The chain of mountains that, in the shape of a horseshoe, shelter the Aguere Valley, from San Roque to El Púlpito, together with La Gallardina, Monte de Las Mercedes and Mesa Mota, make San Cristóbal de La Laguna is a paradisiacal place, with a mild climate in summer and relatively mild winters.
In the past, there were two accesses to the mountain, one in the extension of Callejón de San Roque, which started from the nearby Calle del Agua (currently Nava and Grimón), crossing the Carnicería ravine. It could also be accessed by going up the road from Valle Colino. Other accesses were built later, such as the military track.
Amaro Pargo and later his family had the wineries where they made the wines and spirits very close to the mountainside, where they cultivated Vidueño and Malvasía vines that they had planted on the Risco de San Roque and in the nearby Barranco de la Carnicería.
From the top of the mountain, the proclamation of the Kings of Spain was announced to the City with the firing of the cannons in compliance with the corresponding military honors according to the regulations of the Royal Ordinances, prior to the festivities that were celebrated in the squares. de la Pila Seca (today Plaza de La Concepción), Los Remedios and Plaza del Adelantado, and the military and festive parades that were organized along Calle de la Carrera. Such was the case of the proclamation of the kings Carlos III, Carlos IV and Fernando VII.
On the occasion of the visit of King Alfonso XIII to La Laguna, the first King of Spain to visit the Canary Islands, on March 27, 1906, a cannon stationed at the top of the San Roque Mountain announced the arrival of the sovereign.
In the Fiestas del Cristo, lights in the shape of a rosary are lit on the hillside
In the Fiestas del Cristo, for almost two centuries, on the night of September 14, before the fireworks display, lights are lit on the mountainside that form the figure of a rosary. Rafael Cruz Ramos kept this custom alive for more than 60 years, until his death, which he inherited from his grandparents Pancho Cruz and Manuela. At first, it was lit with clay trays, pieces of sack soaked in oil, later it was made with pots with part of the rubber soles of the tarpaulins, and in recent years pieces of the rubber tubes of the wheels of the cars wrapped in strips of tobacco sacks dipped in diesel.
THE HERMITAGE
On the hill of the mountain a small hermitage was built in honor of San Roque. Due to the fear that existed on the Island of the plague, at the same time that sanitary measures were taken, logically very few due to lack of means and knowledge, the authorities named San Roque protector of this epidemic. According to the historian Juan Núñez de la Peña, the hermitage began to be built on the mountain that later took its very close name “from the years of 1533”. It is very probable that the date was correct because in 1539 there are already data on official expenses for the celebration of the festivities and a procession on the occasion of the day of San Roque, on August 16. The modestly built hermitage, following the style of those built in the rest of the municipal area, although smaller, has collapsed on several occasions, specifically in 1776 and 1828. But like the saint in his double status as co-patron of La Laguna and a lawyer against the plague, has always had many devotees. The hermitage has been rebuilt several times, the last in 1991.
Devotion to San Roque was also linked to children, who, accompanied by their parents, come every year, for centuries, on the Sunday after their day is celebrated. Before urbanizing the Gonzaliánez ravine (de la Carnicería), there were many difficulties in accessing the path that allowed the beginning of the climb, which was narrow and dangerous.
For centuries, the festivities in honor of San Roque have been celebrated, initially organized by the Cabildo and later, as until now, by the residents, farmers and ranchers of the area, who come with their cattle, in the form of a pilgrimage around the hermitage.
During the festivities, typical Canarian “ventorrillos” were installed, with four wooden slats, a table as a counter, covered by a sheet and decorated with Canarian palm leaves. A cauldron of chickpeas, marinated pork and local wine was reason enough for these typical delicacies to end before the desire to eat while the party lasted.
THE LIGHTHOUSE
In the Laguna sunset, a beam of light appeared in the sky that, making a 360-degree tour, signaled to the planes the location of the Los Rodeos Airport. A radio beacon located some 1,000 meters from headland 30 was the only aid for the approach, while for navigation the “aerolight” of the Montaña de San Roque was used, with the callsign LD.
From the top of the mountain, in the place known as La Torre, in reference to the place where the lighthouse was located, installed on a platform 15 meters high, on top of the military building of the Old Radiotelegraphic Station. This light that marked the beginning of the then small landing strip continued its route over the Mountain of El Púlpito, the coast of San Andrés, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, it went up in the direction of La Cuesta, making the turn over and over again. At that time, this lighting was also the only help, together with the capuchin lanterns carried by the residents of San Roque, the nearby Colino Valley, El Bronco and Lomo Largo to walk the paths towards their homes.
The lighthouse provided its services until the summer of 1967, it was dismantled by operators from National Airports and by technicians from the Island, among them, Mr. Elías Fernández Pérez, who was the one who dismantled the highest part of the installation, since he was the technician younger. The last lighthouse keeper of San Roque was Don Martín Luis Hernández, who added to his responsibilities at El Faro his hobby as a radio amateur.
He is still remembered as he helped many neighbors who came to the tower when, in those difficult moments of communication with the Canarians who emigrated to Venezuela, their relatives wanted to hear from them.
