Positioned between the ravine Barranco de Aguatona in the north and the Barranco de Guayadeque in the south, you’ll find one of the oldest towns of the island…Ingenio.
Today, a predominantly agricultural area with tomatoes being its main crop, this small town was a prosperous sugar-refining centre in the 16th century, witnessed by the remains of an old sugar cane pressing machine at the eastern end, from which the town also derives its name (Ingenio meaning sugar mill).
What this town is best known for today is its embroidery and the Museo de Piedra y Artesanía (Stone and Craft Museum) which houses pottery, wicker works and agricultural tools, as well as a collection of rocks and minerals. There is also an embroidery school, where visitors can watch how fine pieces of embroidery are created.
The attractive Plaza de la Candelaria, with modern fountains and surrounded by pretty houses with wooden balconies, provides the setting for the impressive Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria. This colonial-style church, which houses in its interior the image of the patron saint of the archipelago – the Virgin de la Candelaria, boasts two towers and a white dome, and can be seen from far away.
You’ll find one of the most important pre-historic burial grounds nearby in the Barranco de Guayadeque.
