Taganana

The name Taganana is of Guanche origin,^[5] with some scholars linking it to the word anagan, meaning "surrounded by mountains," or tagănan, meaning "ascent" or "slope."^[6]

Taganana is located in the homonymous valley on the northern slope of the Macizo de Anaga, approximately 15 miles (24 km) from the municipal capital's center. It covers an area of 3.94 square miles (10.21 km²) and sits at an average elevation of 367 feet (112 m) above sea level.^[7]

The village comprises several hamlets: Azanos, Bajo Roque, Casas de la Iglesia, Casas del Camino, Cruz Vieja, El Cabezo, El Calvario, El Cardonal, El Chorro, Fajanetas, La Chanca, La Cuestilla, Lomo Blanco, Lomo los Lirios, Los Naranjos, Mazapé, Portugal, Roque de las Bodegas, San Antonio, and Tachero.^[7]

The village features a church, several chapels—Saint Catherine in the village center, Saint John the Baptist in Tachero, and Virgin of Charity of Cobre in Azanos—a public square, a medical clinic, a children's playground, a pharmacy dispensary,^[8] a cultural center, a school, a sports facility, and a cemetery. It also has a pier at Roque de las Bodegas Beach, along with bars, restaurants, and small shops.^[7]

In its landscape, notable rocky formations known as Los Hombres stand out, consisting of the Roques de Las Ánimas, de Enmedio, Amogoje, and Roque del Valle. Other geological features include the Risco de la Guayosa and the Riscos del Fraile y la Monja. The coastline is dotted with numerous bajas—flat-surfaced rocky outcrops isolated in the sea.^[9]

The Monte de Las Vueltas holds significant scientific interest, preserving an excellent example of laurel forest [es].

The entire area of Taganana is part of the Anaga Rural Park [es], and like other villages and hamlets in Anaga, it is included in the biosphere reserve of the Macizo de Anaga, designated by UNESCO in 2015.^[10]

With 521 inhabitants as of 2016, Taganana is the sixth most populous locality in the Anaga District, following San Andrés, María Jiménez [es], Valleseco [es], La Alegría [es], and Igueste de San Andrés [es].

The Taganana valley has been inhabited since the Guanche era, as evidenced by numerous archaeological findings, and was part of the Menceyato of Anaga.^[12]

Along the trail between Taganana and Afur [es] lies the so-called Piedra de los Guanches, an archaeological site linked to the Guanche mummification practices.^[13] This indigenous monument is also known as the Taganana Stone.

Following the conquest of Tenerife in 1496, land distribution began among conquerors and settlers. Taganana was founded in 1501 through one such grant to a group of settlers from Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. However, it was already inhabited shortly after the conquest by these settlers and free Guanches.

Don Alonso de Lugo, governor of the islands of Tenerife and La Palma, grants to you, the residents of this island who have come from the island of Fuerteventura and some from Lanzarote—namely Grygorio Tabordo, Juan Perdomo, and Gyrónimo—a place called Taganana with its lands and waters in the region. Dated May 16, 1501. Those receiving this land are Pero Hernandes and his son Pedro de Vera, Gonçalo Mexía, Francisco Guillama, Pícar, Juan Delgado, Robín, Andrés Sanches, Pero Negrín, Alº Sanches, and those from Lanzarote. I grant you the Taganana valley with its water and lands for sugarcane fields and vineyards. Alº de Lugo.

Thus, Taganana is one of Tenerife's oldest settlements and the third oldest in the Macizo de Anaga, after San Andrés (founded three years earlier) and Igueste de San Andrés [es] (founded two years earlier).^[14]

From the 16th century, alongside San Andrés, it was a key hub in Anaga, with its own parish by at least 1505 and a mayor and constable by 1518. Its lands were initially dedicated to sugarcane cultivation, leading to the construction of the Las Vueltas Road to transport the harvest. This road was the massif's most important communication route, linking Taganana to San Cristóbal de La Laguna, then the island's capital, and branching off to connect other valleys like San Andrés, El Bufadero, and Afur.^[14]

From the 17th century, the sugarcane trade declined, giving way to intensive viticulture, which remains a defining feature of Taganana today.

In 1813, Taganana became an independent municipality under the Cádiz Constitution but requested annexation to Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1850 due to financial difficulties. It sought to restore its municipal status in 1859 but was denied. In 1868, a revolutionary council was established, lasting until 1877, when it was permanently annexed to the capital. This history of independence, combined with its isolation until recent times, has fostered a strong village identity among residents.^[15][16]

The former Taganana municipality, corresponding to the Las Nieves parish territory, stretched from the Taborno Ravine [es] to the Roque de Antequera, separated from the San Andrés Valley municipality by the Anaga ridge. It included the hamlets of Taborno [es], Afur, Almáciga [es], Benijo [es], El Draguillo [es], Las Palmas [es], and Punta de Anaga [es].^[15]

After annexation, Taganana retained a local mayor until 1967 and its own justice of the peace and civil registry until 1976.^[16]

The first school opened in 1852, with primary education continuing at the Julián Rojas de Vera School.^[17]

The 20th century brought improved public services, particularly after the road arrived in 1968. In 1994, Taganana was incorporated into the protected Anaga Rural Park [es].^[18]

In 2006, the Taganana hamlets of Roque de las Bodegas [es] and Tachero, along with other coastal Anaga settlements, were declared out of compliance after the Ministry of Environment set the maritime-terrestrial boundary at 328 feet (100 m) from the highest tide mark. These areas await recognition as urban zones by the Coastal Authority.^[19]

While many residents work in the service sector outside the village, Taganana sustains a subsistence agriculture based on vineyards, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and vegetables.^[21] It also offers dining options in the village center and Roque de las Bodegas.

The patronal feasts are held on August 5 in honor of Our Lady of the Snows, featuring three processions: the eve with fireworks, the main day at noon, and August 15 (the Octave) at noon. The lowering and raising of the statue from the main ausing a mechanized system, are also poignant events.

• Saint Catherine of Alexandria on November 25.
• During Holy Week, notable events include the Good Friday procession of the Dead Christ and the centuries-old Burning of Judas the night before Easter Sunday.^[22]

The village is accessed via the Taganana Road TF-134.

• Church of Our Lady of the Snows [es] (BIC)
• Chapel of Saint Catherine [es] (BIC)
• Roque de las Bodegas [es] Beach
• Monte de Las Vueltas

• 
  Church of Our Lady of the Snows
• 
  Chapel of Saint Catherine before restoration
• 
  Las Vueltas Road in Taganana
• 
  Taganana
• 
  Taganana Valley
• 
  Traditional architecture sample, Portugal
• 
  Roque Amogoje, known as "Taganana’s Lion"
• 
  Roque de las Bodegas Beach

• Macizo de Anaga