Zona Arqueológica Roque de Hígara

Roque de Hígara is an archaeological site in the municipality of Arona, in the southern part of Tenerife, Canary Islands. The site was listed as a Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC) under the category Zona Arqueológica (Archaeological Zone) in 1999, making it one of the formally protected testimonies of Guanche heritage — the indigenous inhabitants of the archipelago before the Spanish conquest.

What can you find at Roque de Hígara?

The site preserves rock art stations — engravings made by the Guanches on the volcanic rock typical of southern Tenerife's landscape. Alongside the engravings, archaeologists have also identified funerary deposits, suggesting the location served not only a ritual purpose but was also connected to the burial practices of the island's ancient population.

What was the significance of this place for the Guanches?

Roque de Hígara belongs to a group of sites that researchers associate with an aura of sacredness — spaces where rituals of Guanche society took place. The rock and its surroundings functioned as a reference point for religious and social practices, similar to other comparable sites scattered across southern Tenerife, which are also protected under BIC status.

Is the site under threat?

Despite the formal legal protection provided by its BIC and Zona Arqueológica status, the site has been the target of vandalism, as reported by local media nearly two decades after its official listing. This case shows how difficult it can be to physically safeguard scattered, open-air archaeological sites, particularly near industrial and built-up areas that have expanded around Arona in recent decades.

Where is Roque de Hígara located?

The site lies within the municipality of Arona, in the south of Tenerife — a region best known for its tourist resorts such as Los Cristianos and Playa de las Américas, but which also holds numerous traces of the island's pre-Hispanic history. Its approximate coordinates are 28.0643, -16.6745.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Zona Arqueológica? It is a legal protection category within the Spanish cultural heritage system (Bien de Interés Cultural), granted to areas of documented archaeological value — in the case of Roque de Hígara, awarded in 1999.

Who were the Guanches? The Guanches were the indigenous people of the Canary Islands, inhabiting the archipelago before the Spanish conquest in the 15th century. They left behind rock art, burial sites, and traces of social organization, remnants of which researchers still find at places like Roque de Hígara.

Can Roque de Hígara be visited? The site sits on open ground in Arona, but as a protected cultural asset it calls for respectful visiting — rock engravings and other archaeological elements should never be touched or disturbed.

Why does this site matter for Tenerife's history? Roque de Hígara documents the presence and cultural practices of the Guanches in the southern part of the island, adding to what is known about their spiritual and social life beyond the better-known sites in northern Tenerife.