Dark Tourism in Tenerife – Ghost Town and Abandoned Leprosarium
Most tourists coming to Tenerife have a clear idea of what their stay will be like. They’ll spend it sunbathing on the beach, rocking the waves, taking a little tour here and there, maybe climbing El Teide or taking a boat trip. But wandering around the island doesn’t usually lead them to this mysterious place. However, it is one of the most interesting parts of Tenerife and should not be missed on your visit.
El Sanatorio de Abades – Why Was It Built but Never Opened?
At the beginning of the 20th century, leprosy was a widespread disease in Tenerife. Those infected at the time were located in the north of the island near the town of Santa Cruz. However, they were free to move wherever they wanted, the only condition being that they had to spend the night in a certain designated area.
In 1943, the construction of the Leprosarium in Abades (also known as “Leproséria de Arico”) began. At that time, there was no other settlement on the site, so it was an ideal location to keep leprosy patients as far away from the rest of the population as possible. The Spanish architect José Enrique Marrero Regalado had plans to build 40 buildings on the site, including a canteen, a crematorium, a hospital, a school, accommodation, as well as a church. In 1945, however, scientists discovered a cure for leprosy and isolation of patients was no longer necessary. The whole project thus ended before it even began. The leprosarium never admitted a single patient.
Leprosarium as a Military Camp
The failure of the project was not only due to the discovery of a cure. The campus would probably not have served its purpose anyway, since the orientation of the buildings was designed in such a way that the wind on the island would spread the disease rather than suppress it.
The site was turned over by the Department of Health for military use to the Ministry of Defence, which set up a training camp there in the 1960s, with soldiers housed in the finished part of the buildings. In 2003 the property was sold to an Italian businessman who wanted to set up a hotel resort there. However, government restrictions have always stopped all his projects. The place remains abandoned, rented from time to time to film crews or advertising agencies for shooting video spots.
Today’s Ghost Town
The Leprosarium now attracts urbex enthusiasts and curious passers-by. Each building is littered with graffiti, artistic drawings and political or religious messages. The most imposing building is definitely the church towering over the town, with one cross above the main entrance and another inside. But the other buildings also offer a fascinating glimpse into the past.
How to Get to the Leprosarium
The leprosarium is located right next to the town of Abades, so the easiest way to reach it is to drive directly to the leprosarium and climb up to it from the bottom of the hill. However, if you want to combine your visit with a longer walk, we recommend starting in PorÃs de Abona. You can park your car here or take the bus to the El PorÃs bus stop by the motorway. From this fishing village, follow the path along the coastline until you reach Playa Grande beach. There is a small church and a few local houses. In the distance is the Abona Lighthouse, where you will often find campers spending the day at their caravan. From the lighthouse you turn off onto the road inland, which leads you to the leprosarium area. After exploring it, you can go down to Abades and take the bus from the bus stop by the motorway back to PorÃs. Of course, the route can also be taken in the other direction.
If there is something unusual that is definitely worth seeing in Tenerife, it is the abandoned leprosarium. This place will give you a whiff of the past, whether you’re a fan of urbex or not.
