I Explored Tenerife’s Abandoned Desert Ghost Town

Discover the hidden side of Tenerife! On this 2026 East Coast road trip, I leave the southern resorts behind to explore ancient capitals, indigenous history, and a desert ghost town.

When millions of tourists fly into Tenerife every year, they usually head straight for the sunny beaches of the south and never look back. The entire East Coast of the island is practically ignored by most visitors. But if you drive just a few miles up the coast from the motorway, you find the real, untouched timeline of the Canary Islands. In this episode, I'm exploring a UNESCO World Heritage city that became the blueprint for the New World, the spiritual heart of the island, and a haunting ghost town in the desert built for a disease that never arrived.

My journey begins up north in San Cristóbal de La Laguna. Unlike the purpose-built holiday backdrops of the south, La Laguna is the ancient capital of Tenerife. It is a proper, living city with a young, lively energy thanks to its status as the university capital of the Canaries. But look past the bustling student life, and you are looking at an incredible historical experiment. Back in the 15th century, when European cities were cramped, walled-in medieval mazes, Spanish engineers threw away the rulebook and used a ruler. They built La Laguna’s wide, straight streets in a perfect grid pattern.

This layout was such a massive success that it became the exact blueprint the Spanish Empire used for their expansion across South America and the Caribbean. When you walk the vibrant pastel streets of La Laguna, you are literally walking the prototype for old Havana in Cuba, Lima in Peru, and Cartagena! I also explore the free History Museum—housed in a stunning old merchant’s mansion with incredible Canarian pine ceilings—and explain how the city's grid was strategically aligned with trade winds to flush out 'bad air', acting like a natural wind tunnel for the cool Atlantic breeze.

Just a short fifteen-minute drive down the hill is Santa Cruz, the modern capital of Tenerife. It’s packed with so much history, striking architecture, and brilliant public space that I had to give it its own dedicated video (linked below!).

Pushing further south down the coast, I arrive in Candelaria. This traditional fishing village is the spiritual heart of the Canary Islands. Inside the oceanfront Basilica sits the patron saint of the islands, drawing thousands of pilgrims. But the most fascinating part is what stands in the plaza right outside. Nine towering bronze giants representing the Menceyes—the indigenous Guanche Kings who ruled Tenerife before the Spanish arrived—stand permanent guard on the waterfront. It's a powerful and ironic contrast: the kings defeated by the Spanish now stand permanent guard outside the Catholic Basilica built as a symbol of that victory. Beyond the history, I take time to wander this charming town, grabbing coffee at a local bakery and exploring the stunning black sand beaches.

The starkest contrast of my trip comes when I trade the lively coastal villages for the dry, beige desert landscape of Abades. Visible from the motorway on the way to the South Airport, this eerie abandoned leper colony looks like a post-apocalyptic film set (and it actually was used to film Doctor Who!). Built in 1943 by the Franco dictatorship to quarantine the sick, the massive complex was never finished or used because leprosy treatments improved. Today, I explore the grand, unfinished church with its massive concrete cross, the crumbling bungalows covered in street art, and the bizarre reality that this tragic, ruined site sits right next to a modern holiday village and a beautiful beach.

The East Coast isn’t just a road to your hotel; it’s a museum of bizarre, beautiful, and tragic history hiding right off the motorway. If you thought the desert was wild, wait until you see the jungle in my next video as I head into the prehistoric Anaga Mountains!

00:00 - The Tenerife Tourists Ignore
00:40 - La Laguna: The Blueprint for Havana, Cuba
06:45 - Santa Cruz: The Modern Capital (Link Below!)
07:05 - Candelaria & The Indigenous Guanche Kings
08:49 - Abades: Exploring an Abandoned Leper Colony
14:19 - Conclusion, Exploring Tenerife's East Coast

???? Watch my full Santa Cruz City Guide here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYmq78AnFyo&list=PLCZPKYyRzMoLLvBDPuDv09X9zBMSFHTFC
????️ Watch my full Tenerife 2026 Travel Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCZPKYyRzMoLLvBDPuDv09X9zBMSFHTFC

Which of these East Coast stops surprised you the most? Would you rather wander the colonial streets of La Laguna or brave the eerie ruins of Abades? Let me know in the comments below! ????

#Tenerife #Tenerife2026 #CanaryIslands #TenerifeTravel #HiddenGems #LaLaguna #Abades

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