The Kings of Norway visited the Pyramids Ethnographic Park and Botanical Garden of Güímar, located on the island of Tenerife during their vacation in Spain to learn about the site and pay tribute to the legacy of Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer who founded the facility in 1998.
The Kings Harald V and Sonja of Norway visited the park on March 23, while enjoying a private vacation they decided to keep secret for security reasons. They were received by Thor Heyerdahl’s widow, Jacqueline Heyerdahl, and Alicia Barroso Martín, the center’s director.
The monarchs enjoyed a guided tour of more than two hours, during which they learned about the work done by the Heyerdahl couple in Tenerife, including the protection and study of the six pyramids, oriented to the sun on key astronomical dates.
“Their Majesties’ admiration for Heyerdahl was evident, showing yet another example, in my opinion, of the pride Norwegians feel for who was their most important ambassador,” Barroso explained through a press release published this Monday by the park.
Additionally, the kings placed a wreath next to the bust of Thor Heyerdahl in the Patio del Laurel, next to the park’s auditorium, and before leaving, they signed the guestbook. The center bid them farewell with gifts, including a catalog book of the park, a miniature reproduction of the Ra II boat (made by the Aymara in Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake at 3,812 meters in Peru and Bolivia), and pieces of Canarian ceramics made by potter Pedro Benítez.
THE PYRAMIDS, A PERSONAL COMMITMENT FOR HEYERDAHL
The Norwegian explorer, scientist, and writer Thor Heyerdahl (Larvik, October 6, 1914) visited Tenerife in 1990, attracted by news of the existence of stepped pyramid structures in the municipality of Güímar. His interest in these structures became a personal commitment when he embarked, along with his friend Fred Olsen, on the challenge of protecting and preserving these structures, which were to be destroyed by an urban plan, and creating what is now the Pyramids Ethnographic Park and Botanical Garden of Güímar.
Jacqueline, who was already living in Tenerife, met Thor Heyerdahl in 1991 when he was already working on the project. They married in 1994 and established their residence in Güímar, where he was named an honorary citizen in 2001. Heyerdahl and his wife Jacqueline dedicated their lives and efforts to this museum, protecting, preserving, and spreading the architectural and heritage treasure of these constructions.
The Pyramids Ethnographic Park of Güímar has been nominated twice as European Museum of the Year, awarded by the European Museum Forum. Over the years, it has continued to expand its cultural offerings, becoming one of the official Botanical Gardens of the Canary Islands in 2017, and establishing itself as one of the most interesting leisure options for residents and tourists.
