Adeje

Adeje is a Spanish municipality belonging to the island of Tenerife, in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, autonomous community of the Canary Islands. The municipal capital is Villa de Adeje, located at 295 m a.s.l. no. m. (meters above sea level). With 49,270 inhabitants as of January 1, 2022, Adeje is the fifth most populous municipality on the island, after Santa Cruz de Tenerife, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Arona and Granadilla de Abona.

Adeje is an important tourist center both on the island and nationally and internationally. This municipality has the highest concentration of 5-star hotels in Europe and also has what is considered the best luxury hotel in Spain according to the World Travel Awards. In its municipal area is the water park Siam Park, which is considered the best water park in the world. Together with the neighboring municipalities of Arona and San Miguel de Abona, it forms the so-called Tenerife South Metropolitan Area with 194,774 inhabitants (2019).

Toponymy

The municipality takes its name from its municipal capital, which in turn comes from the name of the old kingdom or Guanche faction of Adeje, this being a term of Guanche origin that means, according to some authors, 'mountainous massif' 39;.

Symbols

Shield

The heraldic shield of Adeje was approved by Order of the Government of the Canary Islands of May 24, 1991, its organization being: «Shield half split and cut: 1º) of gules, an añepa put into bar accompanied by two ganigos, all gold; 2nd) gules, a tower of silver, masoned and cleared of sable; and 3rd) of azure, a radiant golden sun rising from waves of azure and silver. At the bell marquesal crown."

The shield was modified by Order of September 26, 2014 to incorporate "pointed, an azure ribbon with the motto in silver "Histórica Villa"."

Regarding their meaning, the añepa or scepter and the gánigos or vessels allude to the Guanche kingdom of Adeje, while the tower represents the Strong House where they lived the former feudal lords, who are also represented in the marquessal crown. Finally, the sun and the waves allude to the importance of the tourist sector of the municipality.

Flag

The municipality does not have an approved flag, and the council unofficially uses a white banner with the heraldic shield in the center.

Geography

It extends through the southwestern sector of the island, bordering the municipalities of Arona, Vilaflor de Chasna, La Orotava and Guía de Isora.

It covers an area of 105.95 km², ranking 6th in size on the island of Tenerife and 9th in the province.

Adeje reaches its maximum altitude at the elevation known as La Sombrera, located at 2,532 m a.s.l. no. m..

Orography

Volcanic and erosive activity, very uneven and continuous over millions of years, has originated and carved a relief of singular shapes, being made up of a relatively homogeneous ramp furrowed by some ravines that ends near the coast on a hillside steep and cliffs, below which a plain extends to the sea shore.

Among its elements to be highlighted, it presents singular geomorphological elements such as the rocks of La Barca, Miraderos, Imoque, Abinque and del Conde among others. To the south of the municipality is the Caldera del Rey, a phreatomagmatic crater with a wide covering of pumice and hidden by a banana plantation. Another peculiarity is the seabed, rich in vegetation and fauna.

Hydrography

The municipality is crossed from summit to sea by numerous ravines, the most important being El Rey —on the border with Arona—, the El Infierno ravine, Erques —on the border with Guía de Isora—, Las Moradas and that of El Pinque. Other outstanding channels are the ravines of Las Galgas, Burro, English, Fañabé, Iboibo ravine, Las Salinas or Armeñime ravine and Torviscas ravine.

Climate

Average Adeje climate parameters (1991-2021)
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Average temperature (°C)	17.5	17.4	18.7	19.2	20.6	22.7	25.5	26.2	24.4	22.8	20.2	18.6	21.2
Average temperature (°C)	15.2	15.1	16.1	16.6	18	19.9	22.2	23.1	21.7	20.5	18.1	16.4	18.6
Temp. medium (°C)	13.2	13.1	13.8	14.3	15.5	17.2	19.5	20.4	19.4	18.3	16.2	14.5	16.3
Total precipitation (mm)	27	31	30	24	16	10	2	4	18	34	31	46	273
Source: Climate-data.org

Flora

In the area of the peaks, the landscape is dominated by Canarian pine along with mountain vegetation, even covering the few volcanic cones present.

Protected spaces

The municipality has the entire surface area of various spaces included in the Canarian Network of Protected Natural Spaces: Barranco del Infierno Special Nature Reserve, Caldera del Rey Natural Monument, and La Caleta site of scientific interest. It also has part of the Teide National Park, the Corona Forestal Natural Park, the Ifonche Protected Landscape, the Erques Ravine Protected Landscape and the Acantilados de Isorana Site of Scientific Interest.

All these spaces, with the exception of Caldera del Rey and La Caleta, are also included in the Natura 2000 Network as Special Conservation Areas, to which is added the entire municipal coastline under the Teno-Rasca Marine Strip ZEC, which has habitats for endangered species and sandbanks permanently covered by shallow seawater. For its part, the natural park and national park area is also a Special Protection Area for Birds.

Adeje also has the public utility mountain called Pinar.

History

Guanche period: before the fifteenth century

Tinerfe Statue the Great

Prior to the conquest of the island, all historians agree in pointing out the existence of a primitive Guanche political organization that covered the entire island territory and whose king or mencey resided in Adeje. According to historical sources and oral traditions, the mencey of the entire island before it was divided into nine menceyatos was Tinerfe, known by the nickname the Great. The menceyato of Adeje, when the island was divided into nine kingdoms at the end of the xiv century, was an important seat of the Guanche community.

European Conquest and Colonization: 15th and 16th Centuries

The last mencey, who after his baptism was named Don Diego de Adeje, signed peace with the Castilians and is the only one on record who lived in Tenerife after the conquest, since land was granted to him and he left extensive descendants in Adeje.

From 1496 the period of colonization began with the repartimientos de tierras or datas granted by Alonso Fernández de Lugo in this jurisdiction. This motivated the establishment of a small group of houses around the Río de Adeje, where the town center would settle. In 1560 the parish of Adeje was founded.

Old Regime: 17th and 18th centuries

On November 21, 1655, Juan Bautista de Ponte y Pagés obtained from King Felipe IV by Royal Decree the jurisdiction of the place as a manor and the title of Villa.

Juan Núñez de la Peña says of Adeje in 1676:

ADEJE. La Villa de Adeje, es del Marqués D. Juan Bautista de Aponte, knight of the Order of Santiago, take a lot of wheat, has a sugar ingenuity, which is from the Marquis, which only this has remained of as many as on this island there was; it has the Villa reasonable church, with a benefit, and of little rent; the real jurisdiction touches the Marquis...

Juan Núñez de la Peña, 1676.

The Tenerife historian José de Viera y Clavijo described the municipality as follows:

ADEJE. It is a villa of dominion and belonging to the Marquess of this title of the house of Ponte, and today to the Counts of La Gomera. In another time it was kingdom and cut of guanches. Guideline 2 leagues, and 14 from La Laguna. Pass 9 deep ravines on the road. Adeje is in a quiet, warmer than cold temperament, whose countryside, populated by mies or sweet cane and watered with good waters, enjoys beautiful sea views. Discover a lot of horizon, and in it the islands of La Palma, Hierro and Gomera. At the entrance of the village is the castle. The palace and strong house is very large. There is an ingenuity of sugar, the only one that has remained of as many as there were in Tenerife, where they are mueled every year from 24 to 30,000 pounds. They eat more than 5000 wheat harvests that, with other fruits and incomes, raise the bulk to 12,000 pesos. The parish church is very besieged, with a cure benefited from real provision. Next to it is a convent of San Francisco, like 8 friars. He's got three hermits. The neighborhood is 857 people, some in the payments of Tijoco, Taucho, Yfenche. 1 league of the place is the beach and port where the ships arise. There's camel breeding.

José de Viera and Clavijo, 1772-1773.

Modern period: 19th and 20th centuries

The lordship of Adeje would last until in 1811 the jurisdictional manors were incorporated into the nation, constituting the municipality in 1812 protected by the Constitution of Cádiz.

Pascual Madoz says of Adeje in his Dictionary around the middle of the xix century:

ADEJE: town with town hall on the island and diocese of Tenerife (...). SITUTED to the SO of the spressed island in the delicious valley of its name, dominated by the rocks of Carasco and Rio, which contribute to give greater height to another branch that joins to the reed by the mouths of the Tance; put down the strong winds of the breeze, but despite this its CLIMA is warm, and the bilious diseases are experienced with more frequency and gravity than Before the esclaustration there was 1 convent of franciscos; outside the village it is seen at a high point 1 castle, strong at another time, but that in the day appears of little importance. Confine the TÉRMINO by the N. with the central mountains, by the E. with the ones of Chasna and Arona, by the S. with the sea, and by the West with the one of Guia; within its limits and dependent on its jurisdiction are the payments of Tijoca, Tanche, Infoch, Benite, La Concepción, in which there is 1 hermitage dedicated to Mary Most Holy, and the one of Serradera, The TERRENO presents a sad and monotonous aspect in the part occupied by the hills that limit the valley; in the rest it is delicious, and it comprises the most scented lands that are on this side of the island; it provides the water sufficient for irrigation, the branch called the Hell, which descends from the highest of the central mountains by the channel that in its background forms the ravine of the Waters. The CAMINOS are preserved in good condition; PRODUCE wheat, barley, corn, figs, cochinilla, lanar cattle, goats, camels, mular cattle and cavalry of the caste of Cordobeses; TRADE of cabotage; POPULATION 230 neighbors, 1058 souls...

Pascual Madoz, 1845.

Atardecer on the beach of Troya, the first tourist attraction of the municipality

In Adeje, the socioeconomic depression that affected the islands in the course of the xix century did not reach the levels of other parts of the island geography, due both to the introduction of new crops, such as cochineal, and to the fact that it was historically characterized as an extensive irrigated area in the arid south of the island, due to the presence of significant water resources, and because its climate was suitable for the introduction of new export crops, such as tomatoes and bananas, destined for European markets, which at the beginning of the xx century reactivated the local economy. However, it is at the end of the sixties when the true development of the municipality takes place, all linked to the tourist boom that the island is experiencing and that alters the economic and social structure of Adeje.

21st century

On October 16, 2007, the Government of the Canary Islands added the title of Villa Historical to the municipality, motivated by the historical, social and cultural importance of Adeje.

Demographics

Graphic of demographic evolution of Adeje between 1900 and 2021

Official regular residents according to ISTAC population censuses.

As of January 1, 2020, Adeje had a total of 49,030 inhabitants, ranking 5th in number of inhabitants both on the island of Tenerife and in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, although due to its status as a tourist municipality this amount increases in the months of maximum occupancy of the hotel floor.

The relative population was 462.77 inhabitants/km².

By gender, there were 24,675 men and 24,355 women.

From the analysis of the population pyramid it can be deduced that:

• The population between 0 and 14 years was 14 % (6 991 people) of the total;
• the population between 15 and 64 years corresponded to 75% (36 984 pers).
• and the population over 65 was the remaining 10% (5 055 pers).

Regarding the place of birth, 54% (26,551 people) of the population of the municipality were born abroad, especially from Italy, the United Kingdom and Venezuela. On the other hand, 34% (16,905 people) were born in the Canary Islands, of which 50% (8,412 people) were born in the municipality itself, 42% (7,160 people) in another municipality in the island and 8% (1,333 people) came from another island in the archipelago. The rest of the population was made up of 11% (5,574 people) of peninsular Spaniards.

Foreign population by nationality (2020)
Position	Nationality	Population
1. a	Italy	5535
2. a	United Kingdom	3021
3. a	Romania	1166
4. a	China	833
5. a	Germany	832
6. a	Venezuela	794
7. a	Morocco	776
8. a	India	767
9. a	France	737
10. a	Belgium	570

Administration and politics

City Hall

Adeje is governed by its town hall, made up of twenty-one councillors.

List of mayors since the 1979 democratic elections

Mayor.	Start of mandate	End of mandate	Party
José García Casañas	1979	1983			Union de Centro Democrático (UCD)
Juan Manuel Bello Ledesma	1983	1987			Innerfeña Group of Independents (ATI)
José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga	1987	-			Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE)

Territorial organization

Adeje is part of the Southwest Region, while its area included in the Teide National Park and the Corona Forestal Natural Park is part of the Mass Central Region .

The municipality is divided into eight population entities, in turn divided into smaller nuclei:

Economy

The main economic activity is tourism, particularly in the Costa Adeje area, where it has come a long way in recent years, thanks to another fairly advanced sector, construction. It is one of the areas visited by tourists for its beaches and its climate.

Services

Education

These are the public educational centers of the municipality:

Health

Adeje has a primary care center located in Villa de Adeje, in addition, it has a peripheral center located in Armeñime.

Citizen security

Regarding citizen security, the headquarters of the Adeje Volunteer Firefighters, the Adeje Local Police and also the ambulances of the Canary Islands Health Service are located in the Fañabé neighborhood. Likewise, the Local Police has another police station in the Las Torres neighborhood.

On the other hand, the National Police has a police station in Costa Adeje, serving both the municipal area of Adeje and Arona. In addition, there is the Adeje Civil Guard Post, which is in charge of citizen security in Adeje Casco, the Adeje golf course and the neighborhoods of Armeñime, Playa Paraíso, Callao Salvaje, Tijoco, Los Menores, etc.

Transportation

Roads

The municipality is accessed mainly by the Autopista del Sur TF-1 motorway, as well as by the roads TF-47 and TF-82.

Public transport

The municipality has numerous taxi ranks throughout its territory, and also has a bus station —guaguas— in the town of Costa Adeje, which is connected by the following TITSA lines:

Heritage

Adeje maintains a rich archaeological, architectural and ethnographic heritage, highlighting:

• Church of Santa Ursula. Declared Good of Cultural Interest in the category of Monument. It had its origin in a primitive hermitage erected in the first decades of the century xvi for the first master of Adeje, Pedro de Ponte and Vergara. It contains numerous movable goods of artistic value.

• Strong house. Declared Good of Cultural Interest in the category of Monument. The Strong House of Adeje is configured as a large set of buildings that have changed in use over the centuries or, if any, to leave and end in a semi-ruinous state. It is located in the oldest sector of the nucleus of Adeje, in front of the Church of Santa Ursula and on a highland from which a wide sector of coast is dominated related to the defensive function that since the century xvi I tried this fortification.

• Former Franciscan Convent of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Paul. Declared Good of Cultural Interest in the category of Monument. The convent was founded in 1679 on the initiative of the first Marquis of Adeje, Juan Bautista de Ponte and Pagés. After the discontinuation and closure of the convent in 1835, the conventual building gradually collapsed until the end of its disappearance. The new construction, in an eclectic language typical of the first decades of the past century, was destined to the headquarters of the City Council. The church is the only architectural piece of the convent that has come to our relatively well preserved days.

• Historical Set of Taucho Casery. Declared Good of Cultural Interest. It is a rural group of great historical and ethnographic interest, corresponding to one of the oldest settlements in the area of medianías of the western slope of the island and whose first documentary testimonies - collected in the Datas- date back to 1496, there is a possible Aboriginal presence in the place, under the toponymous – of clear Guanche adscription – as well as of archaeological references.

• Archaeological zone of Morro Grueso. Declared Cultural Interest Good. In the area there is a rupestres engraving station of Guanche culture.

Culture

Cultural facilities

Parties

• Virgin of the Incarnation and Holy UrsulaOctober. Patron celebrations with religious and popular events.

• San SebastiánJanuary 20th. After a mass in the church of San Sebastian, he goes into a rogative to the sea with the Holy One accompanying numerous animals, especially horses, which according to tradition are introduced into the sea by showing, his riders, his skills in the mount.

• Rogativa de la Virgen de la Encarnación, third Sunday after the Easter of Resurrection. The festival is in procession to the image of the Virgin from her church of Santa Ursula to San Sebastian, visiting the different neighborhoods of the municipality.

• Holy Week. Established in 1561, it includes various activities such as pregon, processions or gastronomic routes of Lent. Highlights on Good Friday at 12 noon is celebrated Via Crucis or representation of the Passion of Jesus. More than three hundred people from the municipality, actors amateurthey participate in the different scenes of the last moments of Jesus. The scenarios are distributed in the street Grande de Adeje, with epicenter in the square of the church of Santa Úrsula, where the crucifixion is represented.

Sports

Adeje has many sports venues and hosts various events throughout the year.

Religion

Hermitage of San Sebastian

The majority of the population is Catholic like the rest of the island, but there is also a notable number of Evangelicals, Orthodox, Muslims and Hindus, among other religious groups.

The parish of the Presentation of the Lord, in La Enramada, is the main headquarters of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Canary Islands, belonging to the Diocese of Madrid and Lisbon. It is a large Neo-Byzantine-style temple currently under construction. Also in Adeje is the church of the Annunciation of the Mother of God, the main temple of the Romanian Orthodox Church in the Canary Islands.

Currently, the construction of a large Hindu temple is planned for the next few years, which will be 22 times larger than the current one.

Monuments and places of interest

Among its most important attractions is the tourist center of Costa Adeje.

The Barranco del Infierno is one of the best known on the island, visited by hikers and tourists throughout the year, where the river is located and which maintains a permanent watercourse throughout the year. anus.

The fishing villages of El Puertito deserve special mention [the beach and port that José de Viera y Clavijo spoke of in the XVIII or the cove that Pascual Madoz spoke of in 1845] and La Caleta [caleta de la Ramada that Pascual Madoz spoke of in 1845] that were, along with El Balito, the main connections with the exterior, by sea, until the improvement of the roads from the 1960s. The production of bananas and tomatoes produced by Finca Fyffes British [Ireland] owners and capital, or tuna fishing such as bonito, albacore or bluefin tuna (bigeye according to the jargon of local fishermen).

Between El Puertito and La Caleta are the cliffs of Adeje and Diego Hernández beach [where nudism has been practiced since the late 1960s], which make up the protected natural area site of scientific interest in La Caleta. It is a space of volcanic nature, with a diversity of pyroclastic and basaltic flows, and native vegetation of tabaibal-cardonal. Drawing attention to the presence of nopaleras brought from Mexico; such is the case of the red stalks and the white-picked fig stalks, also known as prickly pears or prickly pears.

Twinned cities