Casa de El Capitán (Museo de Historia)

Verified content· Updated 27 June 2026

San Miguel de Abona

Built around 1814 (first third of the 19th century)Prominent example of traditional Canarian architectureMain courtyard, semi-basement, winery and wine press

Built around 1814 (its official dating is placed in the first third of the 19th century) and linked to the militia captain Miguel Alfonso Martínez, the House of El Capitán is a prominent example of traditional Canarian domestic architecture of the affluent classes in the south of the island. For generations, it was the residence of the Alfonso family, and it owes its name to the military rank of one of its inhabitants. The house combines a main floor with a courtyard surrounded by rooms and a semi-basement that housed a winery, wine press, granaries, and farming tools, built with local materials: stone walls, tea wood, slab floors, and an Arab tile roof.

After a fire in 1978, the Town Hall restored it and converted it into a History Museum. Today, it is organized into several thematic rooms dedicated to traditional ceramics, the history of the house, the wine tradition of the wine press, or the world of camels, offering a complete portrait of rural life in the midlands.

Essential information

Accessibility

The museum occupies the House of El Capitán, at El Calvario street nº 1 (El Calvario area), in the historic center of San Miguel de Abona and near the parish church of San Miguel Arcángel. By car, take the exit towards TF-65 on the TF-1 highway, which goes up to the urban center; parking is on the streets of the old town. The official tourism portal of the Canary Islands (Hola Islas Canarias) indicates that the space is listed as accessible; however, as it is a traditional Canarian house from 1814 (with a courtyard, main floor, basement-winery, and attic), it is advisable to confirm specific conditions for people with reduced mobility by calling 922 700 887.