Tenerife’s Historic ‘Las Cocheras’ to be Restored as Museum of Traditions

The restoration of "Las Cocheras" in Icod de los Vinos, a building dating back to 1888, marks a new chapter in how Tenerife preserves its history. The City Council has set aside over 280,000 euros to buy and renovate the property, with plans to turn it into a Museum of Traditions. This project aims to save a site that, for over a century, was the heart of travel in the Isla Baja region, connecting the northwest of Tenerife to the metropolitan area and serving as a departure point for those emigrating to the Americas.

The project is about more than just fixing up an old building. Historically, this spot in El Calvario was where carts, stagecoaches, and eventually early motor vehicles—like the "jardineras"—all met. The first of these, a Panhard et Levassor, arrived on the island in 1902. Louis Gomes Camacho played a key role in this development, linking transport with his hotel business and expanding routes to Puerto de la Cruz and Garachico, which connected travelers to the island’s tram system that ran from 1901 to 1956.

Beyond its role in transport, the building was a social hub. Locals remember it as more than just a transit point; for decades, the bar on the premises served as a community gathering spot after sports games and local festivals, remaining a popular meeting place even as modern transport began to take over.

While the building’s facade is currently in poor condition, the City Council plans to give it a new life as a cultural center. The goal is to host workshops, conferences, and exhibitions that preserve the town’s collective memory. This initiative is part of a wider trend across the Canary Islands to protect old infrastructure, helping people better understand the islands' social and economic history at the turn of the 20th century.

As the purchase is finalized, the area around El Calvario remains a busy transit point. The bus stop sitting in front of the shuttered building is a reminder of the site's long history. By restoring the structure, the city hopes to do more than just save a 19th-century building; it aims to bring a symbol of island connectivity back into daily life, turning a relic of old travel routes into a vibrant center for Icod’s cultural heritage.