Places to visit
To
take a tour around the historic
quarter of the Town of Ingenio,
visitors should start in Plaza de
La Candelaria.
There, you will find the Town Hall and
the Church of La Candelaria.
The Church
of La Candelaria,
dating from 1901, was built on the
remains of the previous chapel of the
same name. The altarpiece of the main
altar is Gothic and the church bells,
forged and donated to the church by
the Gran Canaria
migrants in Cuba in 1820, is also
worth your attention.
In
the city centre, you can also visit
the Casa del Reloj
(Clock House), belonging to the
Royal Water Rights Association of Aguatona.
Here, farmers adjust their clocks to
bring them in line with the
Association clock, in order to buy the
water they need for irrigating their
lands.
Visitors
also have the option of seeing the
natural environment of the borough by
going to the Guayadeque
Ravine, where you can see numerous
natural and artificial caves, some of
which were used as burial sites and
others as dwellings in pre-Hispanic
times. The borough has an extensive
network of trails and routes to visit
all these caves. The Guayadeque
Museum has an exhibition showing
what the Guayadeque
Ravine looked like in pre-Hispanic
times; the Museum of Stones and
Canary Island Crafts (Museo
de Piedras
y Artesanía
Canaria),
which houses a large collection of
minerals and samples of the works of
local craftsmen; and El Granero,
a permanent exhibition centre that can
be visited by appointment.
Another
interesting excursion is the Ruta
de los Molinos
de Agua (Water
Mills Route), which runs through
the historic quarter, offering
visitors an insight into how these
mills worked centuries ago. In Ingenio,
visitors can also enjoy a stroll
through the Parque
Nestor (Nestor Park) or a visit to
the Casa de Postas
(Coach House). In the latter, you
have the chance to see several rooms
showing openwork as well as exhibition
rooms showing paintings, sculptures
and photography.
The
town of Carrizal is worth a
visit, with its church dedicated to
the Virgen del Buen Suceso (Virgin of
the Fortunate Event), its old quarter
and other symbolic places such as the Casa
del Obispo (former episcopal seat
), which, at present, is in the
process of being restored.
Beaches
The
coast of Ingenio
has two main beaches, although the
most popular one is Playa del Burrero.
This is a small beach, about 500
metres long, of sand and pebbles where
the wind and waves make it ideal for
sailing and windsurfing.
The
other beach in the borough is San Agustín,
a small sand and pebble cove that is
not used very much because access is
difficult.
Fiestas and events
The
fiesta in honour of the Patron Saint
of Ingenio
is celebrated in the first week of
February in the town centre. This is
the Fiesta of Nuestra
Señora de
la Candelaria.
During this fiesta, all the locals
gather for a pilgrimage-offering to
the Virgin, accompanied by folklore
shows and livestock fairs. The
pilgrimage finishes with the popular Taifas
Ball, with music from several folklore
groups.
Other
characteristic celebrations in the
borough are the Fiestas of Nuestra
Señora
del Buen Suceso,
in the town of de El Carrizal,
where they organise another very
popular pilgrimage.
‘La
Bajá del
Macho’ is another popular
festival in the borough, held in
October. It commemorates the election
of the best male goat in the Pasadilla
Fair. The chosen goat is feted in the
procession that follows.
There
are other festivities such as the
fiestas of San Pedro and San
Pablo (Saint Peter and Saint Paul)
in the month of June, as well as those
of San Isidro and San Roque
in Carrizal.
Shopping
Ingenio
is the leading craft centre of the
island of Gran
Canaria.
Its
fame and the perfection of the lace
work have made it a yardstick for
visitors in search of this kind of
crafts, along with ceramics and “pintadera”
(aboriginal painted symbols.)
At
present, the handicraft industry is
represented by the beautiful openwork typical
of Gran Canaria, and carried out
with meticulous care. There is also a
version of the traditional openwork
applied to fashion and known as the
Moda Calada. It has been represented
in several fashion shows which do not
differ from traditional shows. Besides,
it is possible to purchase
multicoloured rugs, blankets,
bedspreads, curtains and a large
number of very useful textile articles.
This
has brought about the creation of the Taller
Municipal de Artesanía in
Ingenio, offering courses and
workshops in different crafts and
where the craftsmen themselves and
anyone who wishes to learn, set about
making articles in different materials.
In
the Canary Island Craft and Stone
Museum (Museo
de Piedras
y Artesanía
Canaria) you
can also buy pottery, palm weaving
products and lace, as the craftsmen
are actually demonstrating the
techniques used to make many of these
articles.
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