In the quiet village of Arguayo, a few kilometres from Santiago del Teide, lies one of the most special places in the municipality: the Cha Domitila Pottery Centre and Ethnographic Museum. Located in an old house built in traditional Canarian style, this centre not only preserves the indigenous pottery technique, but also keeps it alive, piece by piece, with the same respect and the same materials as always.
A place where clay becomes memory
The museum stands on an L-shaped building with an interior courtyard and fountain, built with stone and gabled roofs, in keeping with traditional Canarian architecture. It was the artist Luis Ibáñez, a collaborator of César Manrique, who altruistically converted a ruined house into this space dedicated to memory, combining the beauty of the surroundings with the usefulness of the craft.
Walking through its rooms is like walking through the silent history of generations who shaped clay with their hands. It is also discovering how the past remains present in the details: in the layout of the courtyard, in the materials, in the warmth of the space.
Traditional pottery, handmade and slow fired
What sets Cha Domitila apart is not only her exhibition, but her absolute fidelity to the aboriginal technique. In his workshop, pieces are made just as the Guanches, or Canarian aborigines of the area, used to do using clay, water, volcanic sand, red ochre, and oil. The process is entirely manual: from modelling by hand to polishing with seashells and final firing in single-chamber kilns.
Each piece is unique, not only because of its shape, but also because it bears the weight of a technique that has stood the test of time. To visit Cha Domitila is to see how history is transformed into an object, and how the object becomes a symbol.
A natural experience with a rural soul
The Cha Domitila Pottery Centre and Ethnographic Museum is not just a place to visit, it is a space to breathe in. Ideal for those who want to learn about history through everyday life, for those who value traditional crafts, and for those seeking an authentic experience in the interior of Tenerife.
In Arguayo, between lava and memory, pottery is passed down with each hand-moulded piece.
