Castillete de Guayonje

Castillete de Guayonje or Castle of Óscar Domínguez. This holiday home, resembling a small castle, is located in the municipality of Tacoronte at the mouth of the Guayonje gorge, between Mesa del Mar and La Garañona beach. The building most recently belonged to the renowned surrealist painter Óscar Domínguez and was built by his wealthy father, Antonio Domínguez de Mesa, who owned land in both Tacoronte and Tegueste. Directly near the holiday home was also a banana plantation owned by Antonio Dominguez, from which he built a ropeway to transport goods. It was a very difficult place to access. The artist’s son Óscar used this small castle as a summer home, where he invited guests and organized parties in the summer. Fernando Castro Flórez described the artist as an elegant, cultured and polite solitary man who was a bit of a ladies’ man as well as an inveterate collector and loved to travel. The castle is now quite dilapidated and since 2006 it belongs to the municipality of Tacoronte. Rumor has it that there have been thoughts about restoring the building, but unfortunately they have remained only plans so far.