At the time of the Spanish conquest, in the fifteenth century, the island of La Palma (known as Benahoare) was divided into 12 cantons, each one directed by a Mencey, the highest authority in his territory. The inhabitants of the island, known as benahoaritas, lived on grazing and on the collection of fruits and roots.

After several attempts of occupation by the troops sent by the Catholic Kings and a long battle, Tanausu, the Mencey of Aceró, canton of the Caldera, was the last to submit after suffering an ambush by Alonso Fernandez de Lugo.

Once La Palma was incorporated to the Crown of Castile, and as compensation for the services rendered to the conquest, plots of land were granted on the basis of participation in the battle and on the social position of the beneficiary. All lands and waters of La Caldera were donated to the lieutenant Alonso Fernández de Lugo, who allowed the community use for cattle grazing, mainly goats.

Cultivating sugar cane, whose export had a great importance in the economy of the island during the sixteenth century, required a high water consumption. The richness of the waters of La Caldera motivated major clashes in the course of history until the present day, when the use of the same lies with the Heredamiento of the Haciendas of Argual and Tazacorte, composed of 1,800 partners, who divide the water every 10 days.

The use of wood for the construction of furniture, the wood used as fuel and pitch to caulk boats made a dent into the forests of the island. The declaration, in 1954, of the Caldera de Taburiente as National Park, allowed to protect the territory and to regulate the use of natural resources.