Las salinas

Learn about the history of salt

To understand the development of the people from the Canary Islands we must learn about one of their top products: salt. The incorporation of the Canary Islands saltworks to the Royal Treasury in 1605 helped in their development. It was the beginning of a great period for the saltworks in the Canaries, especially in Gran Canaria: for 200 years no place overshadowed it. However, in the 20th century there was a significant recession, first due to the Second World War and later to the inclusion of the saltworks under the Mining Law, which obviated the salt workers’ craftsmanship, affecting them to the point of making virtually all the saltworks of the archipelago disappear.

A unique experience

Would you like to be a salt worker for one day? In the land surrounding Mr Velázquez’s house we find the saltworks. Care to join us for a walk around the condensation and intake ponds? Our guides organize visits so that you can experience the salt workers’ tasks first-hand. You can be a salt worker for one day and get to know all the secrets of this craftsmanship. You will be able to touch the salt with your own hands, learn how to use the tools and discover the whole salt production process.

The power of the sea

Did you know that, while at other saltworks the water is pumped or channeled, at the Del Carmen saltworks it is driven into the Blow Hole? The wind makes the waves crash against the rocks, thus creating foam, which is where more salt is concentrated. This peculiarity produces salt of the highest quality, rich in trace elements.

The water is led from the blow hole to the intake ponds through an open pipe with a ‘spillway’, which diverts the excess water to the sea. It is a completely natural process. The water is led to the intake ponds and the condensation ponds of the saltworks only by the force of the sea and the wind. The water is fed into channels leading to three intake ponds, where it is heated by the sun. When it reaches the required temperature, it is channeled to the condensation ponds. Once the water has evaporated, the salt at the base of the ponds is dragged to the edge, where it is left to drain. When the salt is clean and dry, it is collected and transferred to the warehouse, where it is packed.