People will decide the fate of the Florida Houses

The Heritage Department of the Cabildo has launched a participatory process to define the uses, values, and activation strategies for this representative rural Majorcan architectural complex, as part of its rehabilitation and re‑use project.

The first meeting took place at the Gran Tarajal Library, bringing together residents, experts, professionals, and other stakeholders linked to the island’s cultural heritage. This community‑activation stage marks the start of a broader process that will include further participatory diagnostics, proposal drafting, workshops, and the preparation of a final report.

Patrimonio (Heritage) also organized a talk specifically about the Casas de La Florida.

The Casas de La Florida, located in the municipality of Tuineje, are one of the principal examples of Majorcan rural architecture. The ensemble consists of traditional houses built with stone, lime, sand, and earth, as well as ethnographic items related to agricultural and livestock activities—such as livestock outbuildings, water cisterns, small maretas, gavias, and remnants of a tahona (grain mill).

According to an official statement from the Cabildo, the mediation process aims to foster dialogue among all involved parties so that the recovery of the Casas de La Florida goes beyond a purely technical intervention and incorporates the community’s vision for the space’s future.

The project is coordinated by social worker and researcher José Álamo, who envisions the restoration of this heritage site becoming a collective initiative for identity and social cohesion, turning the Casas de La Florida into a living space for gathering, learning, and cultural projection.

Let the Casas de La Florida “Respond to the Community’s Needs”

“The rehabilitation of the Casas de La Florida offers a unique opportunity to link the conservation of material heritage with citizen participation and territorial activation,” said Lola García, President of the Cabildo.

“Our goal is to promote dialogue among the different social agents involved, so that, through a participatory process, we define uses for the Casas de La Florida that truly meet the community’s needs.”

Rayco León, Councillor for Cultural Heritage, added:

“Collective intelligence must provide the solution for the Casas de La Florida.”

He advocated for a process that integrates the social, heritage, historical, and economic dimensions of the project.

David Herrera, Mayor of Tuineje, thanked the Cabildo’s Cultural Heritage department for highlighting the site and bringing a process that, he noted, will shape the project in a way that is close to and rooted in the municipality.

A Hamlet with About 300 Years of History

The Caserío de La Florida is part of Fuerteventura’s Public Historical Heritage and exemplifies the island’s interior rural and utilitarian architecture from roughly three centuries ago. It comprises scattered traditional houses—some dating back to the 18th century—constructed with stone, lime, sand, and earth.

The complex also includes ethnographic assets linked to farming and livestock, such as animal shelters, cisterns, small maretas, gavias, and the remains of a grain mill. Situated about three kilometres southwest of Tuineje, near the Los Ancones ravine, it preserves a fragment of the rural memory of the now‑depopulated hamlet.

Like other interior zones of Fuerteventura, the Casas de La Florida were once the scene of English pirate raids that looted fields and homes. Notable historical episodes, such as the battles of Tamacite and Llano Florido, saw islanders successfully repel the buccaneers.

The Cabildo’s Acquisition of the Ensemble

In 2023, the Cabildo incorporated the Caserío de La Florida into the island’s Public Cultural Heritage through a transaction valued at under €200,000, made possible by the cooperation of the Évora Suárez family, the former owners.

The acquisition was presented on 29 March 2023 at an event attended by the “Más Ruines que Caín” association and local residents, who called for the rehabilitation of the site for public use while respecting its surroundings and heritage value.

In October 2025, the Cabildo and the Tuineje Town Council approved a perimeter‑fencing project for the Public Historical Heritage of La Florida to protect the ensemble and prevent accidents among visitors. The work also included the installation of informational panels and continued previous safety measures on open wells in the area.

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The article was originally published by Fuerteventura Digital.