On the slopes of Mount Teide lies a testament to a bygone era: the remains of an ancient sanatorium that never saw the light of day.Although its construction began 1930, Despite initial enthusiasm and hope, the project was never completed.
The authorities in Tenerife decided to cancel the project, leaving only three buildings: Doctor’s quarters, garage and stables. The buildings were adapted to house patients and became homes for those seeking treatment for the horrific disease of tuberculosis.
According to the records of a pulmonologist and director of the Institute of Pulmonary Diseases of the Canary Islands, Jose Julian BatistaAt the end of the 19th century, more than a hundred patients with this disease from all over the world arrived in Tenerife.
Patients came here with their families seeking treatment and took refuge in Las Canada del Teide, known as the “German Stall”, hoping that the promised sanatorium would become a reference for tuberculosis treatment in the world.
At the time, national and international doctors believed that Teide’s hot, dry climate had the potential to cure this disease and other lung ailments such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Therefore, they recommend that patients spend time seeking relief and healing in the area.
Subsequently, Tenerife became a benchmark in the field of climatic treatments, surpassing even other towns such as Madeira, famous for their sanatoriums.
Although Teide Sanatorium was never fully built, the island held special significance in the fight against tuberculosis and became a refuge of hope for patients seeking treatment.
Today, the remains of this unfinished sanatorium remain hidden in the volcanic landscape, silent witnesses to an era when science and medicine fought relentlessly against deadly diseases.
A trail in a national park brings you closer to a nursing home
The walk begins at the foot of Mount Teide, and as you get further away from Mount Teide, its spectacular natural beauty becomes increasingly apparent. It follows an ancient lane, where in spring beehives are placed along the roadside to harvest precious gorse honey.
Also worth noting are the varying shapes of lava in the dome of Cerro Blanca. The trail ends at Siete Canadas Road at the foot of the Guajara cliffs.
The flora is rich with gorse, strawberry trees, hilltop roses, thistles and herbaceous plants. In spring and summer, this is a great place to observe the multitude of insects that use the flowers to color these landscapes in white, yellow, and pink.