Today we have a long day planned and we start it with a short visit to Adeje which is close to our AirBnB. We chose this city because it was the former capital of a guanche and still has a fort and famous cathedral. Still it is not such a major tourist attraction and we are surprised that we barely find parking at the base of the hill from which we have to climb to the attractions on top.
There is at least shade on our side of the street as we make our way up and up seemingly without end through the city before reaching another parking lot that is full, we are happy that we parked at the bottom.
The first major attraction is the Church of Santa Úrsula from the 16th entury. It is right next to the city hall built in similar style which cannot be entered.
However you can enter the church and it is quite interesting and ornate and there aren’t that many people inside as we expected really.
It is also a cooler place to sit on a bench and rest and enjoy the detailed artwork all around us.
Probably the thing most special in the church is the roof, it is quite beautiful and ornate and we spend some time admiring it before it is time to leave.
And then we walk to the fort which is probably about five minutes away and thankfully at the same level. There are a few obligatory guns and then we reach the entrance, we are curious if we can enter it really and if it is free as our info is promising.
The oficial name is Casa Fuerte de Adeje and it is strong house constructed around 1556 to protect a sugar mill before being subsequently significantly expanded. The building complex was renovated in the 1700s before a fire left it in ruins in 1902 and only a few buildings inside were renovated since then. We soon find that it is free as we hoped and it is time to explore the exhibition areas.
There is an exhibition with tools and motors spread over two buildings and we enjoy it and the fact that it is much cooler inside.
Not everything has been renovated, in fact the majority is left in ruins and it is quite scenic as we walk around exploring left and right.
Just as we think we finished we find another section, this one is partly renovated and houses a small art exhibition that we enjoy before returning to the car and leaving Adeje.
Now we drive for some time towards our next destination, Icod de Los Vinos passing scenic villages, enjoying the views of Tende and driving through an unending numbers of switchbacks as we slowly make our way towards Garachico and Icod.
