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MELENARA: Neptune’s gift
Melenara, a name from the pre-Hispanic times, witnessed the hard-working fishermen of the Telde guanartemato (name given by the aboriginals to their kingdoms) plunging into the waters in search for their most appreciated food resource: fish.
At the end of the 16th century there was an enriching maritime trade with north-European cities. The Flemish altarpiece at the San Juan Basilica, in Telde, is an exponent of this commercial rise. It is told that Francis Drake, a hero to the Britons and a vulgar pirate to the Spaniards, attacked Melenara on October 6th, 1595. The brave defense of the post ended up with the withdrawal of the English, inspiring famous Spanish poet Lope de Vega some of his verses in the book La Dragontea.
Today, an old breakwater built between 1920 and 1925 in the Canaries-Britain banana trade peak times still shelters the fishermen, and so does the Taliarte quay with the scientists working at the Marine Science and Innovation Park located there, where efforts from several organizations and institutions meet in order to research on and preserve the Canarian seas.
This beautiful rocky area of the east of Gran Canaria, where in 2001 was erected the unique and popular Neptune statue that features the spot, the artisan fishermen can be seen every day mending their nets and getting the equipment ready for the battle to bring back to the coast the best fish catch freshly obtained.
