Hacienda De Amaro Pargo

The ruins of Amaro Pargo’s house. The ceilings of the house have fallen in and the walls have collapsed. Even the former well has been demolished. Maybe they were looking for a legendary pirate’s treasure chest? Who was Amaro Pargo? Much has been written about this man, here is a small summary of his colorful life. Amaro Rodríguez Felipe y Tejera Machado was born in 1678 in Tenerife, Laguna. He got the nickname Amaro Pargo, or Perch, because of his facial features and good swimming skills. His childhood was spent during the golden age of piracy, when there was heavy trade between America and Europe, and merchant ships from French, Portuguese, English, Dutch and many other countries passed the coast of Tenerife. In 1701, Amaro went to work on the ship Ave María and it became decisive in his fate. Namely, the ship was attacked by pirates, and thanks to the ingenuity of the young man, they were still defeated. As a token of gratitude, the owner gave the ship to Amaro, and with this ship he began his independent voyages, dealing among other things in the slave trade. It is said about his life that he was a skilled merchant who knew how to take advantage of good opportunities to trade with America, where he brought cocoa, tobacco, rum and gold, and with Europe, where he bought weapons, textiles, gunpowder. And also traded with Africa, where he bought slaves and sold them to America. At the same time, he was a pirate who, together with his brother José Rodríguez Felipe, attacked and robbed merchant ships in the waters of the Canary Islands. A number of documents have survived which suggest that Amaro Pargo was involved in attacking, capturing and then selling ships from countries hostile to the Spanish monarchy. In 1719, Felipe V gave Amaro Pargo permission to build a ship called La Potencia, or The Power. It was a cargo ship on which 58 cannons were placed. Legends tell of him as the Robin Hood of Tenerife, who distributed part of his loot to the poorest, but did not forget gifts to the Spanish royal house and the bishop. The king also gave him a noble title in 1727. Amaro Pargo’s wealth consisted of large land holdings, sixty houses, fifteen vineyards, and accumulated treasures. He is also said to have hidden a large treasure chest of jewelry and precious stones on the island of Tenerife, which has not yet been found. Amaro Pargo died on October 4, 1747, when he was 69 years old, and is buried in La Laguna.