"","golo-place_rating":"","golo-review_count":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/place\/7989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/place"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/place"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7989"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/place\/7989\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10911,"href":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/place\/7989\/revisions\/10911"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"place-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/place-type?post=7989"},{"taxonomy":"place-categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/place-categories?post=7989"},{"taxonomy":"place-amenities","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/place-amenities?post=7989"},{"taxonomy":"place-city","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/place-city?post=7989"},{"taxonomy":"place-neighborhood","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoverpuerto.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/place-neighborhood?post=7989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}