Antigua Leprosería

The Abades Leper Colony is one of those mind-blowing sites that blend history, abandonment, and mystery in Tenerife. In 1943, the Island Council built an ambitious sanatorium in the south, comprising a hospital, crematorium, residential units, and a monumental church crowned with an enormous cross. But once antibiotics arrived, the project became obsolete: it never admitted any patients, and by the mid-1940s, it was already abandoned.

The architect was José Enrique Marrero Regalado, the same architect behind the Africa Market and the Víctor Cinema in Santa Cruz. His monumental style of rough yellowish stone gave it an imposing air that today contrasts with its dilapidated state. In the 1970s, the Army used it as a training ground until it was sold in 2002 to an Italian developer with plans to convert it into a megaresort… which were halted by the tourism moratorium and environmental concerns.

Today, it's a "ghost town" with at least 30 derelict buildings, graffiti, trash, and a post-apocalyptic feel. Its seafront location and crumbling aesthetic have made it an ideal spot for urban photography, filming (like scenes from Plan América), and urban explorations for the bravest.

It's considered one of the most terrifying and mysterious places in the Canary Islands: there are strange echoes in its hallways, strange graffiti, moving shadows... people talk about paranormal presences, although there's no real proof. Many claim that at dusk, the atmosphere becomes even more unsettling.

Warning: entry is not permitted due to the risk of collapse, and it's private land, so access could be considered trespassing. Some curious onlookers have also entered, which increases the deterioration and physical danger.