ETHNOGRAPHIC PARK AND BOTANICAL GARDEN - GÜÍMAR PYRAMIDS

The Pirámides de Güímar ethnographic park and botanical garden is a large open-air museum and one of the Canary Islands' five official botanical gardens. It came into being in the 90s thanks to the existence of six stepped pyramids, which have been studied by researchers from all over the world, starting with the famous Norwegian anthropologist and founder of the museum, Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002). Scientists from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands have discovered that the pyramid complex is oriented towards the sun on key astronomical dates, giving it the function of a macrocalendar. In addition to the pyramids, the park includes four outdoor routes and specialized gardens, spread over more than 64,000 m². These include a Canarian botanical route, a cultural route and a volcanic route. Facilities also include the Casa Chacona museum, where pyramid research is revealed, and an auditorium, where Thor Heyerdahl's theories and extraordinary transoceanic expeditions are explained. You can also visit the Poison Garden, the only one of its kind in Spain, home to over 70 species of poisonous and even deadly plants from all over the planet. It reveals the world of poisoners and poisons prepared from familiar, if poisonous, plants. Created in collaboration with the University of La Laguna, the Sustainable Garden is a reproduction of a Canarian ravine, including a watercourse, and presents the characteristic flora of these environments in a sustainable way. The Tropicarium pays homage to Charles Darwin, demonstrating in a never-before-seen way the life strategies used by orchids and insectivorous plants to survive in tropical conditions. All in all, this park offers a unique experience thanks to its 30,000 m² of accessible green space, enabling culture and nature lovers to enjoy a day outdoors in a sustainable environment. It has also been singled out for various awards: Tenerife Island's "Best Tourist Practice"; "Committed Biosphere" and "Remarkable Venue Awards 2022" in the Best Hidden Gem category. And its "An Ocean... of Plastic" exhibition, tackling the problem of ocean pollution by microplastics, earned it two nominations for the European Museum of the Year Award, the most prestigious on the European continent.