Santa Cruz of Tenerife prides itself on being one of the few cities in Spain that still preserves four historic castles: San Juan or Black Castle; San Cristobal; San Andrés and Paso Alto. These military fortifications, constructed between the 16th and 18th centuries, were built to safeguard the island from pirate invasions and potential foreign occupation. Consequently, the City Council has long aimed to restore the grandeur of these ancient fortresses, an integral part of Santa Cruz’s historical legacy. In the case of San Andrés, the council has confirmed that the project for its renovation will be approved this year, while Paso Alto Castle will have to wait.
Javier Rivero, the Councilor for Infrastructure, stated, “Our current focus is on the renovation of Castillo de San Andrés, with the goal of getting the project approved this year. The project’s scope has been recently adjusted, as part of the original winning proposal impacted El Cercado ravine and its adjacent road. The revised plan aims for a more feasible renovation based on technical evaluations.
The restoration of this military stronghold, overlooking Las Teresitas beach in San Andrés, is a significant endeavour in reclaiming Chicharrera’s history. In pursuit of this goal, the City Council organised a design competition in 2020 to enhance the castle and its surroundings, envisioning a spacious pedestrian promenade and an Interpretation Centre. The proposal named S, M, L, XL, put forth by Arocha Díaz Uriarte UTE, was selected in May 2023 to redefine the tower’s current concept.
According to NOTICE DIARY , due to the considerable scope of the intervention and urban challenges in executing part of the infrastructure upgrade, specifically the Interpretation Centre development due to the unsettled urban land zone it occupies as per the Las Teresitas Special Plan, the project has been split into two phases. The budget allocated for infrastructure consolidation and surroundings enhancement is estimated at 1.8 million euros, while over three million euros will be invested in constructing the Interpretation Centre, pedestrian zones, and gardens. The total expenditure is projected to be nearly five million euros.
Operational until its military disarmament in 1878, Castillo de San Andrés faced partial destruction in 1894 from the torrents flooding the El Cercado ravine.
