Municipios, contiene información sobre los pueblos de Tenerife. Su historia, lugares de interés para visitar, etc. Todo pensado para que puedas planificar tus vacaciones y tiempo libre, disfrutando de todo y sin perderte nada.

Boroughs, it contains information about towns in Tenerife. Its history, places of interest to visit, etc. All geared so that you can plan your holidays and free time, enjoying it all and without missing a thing.

History of the City

Before the arrival of the Castilian conquerors, the territory where today it is based the city was constituted by zones of wild vegetation pertaining to the menceyato (kingdom) of Anaga, that governed the Mencey Beneharo. The pre-Hispanic history of the city is carried out by the legacy of guanches and some foreign expeditions that arrived at the coast. In 1494, in one of these trips, they arrived the Castilians and they established in Santa Cruz the camping bases for the conquest of the island, that extended until 1496, year in which Tenerife was incorporated to Corona of Castile.

From the beginning the economic nucleus of the city resided in the port. The first wharf, constructed in 1548, was located in the beach of Añaza, but it was destroyed by a storm. The present port corresponds with four old points of dockage in the municipal coast: the port of Horses with the creek of Blacks, the creek of Blas Diaz, High Step and the Bufadero. The bay of Santa Cruz was appreciated by the navigators due to its natural advantages, that turned it food supply center for the ships that started off for the New World.

At the end of century XV one began to form a heterogenous society composed by soldiers, own sailors, merchants and guanches that got to integrate themselves. The first population establishments were located in the surroundings of the castle of San Cristóbal, a strength that protected the small town of earthly small houses that was created. In second half of century XVI one began to construct the first seat, located in front of to the castle, that would denominate seat of Pila and it corresponds with the present seat of the Candlemas. Throughout the coast new defensive castles were constructed because the people of Santa Cruz had to defend of the frequent attacks of privateers and berberiscos pirates, Gallic and English. Until the British Navy, with admiral Nelson to the front, it fell defeated the 25 of 1797 July. This episode, by its importance, will mark the history of the city.

Santa Cruz continued growing and soon she ran into with the obstacle of the precipice of Saints that was saved with the construction of several bridges: bridge of the Cabo, Zurita bridge, bridge of the Asuncionistas, etc. Little by little an urban weave to both sides of the precipice made up of small streets and pack animal roads was forming.

In century XVIII the first expansion of Santa Cruz, derived from a series of factors took place, as the transfer of the residence of the commander-in-chief from the city from La Laguna to the castle of San Cristóbal. It trasvase of the capital status of the island originated a new administrative dimension. In addition, in 1803 Santa Cruz villa was considered free and the first city council was constituted. The city received importance and to it had also contributed the destruction of the port of Garachico, because of the volcanic eruption of 1706, because it brought with himself a displacement of the economic and commercial activity and the establishment of a bourgeoisie that it wanted to control the harbor businesses.

This increasing population is the one that soon demanded services and zones of leisure. The Tree-lined avenue of the Duke, the seat of the Prince, the seat of Weyler and Recova welcomed the bustle and the transfer of the people of Santa Cruz. To the primitive nuclei, like the Toscal, they went adding to parcels of houses and parks that composed new districts. In century XX and with the arrival of modernity and the "demographic boom", the city extended its limits all the possible one until becoming the great large city that is today and whose borders become blurred by the proximity of the urban sprawls of the adjacent municipalities.

Location

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is situated at the eastern tip of the island of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Island chain, on latitude 28º 28’ north and longitude 16º 15’ west. The municipal borough covers an area of 150.56 square kilometres and it is divided into two differentiated areas: on the one hand, the Anaga Massif and, on the other, the southern ramp formed by the lava flows that run down from the Acentejo peak to the coast. The maximum altitude in the borough is 750 metres above sea level, although, in the centre of the city, there are points that are a mere 4 metres above sea level, like Plaza España. Over half the municipal perimeter is shoreline (58 kilometres of coastline of 111 kilometres of municipal boundary).

Weather

The relief of the territory, and the fact that it is exposed to the flow of the Trade Winds (moist north east winds), are factors that generate a varied range of local climates, meaning that there are sunny, dry areas of coastline on the leeward side, together with damp and cloudy areas in the mountains and valleys of Anaga.

The proximity of the Tropic of Cancer and the Trade Winds combine to give the city a mild climate that can be seen from the minimal temperature variations throughout the year. There are no great differences between the seasons, nor between day and night. The annual average is around 21ºC. The hottest year for the municipal borough of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was undoubtedly 1995, when the average temperature was 22ºC, whereas the coldest year was 1920, with an average temperature of 20ºC.

Rainfall in the city is moderate and irregular, with the highest rainfall between October and March, and summer is the dryer season.

01

Información proporcionada por el ayuntamiento de Santa Cruz.