There are plenty of bakeries across Tenerife, but very few can say they’ve been serving customers for more than a century.
In the heart of La Orotava, Casa Egon has been baking traditional cakes and pastries since 1916, making it the oldest dulcería in the Canary Islands that’s still in business today.
It’s one of those places that locals have known about for generations, while many visitors walk straight past without realising the history behind its doors.
A bakery with an unexpected beginning
Casa Egon was founded by German pastry chef Egon Alfred Wende Bard, whose original plans to travel to Africa were interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War.
Instead, he found himself in Tenerife.
After spending time in Santa Cruz and La Laguna, he eventually settled in La Orotava, where he opened what would become the Taoro Confectionery and Café in December 1916.
The bakery first opened on the corner of La Quinta and Tomás Zerolo streets before moving to its current home on Calle León in 1925.
Remarkably, it’s still there today.
Four generations of the same family
Unlike many traditional businesses that eventually change hands, Casa Egon has remained in the same family for four generations.
Following Egon’s death, the bakery continued under his wife’s family, who carefully preserved the original recipes and resisted the temptation to modernise everything.
That’s probably one of the reasons people keep coming back.
Some things simply don’t need improving.
Famous for its traditional pastries
Ask anyone who knows Casa Egon what to try, and you’ll probably hear the same answer.
Its mille-feuille pastries, filled with rich egg yolk cream and apricot jam, have become something of a local institution.
Other favourites include the traditional yolk rings and a selection of handmade biscuits that regularly tempt customers through the door.
If you’re planning a visit, don’t leave it until late afternoon. The most popular pastries have a habit of selling out long before closing time.
A taste of old Tenerife
La Orotava is already one of the most beautiful towns on the island, with its cobbled streets, historic buildings and traditional Canarian architecture.
Stopping at Casa Egon adds another layer to that experience.
It isn’t just somewhere to buy a cake. It’s a chance to enjoy a small piece of Tenerife’s history that’s survived for well over a century.
In a world where businesses seem to come and go overnight, that’s quite an achievement.