In the Anaga massif, in the northeast of Tenerife, a very particular house was built in the 1940s that belonged to one of the most famous Canary Islands writers, was linked to Francisco Franco and, after being abandoned, served as a refuge for an escaped murderer from prison and as a location for satanic rituals.
Known as Casa Fuset (also mistakenly referred to as Casa de Franco), this is its history.
The Estate
In the 18th century, the family of Elena González de Mesa acquired land in the El Moquinal area, in the current Rural Park of Anaga.
Casa Fuset / E. D.
González de Mesa married the famous writer Benito Pérez Armas in 1894, passing the property to him, who was also a deputy in the Cortes and president of the Canary Islands Council. The estate then served as a family recreation area.
After the writer’s death in 1937, his son-in-law, the military man Lorenzo Martínez Fuset (from whom the building takes its name), decided to build an elegant house in the 1940s, using local stone and the lush laurel forest vegetation typical of the Anaga massif.
Structure
The new building, with a rectangular plan and a roof with wooden beams, featured a large gallery of arches and a terrace overlooking the valley.
Outside, cement stairs connected the different levels of the terrain, while continuous balconies offered panoramas of the fayal-brezal and bracken forest surrounding the estate.
Connection with Franco
During its early years, Casa Fuset hosted family celebrations and social gatherings, enjoying the beauty of its landscape, driven by Martínez Fuset’s proximity to important figures of Francoism, although Francisco Franco never resided there.
The relationship between Fuset and the Franco family fueled rumours that the dictator lived there for a time, but this is false, as when Franco was Captain General of the Canary Islands, the estate was still in the hands of Pérez Armas, who would die a year after the Civil War began, with the future dictator already off the island.
Paranormal Events
By the 1980s the house had begun its deterioration after being abandoned by its owners (the area is not easily accessible, with a walking distance of 30 to 45 minutes) and its walls were falling into oblivion.
Also in the hands of graffiti artists, who left cabalistic symbols. The passage of time only served to fuel legends about EVP recordings, nightly gunfire, and alleged satanic rites inside. Everyone in that part of the island knows someone who knows someone to whom something happened at Casa Fuset.
Abandoned house known as ‘Casa Fuset’ or ‘Casa de Franco’ / Wikipedia
It even featured in mystery shows like Cuarto Milenio and Milenio 3, its radio version. More for propaganda reasons than for thorough investigation, on Iker Kimémez and Carmen Porter’s show it was unfoundedly called the “house of panic“.
Killer’s Refuge
It is very likely that part of this supernatural legend was influenced by the story of the murderer Dámaso Rodríguez Martín, nicknamed “El Brujo”, who hid in the estate after escaping from Tenerife prison.
His nickname came from his sombre character, but also from the legend that he practiced occult rites and had “powers”. He was known for being aggressive, manipulative and violent from a young age.
He was one of the most well-known criminals in the Canary Islands for the crimes he committed on the island in the 80s and early 90s. His story combines violence, escapes, a dark legend, and a life marked by marginalisation and brutality.
In 1981, he murdered a German tourist couple in a cave in the north of Tenerife. Ten years later he escaped during a prison leave and, while on the run, murdered a couple in their own home on the La Esperanza hill, and seriously injured a relative.
During his escape he stopped at Casa Fuset, although there is debate whether he entered the building or simply hid on the estate grounds. When discovered he attempted to flee, but was finally shot dead by the Guardia Civil on 19 February 1991, after a shootout on the hill.
The connection with this place heightened the sinister legend that surrounds the house, as it is an isolated and mysterious area, ideal for hiding.
Current Status
Today, Casa Fuset has become a hiking and rural tourism destination.
To reach it, the marked trail starts from the Cabezo del Tejo viewpoint and crosses paved sections that require mountain footwear and some caution, especially during rainy seasons.
The best time to visit is spring and autumn, when the weather is milder and the forest is in full splendour, completing an unforgettable tour of Anaga.
How to Get There
- Start: From the Monte de Las Mercedes area, access the Pista de El Moquinal. You can park near the Mirador de Zapata or at the entrance of the track if there’s space.
- Path: Take the Trail PR-TF 2.3 (El Moquinal – Las Mercedes), and at one of its turnoffs, you will find the path leading directly to Casa Fuset.
- Approximate time: 30–45 minutes walking (one way).
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate, although the terrain can be slippery during the rainy season.
