FORTALEZA GRANDE GRAN CANARIA

Rising from the valley floor on the west side of highway 815, to the south of Santa Lucia, this fortress like rock formation was the scene, in April 1483, of the last resistance of the aboriginal people against their Spanish conquerors. The final nucleus of 600 men and over 1,000 women and children were urged to surrender by their former king, Tenesor Semidan, who had joined the Spanish side and been baptized as a Christian. Refusing to listen to him, many of his former comrades threw themselves off the cliffs, calling out the name of their god, Atis Tirma, as they fell to their deaths.