Access to Santa Rosalía Cemetery Delayed
The establishment of vehicle access to the Santa Rosalía Cemetery in Igueste de San Andrés will have to wait for the future General Plan for Urban Development (PGO) of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This matter cannot be addressed through a point modification of the current urban planning regulations. This was indicated by the Municipal Urban Planning Department in response to a question posed by the Socialist Municipal Group during the Control Committee in June regarding the actions taken to comply with a plenary agreement that called for modifications to urban planning to ensure vehicular access to the graveyard, facilitate its expansion, and prevent its closure.
Unique Access Challenges
This cemetery is distinctive as it cannot be accessed by car; instead, one must carry the coffin uphill on foot.
The document, signed by the councillor responsible for the Municipal Urban Planning Department, Zaida González, states, “the Department is not processing any specific modification regarding the cemetery in Igueste de San Andrés.” The response adds that the implementation of the roadway requires “not only the modification of the current planning but also the prospect of expropriating certain land.” Therefore, it considers that this action “should be included in the new General Plan, with the possibility of execution once it is definitively approved.”
The PGO drafting team has been working on the initial approval document since early 2025, and González notes that the access to the cemetery will be reflected in it, referencing the design proposed in the previous PGO-13.
Historic Significance
The Santa Rosalía Cemetery is one of the most unique burial sites in Tenerife due to its access conditions. Nestled on a slope of the Anaga massif, near Igueste de San Andrés, it can only be reached on foot via a path, a situation that has affected both visits and the provision of funeral services over the years. Its origins date back to the 19th century, with various historical references suggesting its construction was prompted by a cholera epidemic that affected the area, leading to the establishment of a burial space away from the main population centre.
Over time, the site continued to be used and became the primary cemetery for the residents of Igueste.
Pedestrian Path Access
The unique characteristics of this cemetery have led to it being described multiple times as one of the most isolated graveyards in the Canary Islands. The lack of a roadway necessitates the use of a pedestrian path for transport, prompting repeated calls for improved connectivity to the site.
The situation of the cemetery had previously been discussed in the council. At the end of 2022, the Socialist Group called for the recovery of the San Andrés cemetery and measures to ensure accessibility to Santa Rosalía, deeming it essential for the preservation and functionality of the site.
