Made in the Canary Islands
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And learn about Canarian crafts and traditions
The bodega
Fine wines, artisan cheeses and vintage decor
Until the 20th century, there was only one access route into the town of Santa María de Guía; the building known as La Bodega, built in 1911 and launched as a store in 1936, welcomed visitors to the island.
In its early stages, and for almost a century, the so-called Bodega de Santiaguito (Santiago's pantry) was a famous oil and vinegar store, and a social and cultural meeting point for the locals.
Its privileged position meant that it became an obligatory stop for tourists from all over the world, as well as famous personalities from the world of arts and politics. They visited the old town of Guía, attracted by the cheeses produced in the north of Gran Canaria, including the renowned Flor de Guía cheese.
In 2007, the flagship pantry closed its doors. They did not reopen until 2019, when the local authority purchased and refurbished the building, converting it into the Tourist Information Center of La Bodega.
The space was redesigned as a tourist office while maintaining its original character. It included a store to promote and sell—but also offer tastings of—the region's gastronomic produce.
Behind the counter is Yohana, who, while working in the pantry, also helps out in the family business, Cortijo de Pavón, one of the largest artisan cheeseries in the north of Gran Canaria.
In the tourist office, Omayra is in charge of welcoming visitors and offering them information on the local area.
"The pantry sells products made locally in Gran Canaria, from wine to sweets, preserves, honeys, and cakes. But the most celebrated product is their cheese, especially the D.O.P. Flor de Guía cheese. They also sell locally made handicrafts.”
“The production of this cheese has a historical element; this method of cheese making, using vegetarian rennet, arrived in the Canaries with the colonizers from Extremadura and Portugal. It is closely related to Extremaduran cheeses such as Torta del Casar or La Serena.”
The cheeseries are small, family businesses that still make cheese using traditional techniques. “Shepherds still practise seasonal movement of livestock, benefiting from the routes used by ancient Canary Islanders to make the most of the pastureland according to the season.”
Throughout its existence, the pantry has been a meeting point for the inhabitants of the region, and so its citizens have a particular sentimental attachment to it.
Today, the pantry is frequented by both national and foreign tourists, but mostly Germans, who visit the town in search of the renowned cheese. But the pantry has also become a focal point for the local population, where they can buy products handmade in the region.
It seems that in recent years there has been a growing appreciation of the value of handmade products, and an increasing appetite for zero-kilometer products. Omayra explains that this demand has had the backing of the local authority, who have supported local produce for years. The La Bodega project is a perfect example of this.
“We also schedule activities, special days, events, and tastings for the general public, tourists, and locals."
In recent years there has been a growing appreciation of the value of handmade products, and an increasing appetite for zero-kilometer products. This demand, which has developed naturally, has had the backing of public institutions, who have supported local produce for years. The La Bodega project is a perfect example of this.
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Keeping tradition alive
"I like being a potter. I converted a tradition into my profession, my job, and I'm proud of it. I mean, look, not everyone has a gold medal of the Canary Islands, you know?"
“It's a family tradition so it was handed down to me: my aunt, my grandmother, my great grandmother … they were all potters. I did a bit of ceramics at home, as my mother did, and then we would sell the pieces to the studio that was open at the time. After a while my mother and I decided to open our own studio.”
Pottery was a profession practiced exclusively by women in La Gomera, and the skill was passed down from mothers to daughters. “Here in La Gomera at least, it is only women who work in pottery. It was frowned upon if men worked in ceramics. The men's job was to go and get the clay, which was a more physically demanding task. And so the women were the ones actually making the ceramics. And it has continued like that.”
It is a tradition in which unique items are painstakingly created by hand, without the use of molds or wheels, and fired in a stone kiln fueled with local wood. “Although we might make the same item 10 times in a day because it's a handmade process, no piece is ever exactly the same: one might be more rounded, another a little smaller, another a bit taller …”
“They make ceramics on all of the islands, as we do, but on La Palma, for example, they are burnished with oil. We don't do that; we use water, which is the traditional way. It means it's not as shiny, it's more rustic looking.”
Years ago, the women of El Cercado would use their ceramics to trade for food or other basic items. Once money moved into domestic use, the ceramics were ditched. “[Potters] used to walk barefoot on the streets; they tied fern leaves onto their feet to walk, and they would travel to other towns to barter.”
They have to go and fetch the clay from the cliffs, pound it, mix it with sand, gather wood for the firing … Their husbands and sons help them with these tasks; if they didn't “it would be impossible.”
“It is tricky to find the clay because it is buried underground; you have to walk to the cliffs to search for it, focusing on the areas where cracks have opened up in the soil. Then, you have to dig a hole around a meter deep to see if there is any clay. And sometimes there is, and sometimes there isn't.”
The wood to fuel the kilns is gathered from the mountain; it is collected, chopped, and prepared. “We have to obtain licenses in order to gather the wood. There are always people working here on the mountain, in Garajonay, and they are always chopping down pine trees, or other trees that have died.”
The "Gomera dinnerware" comprises 12 traditional pieces. Each item was used for a specific everyday function: to collect milk, to mix roasted cornmeal, to roast chestnuts, to transport water … “These pieces are the fundamentals of the store, but I also make other things.”
“All sorts of people. Many of them come from the other islands, especially in the summer. But we also get French, German, and Italian tourists … The foreigners come with their guidebooks to La Gomera, which include our ceramics, and then they come looking for the studio. Some come via the interpretation center in the town, while others seek us out directly.”
María del Mar believes it depends on the person, but explains that those who buy ceramics do so because they recognize the work that goes into it, and understand its value. “Today, with all our advances and the way our lives have changed, people are drawn to the fact that we're still making ceramics in the traditional way.”
“It's a technique that will be lost when my partner and I close our studios, unless someone from outside comes forward. The local people here will not carry on the craft. My daughter is studying at university and she is happier there. These are different times, everything is changing.”