Museo Etnográfico Juan Ëvora

Visiting the Juan Évora Ethnographic Museum is a glimpse into what life was like at the heights of Mount Teide just a few decades ago, with quiet surroundings, immense views, and living traditions. The museum is located in Boca Tauce, right where the TF-21 and TF-38 highways fork south, in what was the home of shepherd Juan Évora, the last inhabitant of Las Cañadas who lived according to traditional customs. It has been restored to preserve its authenticity: entering it feels like you've stepped back in time.

The space is divided into several small rooms, which recreate different aspects of the shepherds' way of life: where they slept, how they stored food, what tools they used, how they herded their flocks, how they collected milk or made cheese, even how they endured the climatic conditions on the summit. It's not a large museum, but its small scale makes it intimate, accessible, and personal. You might be gazing at a panel, an ancient vessel, a shepherd's hammock, and think that life depended on the climate, the geography, and the daily sweat.

The museum also functions as an information point for those who want to take hiking trails that start there, such as Chavao or Boca Tauce, which is a huge advantage: you arrive, soak up some context about the area, its nature, and the people who lived there, and you can start the hike with a different perspective. It also has an adjacent parking lot, which makes it easy to come by car; but be careful, the parking lot closes at 3:45 PM, just like the museum, so you have to plan your visit well to avoid getting trapped.

Another aspect that sets it apart is its free admission: you don't have to pay, making it accessible to everyone—tourists, locals, or families. And the hours are fixed year-round (9:00 AM–3:45 PM), so you can plan your visit regardless of the season. Furthermore, due to its location on Teide, the surrounding views are spectacular: from the sky, the mountains, the silence... everything adds something more than just old objects; it adds scenery, memory, an emotional landscape.

If you ask me, it's one of the places I most recommend if you're doing nature tourism or hiking on Teide, because it prepares you to better understand the park, its people, its history. It's not a glamorous museum, but it is a truly authentic and powerful one.