So now we offer you to plunge a little bit into the history of the Canary archipelago. But before we would like to mention, that apart from their real history, the islands have a great amount of legends composed about them. For example, the legend about a mythical Earth, that exists behind the Columns of Hercules (Straits of Gibraltar), and which is possible to see straight away after entering into the Tenebrous Sea (Atlantic formerly). Many ancient authors considered these islands as Eden - Paradise, the Elysium Fields or the Gardens of the Hesperides. 
One of the testimonies that deserve our attention is the work of Pliny the Elder, where he relates about an expedition sent by the African King Juba II. From that trip as a souvenir there were brought various enormous dogs. From that moment the name of the islands appears as the Canary Islands, originated from the Latin word "CAN" (dog). Even nowadays amazing species of the local race of these ferocious dogs exist, called "bardinos".
Before the Spanish conquest the Canary Islands were inhabited by the natives of North African origin (as mentioned in some historical references), whose level of progress pertained to the palaeolith epoch, and only handicrafts and the religious life reached a higher level.
Guanches, who lived in the island of Tenerife, used to wear skins and fish. They knew how to work with clay, but they did not have a potter winch, they developed agriculture, but had no plows. Their burial customs were quite complicated.
Guanches is one population more that mummified the deceased, many ancient and even some modern writers thought that the Canary Islands are the visible and the highest part of the drown continent Atlantida. According to such belief guanches were considered the descendants of the Atlantis. This theory is very attractive but it is not scientific enough.
When the Spanish conquerors appeared in Tenerife, the island was divided into nine “menceyatos”, each one of which was governed by the Mencey, chosen respectively by the Council of the Elders.
The conquest began in the 1402 with the raids of Jean de Bethencourt and Gadifer de la Salle. Soon the islands of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and El Hierro were annexed to the Castile Kingdom. Later the same destiny overtook the island of La Gomera.
Tenerife was the last island conquered by the King Ferdinand and the Queen Isabel, who went down in history as the Catholic Kings due to the fact that they were introducing the catholicism in the conquered territories with fire and sword.
The victorious finishing stop was put by Mr. Alonso Fernandez de Lugo in 1496. Some menceyes, being at the head of their kingdoms entered into alliance with the conquerors. Others, as Bentor preferred to commit suicide before being taken prisoners.
In spite of the inevitable entrance of the islands in the world-wide civilization, the Europeans of those times still thought of Tenerife as of something mythical or from a fairy-tale. The first modern literary character who made a trip to the Moon, starting from the top of the mount Teide, was Domingo Gonsales of Seville, the protagonist of the novel of Francis Godwin, "The Man in the Moone". The action of the novel took place in 1600.
The canary roots can be traced down to all the continents. The families of Tenerife origin founded the cities of Montevideo and San Antonio in Texas (the U.S.A.), the monk named Ancheta, born in La Laguna became the founder of the city of Sao Paulo in Brazil.
Even Russia knows one Tenerife’s inhabitant: it was Agustín de Bethancourt, descendant of the famous conqueror Jean de Bethencourt. This man emigrated to Russia and was the first to obtain the portfolio of the Advisory Minister of Communication Department. The building of the Nizhniy Novgorod Fair and the construction of Moscow Manege were done according to his projects.
Commerce and agriculture in the island, (for instance, the elaboration of the exquisite wine Malvasía, that became most favourite in the world) and its advantageous geographic position not only attracted emigrants to this island but the pirates too. The last ones made continuous forays on it. All these circumstances carried out the fortification of the coast by defensive works such as the San Cristóbal’s Castle, San Juan and Paso Alto, where in the 1657 the inhabitants of the island fought against the pirate Blake and defeated him.
Even admiral Nelson challenged his luck near Tenerife’s coasts. In 1797 he tried to take Santa Cruz de Tenerife by force, but suffered a defeat of the hand of General Gutiérrez. That was exactly in that battle when Nelson lost his right arm.
Out of the brief historical report we see that the Canary Islands and Tenerife in particular, during many centuries were tasty morsels for the conquest. The situation has not changed since then, though nowadays it has acquired a civilized touch, for example: tourism!
During many consecutive years Tenerife holds the first position in the tourism industry.
This is what Alexander Von Humboldt wrote about the island of Tenerife: "What a pleasure I was given when staying in the Canary Islands! Almost all the naturalists who, like myself, went towards the India, only had time to reach the foot of the volcanic colossus, admiring the wonderful gardens in the port of the Orotava. I had luck and our frigate (the military corvette) "Pizarro" remained at the seashore of Tenerife during six days ".
