Teguise

Before European conquest, the area around present-day Teguise was one of the main population centres of the Majos, the island's aboriginal people. A major archaeological site from that period, Zonzamas, lies within the municipality and remains the most significant on Lanzarote.

After the Norman conquest, Maciot de Bethencourt, nephew of Jean de Bethencourt and heir to the lordship of the Canary Islands, founded Teguise. It became the third colonial town in the archipelago, after San Marcial del Rubicón in southern Lanzarote and Betancuria in Fuerteventura. Originally named Villa de San Miguel Arcángel de Teguise, it served as the island's capital. Its central position inland gave it some protection from the frequent pirate raids that plagued coastal settlements, though the town still suffered attacks on several occasions.

The volcanic peak of Guanapay, from which almost the entire coastline of the island is visible, provided a natural watchtower. A defensive fortress, the Castillo de Santa Bárbara, was built there. It later housed the Museum of the Canarian Emigrant and today operates as the Museum of Piracy.

Teguise grew into the island's institutional heart, home to its main governing and ecclesiastical bodies. That changed in the nineteenth century when the port of Arrecife gained economic weight, and the capital was formally moved there in 1847.

Around that same period, cochineal cultivation became important in the municipality. The insect, which lives on prickly pear cacti, produces a dye used to make carmine. The rise of synthetic dyes eventually hit the industry hard, but the tradition has survived in the villages of Mala and Guatiza. In recent decades, tourism has become a major economic driver, centred mainly on Costa Teguise, one of Lanzarote's three principal resort areas.

The Castillo de Santa Bárbara, a fortress now home to the Museum of Piracy, is a listed monument of cultural interest. The Iglesia Matriz de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, the mother church of Lanzarote, stands at the centre of the old town. Other buildings include the Palacio Spínola, the convents of San Francisco and Santo Domingo, and several ermitas — among them the Ermita de San Rafael (also listed) and the Ermita del Santísimo Cristo de la Vera Cruz, the most venerated image of Christ on the island.

The Jardín de Cactus was created by Lanzarote artist César Manrique, who also redesigned La Mareta, a coastal manor house acquired by King Hussein I of Jordan and later donated to the Spanish royal family.

Teguise lies north of Arrecife; by car take the LZ-1 to Tahiche, then the LZ-10. Buses 7, 9 and 26 run daily every one to two hours from Arrecife, taking around 30 minutes. The main stop is by the windmill next to the marketplace.

On Sundays, extra services run from Arrecife, Costa Teguise and Puerto del Carmen for the weekly market (09:00–14:00 in the main square). The town taxi is operated by Juan José López Pérez (+34 928 845515). Coviran supermarket is at C Viera y Clavijo 19, about 100 metres east of the market square, open daily 08:00–22:00.

As of November 2023, the town has 4G coverage from MasMovil and Orange, and 5G from Movistar and Vodafone. Note that Teguise has no free-standing bars.