A peculiar mural greets those who visit the Ciudad Deportiva Los Laureles in Tegueste. “Kiss me until Tegueste has a beach” may seem just like a quaint phrase, but it holds a unique story: that of a municipality without a coastline which, despite its proximity to the sea, has fiercely defended its independence.
On the island of Tenerife, only three municipalities do not have direct access to the ocean: Vilaflor, El Tanque, and Tegueste. The latter is completely surrounded by San Cristóbal de La Laguna, which it could have joined on several occasions, but its inhabitants always resisted.
A town that resisted annexation
During the 19th century, a process occurred where small municipalities were absorbed by larger centres like La Laguna or Santa Cruz. Tejina, Valle de Guerra, and Punta del Hidalgo were some of them. However, Tegueste resisted all annexation attempts. As explained by María Jesús Luis Yanes, the municipal archivist, although the reasons cited for such unifications included a lack of resources or illiteracy, Tegueste’s case was different.
In 1838, José María Rodríguez, the interim mayor, proposed joining La Laguna because he could not afford the salary of the municipal secretary. But the neighbours, determined to maintain autonomy, gathered the necessary funds. It was the first “no”.
Just three years later, a new integration proposal, promoted by the Provincial Council for economic reasons, was rejected again. With a thousand inhabitants, the municipality defended its management of water, pastures, and forests. When the money ran short, citizens made contributions themselves.
Repeated refusals from the municipality
In 1852, the mayor Agustín Hernández travelled to Santa Cruz intending to dissolve the Town Hall. The news mobilised 40 locals who, once again, opposed losing independence. In a vote restricted to the eight largest contributors, “no” won by 5 to 3. Days later, another broader vote with councillors and contributors reaffirmed the refusal: 9 to 4. Curiously, Hernández, who had pushed for annexation, voted against it this time.
Despite the outcome, the Council expressed its disagreement and promoted a new vote. In this, twice as many contributors participated as members of the Town Hall. Again, the people prevailed: 17 votes against and only 5 in favour.
According to municipal archive minutes, among those advocating integration, the most repeated argument was the lack of people qualified to hold public office. However, most remained firm in protecting the municipality’s autonomy. The natural resources—waters, paths, and forests, especially in the Pedro Álvarez area—were key to that defence.
Tegueste, the sea and its boats
Although it has no coastline, the sea has always been present in Tegueste’s traditions. The annual patronal festivals of San Marcos and Nuestra Señora de los Remedios include a parade of boat-shaped carts pulled by oxen through the streets.
This custom dates back at least to 1600, according to documents found in the municipal archives. The prebendary Antonio Pereira Pacheco, a priest between 1842 and 1858, already described in his manuscript History of Tegueste how the boats were the main attraction of the festivals, alongside dances, praises, rural skits, and fireworks.
Agustín González, deputy editor of DIARIO DE AVISOS, suggests the origin of these boats has various interpretations. For some, they symbolise a maritime vocation that could never be realised. For others, they evoke the past anxiety upon sighting a sail on the horizon: potential invasions, lootings, fires, or pirate kidnappings.
The confusion with the beach
It’s not uncommon to find references on the internet to supposed “beaches of Tegueste”, but these are actually nearby places, such as Jóver (in Tejina) or Benijo, which have nothing to do with the Tegueste municipal area. The confusion stems from imprecise tourism strategies, which have occasionally led to notorious anecdotes.
An example occurred when sports journalist David Bernabéu, celebrating the debut of Tenerife-born Pedri with the Spanish national team, suggested that the player should celebrate “at Tegueste beach”. The response on social media was swift: amid jokes and corrections, many reminded him that such a beach has never existed.
