Santa Cruz of Tenerife

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a city and a municipality in Spain, capital of the homonymous province, of the island of Tenerife and of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands (together with Las Palmas de Gran Canaria). It has a population of 209,194 inhabitants as of January 1, 2020. It is located in the northeast of the island of Tenerife, physically and urbanistically linked to the city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, both being considered twin cities and forming, together with El Rosario, Tegueste, Tacoronte and El Sauzal, the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which has a population of more than 449,472 inhabitants. According to the Loughborough University geography department, Santa Cruz de Tenerife is defined as a global city.

Founded on May 3, 1494 as a real de conquest, it was between 1833 and 1927 de iure the only capital of the Canary Islands (thus being the only Canarian city that has held such a title in such a way official), until in 1927 a decree established that the capital of the archipelago be shared with Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

It is the seat of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, the Audiencia de Cuentas de Canarias and the Captaincy General of the Canary Islands, as well as the presidency of the Government of the Canary Islands, the latter alternating in legislative periods with Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. In addition, the city is the headquarters of the provincial sub-delegation of the Government of Spain in the Canary Islands. Among other institutions present in the city, the Unesco headquarters in the Canary Islands stands out.

The city is known for its carnival, declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest and considered one of the most famous in the world. It also highlights its varied architecture, highlighting the Auditorio de Tenerife, which is considered one of the greatest exponents of contemporary architecture. In the panoramic view of the city, the Torres de Santa Cruz also stand out, which at 120 meters are the tallest twin towers in Spain. Other prominent places are the Plaza de España, which is the nerve center of the city, and the Parque García Sanabria, a large urban park located in the center of the city. Outside the city but in its municipal area, the Playa de las Teresitas and a large part of the Anaga massif stand out, declared a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco in 2015.

Toponymy

Before the arrival of the Europeans, the area was known by the Guanches as Añazo or Añaza, which according to some authors means the place to spend the night or shelter.

The current name of the city and the municipality was given to it by the conqueror of Tenerife Alonso Fernández de Lugo in 1494 when he established the real or camp of the conquest in this area on May 3, the day of the Invention of the Cross.

In 1797, the English admiral Horacio Nelson attacked Santa Cruz de Tenerife. On July 25 (the day of Santiago el Mayor) the British troops trying to invade the city were defeated. For this reason, and in recognition of this victory, Santa Cruz obtained the title of Muy Leal Noble e Invicta Villa, Puerto y Plaza de Santa Cruz de Santiago de Tenerife. Due to this, the historical name of the city is Santa Cruz of Santiago de Tenerife, although this denomination is minimally used at present, the most common and official being the current one of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Gentile

The formal adjective is santacrucero. However, the use of the nickname "chicharrero" to designate the inhabitants of the municipality has become popular. Originally it was a derogatory term with which the residents of San Cristóbal de La Laguna used to name the Santacruceros, given their habit of consuming mackerel, cheap and low-quality fish accessible to humble residents of the port. Over time, the people of Santa Cruz themselves assumed the nickname as their own, and its use was extended to designate the inhabitant of Tenerife in general.

Symbols

Shield

The shield of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was granted by King Carlos IV by Royal Decree of August 28, 1803, its description being: «Gold, a cross of Santiago de gules, loaded with a Latin cross of sinople. At the point, three saber lion heads placed two and one, the central one crossed by the point of the cross of Santiago. Border of azure waved with silver, loaded, in the head, with an island, and in the rest of three castles alternated with four anchors, all of silver. At the buzzer, royal crown closed. Under the tip, the First Class Cross of the Order of Charity."

The shield has the characteristic elements of the Very Loyal, Noble, Undefeated and Very Beneficent City, Port and Plaza of Santa Cruz de Santiago de Tenerife. Interestingly, it is not square or shield-shaped, but rather oval. On a blue background with anchors and castles, it has a green cross, symbol of the Foundation Cross, which gives the city its name. Behind the cross appears a cross of Santiago in red, for being the day of Santiago when the city defeated Horacio Nelson. Beneath this cross are three lion heads looking to the right of the shield, symbolizing the city's victory over Admiral Nelson and the English corsairs Blake and Jennings. It has castles, anchors and a silver island. He also holds the Cross of the Civil Order of Charity and the Royal Crown. The laurel wreath that surrounds the shield is the symbol of the victory of the city before each and every one of the attacks suffered.

Flag

The municipal flag was also granted to the city by Royal Decree of August 28, 1803, being completely white with the heraldic shield in the center.

The Chicharro

The mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) is considered the allegorical symbol of the city, due to the popular nickname of “chicharrero” given to the inhabitants of Santa Cruz. There is a sculpture in the city called El Chicharro, donated to the capital by the Venezuelan Cultural Association the Liqui-Liquis as a gift to the city of Santa Cruz and the island of Tenerife.

Geography

The municipality is located in the northeast of the island, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, bordering the municipalities of San Cristóbal de La Laguna and El Rosario. The city is nestled between the bay that bears the same name and the Anaga massif.

It has an area of 150.56 km², occupying the 4th place in area both on the island and in the province.

Its altitude in the historic center is 4 meters above sea level, while its maximum level is reached at the elevation known as Cruz de Taborno, at 1020 m s. no. m..

It has 58 kilometers of coastline, naturally divided by the Santos ravine.

The city is located in a rugged area, forming a metropolitan area with the city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, with which it is physically and urbanistically linked.

Orography

The Anaga Massif, to the north of the urban area, occupies a large part of the municipality. In this massif we find the maximum altitude of the municipality in the Cruz de Taborno, with 1020 m s. no. m..

Beaches

Las Teresitas beach, with sand brought from the Sahara

• Playa de Las Teresitas: in San Andrés, it is the beach most visited by the chicharreros. It is an artificial beach, made with sand brought from the Sahara Desert in 1973, over three old black sand coves and rocks that existed in the area.
• The beaches of Roque de las Bodegas and Almáciga: After leaving Taganana, this area of beaches, rocks, indigenous vegetation and the possibility of tasting Canarian cuisine with views of them.
• Benijo beach: cozy beach in a landscape overlooking the Roques de Anaga, which are Natural Reserve.
• Las Gaviotas beach: It is a nudist beach, also visited by surfers. It's very busy. Its black sand and clean waters cause visits that stop the access road.
• Cesar Manrique Maritime Park: Canary artist's posthumous work created in the image and likeness of Lake Martiánez del Puerto de la Cruz. It consists of two main pools of salt water, a small cove of blonde sand, cafes, nursery, gym and other leisure elements. At one end of the Maritime Park, on the Lazareto Mountain, is the Palmétum, a botanical garden specializing in palm trees.
• Playa de Antequera: golden sandy beach, without road access, and complicated access on foot (there are several hours of walking going up and down mountains). It usually comes by boat. It measures approximately 400 metres.

Hydrography

Bahía de Santa Cruz from the ridge of Roque Chiguel to the left of Barranco de Cueva Bermeja

Most of the ravines in the municipality are located in Anaga, products of the erosion suffered in this ancient massif. The most important channels are: Tahodio ravine, Valleseco ravine, Bufadero ravine, Cueva Bermeja ravine, Los Charcos or Jagua ravine, San Andrés ravine, Balayo ravine, Igueste de San Andrés ravine, Antequera ravine, Ijuana ravine, Anosma ravine, Chamorga ravine, Benijo ravine, Almáciga ravine, Laja or Roque de las Bodegas ravine, Cuesta ravine, Agua ravine, Afur ravine and Taborno ravine, which is the municipal limit with San Cristóbal de La Laguna.

The urban area of the city is crossed mainly by the Santos ravine, as well as the Almeyda ravine whose lower channel is channeled under the city. To the south of the city are the ravines of El Hierro, del Muerto, Barranco Grande and the ravine of Pilar.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has a subtropical climate that is in transition between hot semiarid (BSh) and hot arid (BWh) climates. However, because the municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has a large area, occupying most of the Anaga Massif, there are three other climates in this municipality: The cold semi-arid climate (BSk) in the areas of medium altitude, and the Mediterranean (Csa) and Mediterranean oceanic (Csb) climates in the higher altitude areas of the municipality, especially in the Anaga Massif. The average annual temperature at the main AEMet observatory located in this city is 21.5 °C, thus being able to be considered the warmest provincial capital in Spain.

The annual thermal amplitude is low: about 7 or 8 °C. Temperatures range from an average of about 18.3 °C in January and February to around 25.5 °C on average in August. In this month the maximums are not too high (about 29 °C) but the minimums usually stay around 22 °C. It also stands out that the average maximum temperature does not drop below 21 °C in any month.

Precipitation is scarce, with an annual average of just over 200 mm, however the irregularity of the rains sometimes gives rise to large amounts of precipitation in a short period of time, as occurred in March 2002 when 232.6 mm fell in one day, an amount higher than the annual average. Precipitation is distributed very unevenly throughout the year: most of the rain falls between November and March, as opposed to the months of May to September, which are very dry. In particular, precipitation is almost non-existent in June and July, especially in the latter with a monthly average of 0.1 mm. Despite the lack of rainfall, the annual average humidity is around 63% due to the coastal condition of the city, varying little throughout the year.

The following shows the climatological values of the AEMET observatory located in La Salle (Santa Cruz de Tenerife), at 35 m s. no. m., taking the years 1981-2010 as the reference period. Note that the extreme values are taken in the period 1951-2015.

Average climatic parameters of Observatorio de Santa Cruz de Tenerife (35 m s. n. m.) (Reference period: 1981-2010, Extremas 1920-2016)
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Temp. max. abs. (°C)	28.4	31.2	35.4	35.2	36.4	37.1	42.6	40.4	39.3	38.1	34.0	28.2	42.6
Average temperature (°C)	21.0	21.2	22.1	22.7	24.1	26.2	28.7	29.0	28.1	26.3	24.1	22.1	24.6
Average temperature (°C)	18.2	18.3	19.0	19.7	21.0	22.9	25.0	25.5	24.9	23.4	21.3	19.4	21.5
Temp. medium (°C)	15.4	15.3	15.9	16.5	17.8	19.5	21.2	21.9	21.7	20.3	18.4	16.6	18.4
Temp. min. abs. (°C)	9.4	8.1	9.5	9.4	12.0	13.4	16.5	14.6	16.5	14.6	10.1	10.0	8.1
Total precipitation (mm)	31.5	35.4	37.8	11.6	3.6	0.9	0.1	2.0	6.8	18.7	34.1	43.2	225.7
Precipitation days (≥ 1 mm)	4.2	3.8	3.8	2.4	0.9	0.2	0.0	0.3	0.9	3.1	4.7	5.4	29.7
Hours of sun	178.4	185.5	221.4	237.1	281.9	305.8	336.6	319.3	253.0	222.3	165.5	123.9	2912.6
Relative humidity (%)	64	65	62	61	61	61	58	60	64	66	65	66	63
Source: State Meteorology Agency

The following are some of the extreme values recorded at the La Salle meteorological observatory taken from 1920 for temperature, from 1924 for precipitation and from 1943 for wind. The absolute maximum temperature is 42.6 °C recorded on July 12, 1952 and the absolute minimum temperature of 8.1 °C recorded on February 22, 1926. The maximum rainfall in one day is 232.6 mm recorded on March 31, 2002. The maximum gust is 162 km/h wind recorded on December 14, 1975.

Adverse weather phenomena

On March 31, 2002, there was a cold drop phenomenon (known as the 2002 Tenerife Flood), with torrential rains accompanied at certain times by electrical equipment, affecting the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and spreading in the direction northeast towards the area of San Andrés. It is important to note that the torrential rainfall affected a very small area around the capital of Tenerife. They caused 8 deaths, 12 missing and dozens of wounded. In addition, there was extensive material damage, as well as the total or partial destruction of at least 400 homes, and some 50,000 people were left without electricity. The meteorological phenomenon discharged 224 liters per square meter. The rain began to fall heavily in the capital and its surroundings between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., while a little further north and south only a few drops fell. It cleared for half an hour and then it started to rain again with great intensity and hail until 8:00 p.m., maintaining a few hours of weaker rainfall until midnight. The National Institute of Meteorology did not warn of the catastrophe and for the previous day warned only of "moderate showers".

Later, in 2005, Tropical Storm Delta arrived from the Atlantic. It began its journey in the Gulf of Guinea, and, contrary to what usually happens, it turned north, remaining static near the Azores, to then turn east and not west, as normally happens, causing great damage, over all because of its strong winds. During the night of November 28, the winds intensified and reached 140 km/h on the coast and almost 250 km/h on Mount Teide, the summit of Tenerife. At the precise moment of his passage through the Capital, there was a sudden increase in temperature and a pronounced drop in relative humidity below 40%. Some 300,000 people were left without electricity supply due to the fall of high-voltage towers that caused the Government of the Canary Islands to sanction Unelco-Endesa with an amount of 450,000 euros. The phenomenon was predicted and rigorously studied later.

On February 1, 2010, Santa Cruz de Tenerife went on alert again when a front crossed from El Hierro to Tenerife, to continue with less force towards the coast of Cádiz, discharging abundant water and electrical equipment. It affected the entire island and left 143 liters per square meter in Izaña; 126 liters per square meter in Los Rodeos, 217 liters per square meter in the capital and up to 270 liters per square meter in 24 hours in Anaga, which left the town of Taganana cut off without electricity and water supply for 48 hours; Twelve roads were cut, more than 1,200 lightning strikes in ten hours, interruption of the tram service, flooding in underground car parks and multitudes of homes, 25,000 people without electricity and 11 flights cancelled. The State Meteorological Agency ruled out that it was a tropical storm and described it as a very active storm. The Government Council of the Canary Islands approved a package of extraordinary measures for those affected, with aid of up to 50 percent for repairs.

On February 17, 2010, a storm of rain and wind began to be felt two days before and was warned by the State Meteorological Agency with the entire island on orange alert according to the Island Emergency Plan (PEIN), left winds of 95 kilometers per hour. The emergency services faced the fall of trees, lampposts, billboards, garbage containers and irons of all kinds in the capital. On the morning of the 18th, with the storm already moving towards Cádiz and leaving behind its last effects, a short circuit occurred at the Caletillas Power Plant of Unelco-Endesa, due to a water leak, which caused an "energy zero", Therefore, the entire island was left without electricity since 12:00 p.m. In the capital it took nine hours to recover all the fluid and for nearly two hours, none of the more than 220,000 registered inhabitants had electricity.

Environment

82% of the municipal territory of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is considered a natural area, largely due to the presence of the Anaga rural park. This fact makes Santa Cruz the third largest municipality in Spain with the highest percentage of natural territory, after Cuenca (87%) and Cáceres (83%).

The municipality owns most of the protected natural space of the Anaga rural park, as well as all of the integral natural reserves of Ijuana, El Pijaral and Los Roques de Anaga. The Anaga rural park has the largest amount of endemism per square kilometer in Europe, having also been declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2015.

A large part of all these spaces are also included in the Natura 2000 Network as Special Conservation Areas, to which are added the coastal strips called Sebadales de Antequera and Sebadal de San Andrés, where communities of marine phanerogams develop. For its part, the surface of the rural park and the integral natural reserves are also Special Protection Areas for Birds. Santa Cruz also has the Public Utility Forests called Aguirre, Las Vueltas, Aguas Negras and Quebradas and San Andrés, Pijaral, Igueste and Anaga.

History

Guanche period: before the 15th century

Fundación de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1906 painting by Manuel González Méndez which is located at the headquarters of the Parliament of the Canary Islands

The area on which the city and the municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife sit has been the object of human occupation since the Guanche era, for approximately 2000 years, according to the archaeological sites found. The famous Mummy of San Andrés is one of the most important vestiges of the municipality's Guanche past. In addition to caves with some remains of mummified animals and stones with rock engravings.

This area belonged to the Guanche kingdom of Anaga, one of the nine into which the island was divided.

European Conquest and Colonization: 15th and 16th Centuries

In the area where the city rises was where Alonso Fernández de Lugo disembarked on May 3, 1494 to begin the conquest of the island, planting a cross that gives its name to the city and where he would build the real de la Santa Cruz, military camp seed of the primitive population. Lugo disembarked with a troop of peninsulars and canaries made up of about 2,000 men on foot and 200 on horseback. After the defeat of the conquerors in the first battle of Acentejo and the withdrawal from the island, Lugo returned in 1495 with a better armed and trained army. After rebuilding Añazo's military fort in Santa Cruz, he would start the definitive campaign. After the conquest ended in 1496, Santa Cruz was configured as a modest fishing village, dependent on La Laguna, the city in which Lugo established the capital of the island.

With the passage of time, it became one of the most important ports in the Atlantic (a distinction that it still retains), since the Canary Islands were an unavoidable passage for the fleet that left for America.

Old Regime: 17th and 18th centuries

Map of Santa Cruz in 1701

Nelson falls wounded during the battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Richard Westall Painting, 1806

The 18th century represents the true population and urban development of Santa Cruz. In 1706 the volcanic eruption of Trevejo took place, which buried the flourishing port of Garachico, the island's main port, with lava without possible recovery, for which reason the port of Santa Cruz came to occupy the priority place. In 1723 the residence of Commander General Lorenzo de Villavicencio (Captain General of the Canary Islands) was moved and settled, which until now had been based in La Laguna.

Economic development and cultural flourishing largely caused the opening of the first printing press in the Canary Islands and the periodical edition of the written press around 1751.

Santa Cruz confirms the solidity of its defenses as a stronghold with the victory over the British naval officer John Jennings, in 1706, and in 1797 over Horatio Nelson. On July 25, the day of Santiago, the most important military event in the history of the city is recorded: troops and citizens defended themselves, under the command of General Antonio Gutiérrez de Otero, from the naval attack of the English rear admiral; the powerful British Army will withdraw, but not before Nelson loses an arm according to tradition by a shot from the Tiger cannon.

Modern period: 19th and 20th centuries

In 1803, King Carlos IV granted the port of Santa Cruz the title of "already in and of itself" of "exempt town", with the right to establish its own town hall, with the denomination of "Very Loyal, Noble, Invicta y Muy Benéfica Ciudad, Puerto y Plaza de Santa Cruz de Santiago de Tenerife", which meant its administrative emancipation from the municipality of La Laguna, by Royal Decree of August 28.

La Farola del Mar, one of the symbols of the city, is a small lighthouse that was lit in December 1863 on the southern deque-muelle

In 1833 the political and administrative importance of Santa Cruz was definitively recognized when it was designated as the capital of the only province that was to form the Canary Islands —the province of the Canary Islands—, in conflict with the cities of La Laguna and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Politicians such as José Murphy and Meade contributed to this appointment and the fact that the captaincy and the military administration were located in their municipal territory.

The Law of Free Ports of the Canary Islands of 1852 allowed the later development of the port of Santa Cruz and of the town itself as a commercial enclave. With the European colonial expansion in Africa, the Canary Islands ports became ports of call for the supply of coal for ships.

Henschel steam locomotive, 1924, who worked on the port works

In 1859 it obtained the title of "City" by Royal Order of October 10, and in 1894 it was granted the title of "very beneficial" by Royal Decree of April 23 for the behavior of its neighbors on the occasion of the cholera epidemic of the previous year (see: Cholera pandemics in Spain).

In 1927, during the dictatorship of General Miguel Primo de Rivera, the Canary Islands were divided into the two remaining provinces; creating by Royal Decree of September 21 the Province of Las Palmas. In this way, the rivalry between the two main cities of the archipelago was resolved. Also in the twenties, numerous public works were carried out, such as the extension of the south pier of the port of Santa Cruz.

Between the years 1936 and 1939, during the Spanish civil war, the Canary Islands were in the rearguard of General Franco's side. In this context, in 1936 the Republican mayor of Santa Cruz, José Carlos Schwartz Hernández, was arrested and assassinated. After the war, years of great economic difficulties followed.

As of 1978, with the new Spanish Constitution and the Statute of Autonomy of the Canary Islands, a new stage began, always with democratically elected mayors.

In the 1980s and 1990s 20th century, the city experienced a huge economic boom. The expansion of the city to the south begins, gaining land for the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Refinery and creating new residential and developable areas such as Cabo-Llanos. Since then, this area of the city has been immersed in a major construction boom that has been nicknamed "Manhattanization", due to the presence of tall buildings and the layout of the streets that mimics that of American cities.

Today: 21st century

Santa Cruz inaugurates the new century with a great expansive and commercial boom that is manifested especially in architecture with the construction of emblematic buildings such as the Tenerife Auditorium, the work of Santiago Calatrava or the remodeling of the Plaza de España according to the design of Swiss architects Herzog & deMeuron.

On March 31, 2002, the so-called Riada de Tenerife of 2002 took place, a cold drop phenomenon characterized by the repeated fall of torrential rains accompanied by electrical equipment, affecting the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and extending in the direction NE towards the area of San Andrés. The rains caused 8 deaths, 12 missing and dozens injured. In addition to the human losses, the flood caused considerable material damage, 70,000 people without electricity, as well as the total or partial destruction of at least 400 homes. The losses were estimated at 90 million euros. For its part, in 2010 another large flood took place accompanied by an electrical blackout that affected the entire island, although this storm did not produce fatalities.

The financial crisis of 2008 would paralyze the development of the city for more than a decade. In June 2018, the dismantling of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Refinery was announced, which is the largest industry in the archipelago, it is also the oldest refinery in Spain. This hindered the development and expansion of the city towards the South. It is expected that by 2030 the industry will leave the city for good, and a new urban fabric will be built on the land it occupies, with homes, hotels, shops and green areas.

Demographics

Graphic of demographic evolution of Santa Cruz de Tenerife between 1900 and 2021

Official regular residents according to ISTAC population censuses.

As of January 1, 2020, Santa Cruz de Tenerife has a total of 209,194 inhabitants, ranking first in number of inhabitants both on the island of Tenerife and in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and second position of the autonomous community. To these data we must add a floating population of students from other islands.

The relative population was 1352.9 inhab./km². From the analysis of the population pyramid it can be deduced that:

Regarding the place of birth, 77% of the inhabitants of the municipality were born in the Canary Islands, of which 72% were born in the municipality itself, 18% in another municipality on the island and 10% came from from another island in the archipelago. The rest of the population was made up of 10% of those born in the rest of Spain and 13% of those born abroad.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife experiences a significant increase in population at two particular historical moments: in 1850, when the municipalities of San Andrés and Taganana were added to its term, and in 1972, when the neighboring municipality of El Rosario ceded part of it of its territory and population.

In December 2012, the National Institute of Statistics published the population register in the Official State Gazette, reducing the population of the municipality by 15,306 people. Based on this, the so-called "Padrón case" arose., in which it is discovered that the municipality had irregularly increased its population register since 1996. After an investigation carried out by the General Inspection of Services of the Santa Cruz City Council, 13,910 inhabitants were officially deregistered. While the opposition believes in electoral fraud, the city council report blames the company hired in 1996 to carry out the door-to-door population survey.

The population of the city of Santa Cruz, however, does not experience stable growth, as a result of population sprawl towards adjacent municipalities.

The city presents several cultures, since together with the traditional Canarian autochthonous population and peninsular Spaniards, Hindus dedicated to trade and Arabs have coexisted for decades. All of them have been joined, in recent years, by immigrants of various origins, although mainly Latin Americans. It is important to highlight the large number of Venezuelans residing in the city, as well as in the rest of the island of Tenerife; fact that has led the Government of Venezuela to recognize the Consulate of Venezuela in the Canary Islands (based in Santa Cruz de Tenerife) as the second most important Venezuelan consulate in the world.

In 2012, the British newspaper The Guardian included Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the list of the five best places in the world to live. It is only preceded by the north coast of Maui, in Hawaii; the district of Sankt Pauli, in Hamburg; the Cihangir district, in Istanbul, and Portland, in the state of Oregon (United States).

The city is also known for the tolerance of its inhabitants. Santa Cruz de Tenerife was the first municipality in the Canary Islands to raise the Gay Pride Flag in the City Hall building, in an official act next to the flag of Santa Cruz, in 2008.

Compared to the nearby city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, which is the seat of the Bishopric of Tenerife, the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has traditionally had a much more secular character. This fact led to institutions with a deep secular tradition in the city, such as the Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which was one of the largest Masonic centers in Spain.

According to the study of Urban Indicators prepared by the INE, of the two Canary capitals, Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the one with the highest life expectancy at 81 years. Just behind Santa Cruz is Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with 80.9 years.

Administration and politics

Municipal government

The municipality is governed by its town council, made up of the mayor-president and twenty-six councillors.

The building that houses the Santa Cruz City Hall is a neoclassical building built between 1899 and 1916. Originally designed as a Palace of Justice, in 1902 it was established as a town hall. It is popularly called Casa de los Dragos for the two specimens of Dracaena draco that are found on both sides of its main entrance.

Consistorial house, popularly known as House of the Dragos

After the municipal elections of May 2011, a pact government was formed between the CC and the PSOE.

After those of 2015, CC signs an agreement with the PP.

Following the 2019 municipal elections in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the PSOE, Podemos and Ciudadanos agreed and handed over the mayoralty to Patricia Hernández Gutiérrez, thus becoming the first woman to hold the mayoralty, the first socialist to be mayor and the first non-regionalist/nationalist mayor in the history of the city.

In June 2020, after the resignation of a Ciudadanos councilor and the subsequent inauguration of the new mayor; CC, the PP and the new councilor of Cs present a motion of censure against the mayor Patricia Hernández that went ahead, leading to the inauguration of the mayor José Manuel Bermúdez Esparza (CC)

Urbanism

Palacio de Carta, 1752, in Plaza de la Candelaria

The Plaza de España and its lake. To the bottom of the mountains of Anaga

Historically, its Renaissance and Baroque churches are notable, such as the Iglesia de la Concepción, or the Iglesia de San Francisco, whose towers were in the past the tallest and most characteristic buildings in the city. Among the old civil buildings, the Palacio de Carta stands out. In all these monuments volcanic stone was used in their facades.

Twin towers of Santa Cruz, 120 meters high, with 32 floors of houses. They are the highest skyscrapers in the Canary Islands and the highest twin towers in Spain

In the XX century, extensive urban reforms were carried out, opening the García Sanabria Park and the Plaza de España, where They built the most emblematic buildings of the postwar period, such as the Palacio Insular de Tenerife, headquarters of the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife.

Its port is a communications hub between Europe, Africa and America, and container ships, oil tankers, and especially large tourist cruise ships arrive. Some historical elements are preserved in the port, such as the sea lamp, the canopy, several cranes, or a steam locomotive. The centenary correílo La Palma is anchored at the North Dock.

The city is also a nerve center for internal and inter-island communications. A modern electric tram ascends in the direction of the neighboring municipality of La Laguna. And the buses are called guaguas.

In recent years, the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has been immersed in an important construction boom. Its urban panorama is now marked by several skyscrapers, and the silhouette of the Auditorio de Tenerife stands out especially. Some of these buildings that dominate the urban panorama of Santa Cruz are: the auditorium, the Torres de Santa Cruz, the skyscraper on Avenida Tres de Mayo, the El Corte Inglés building, and the emblematic clock tower of the Insular Palace of Tenerife.

Territorial organization

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is included in the Comarca del Área Metropolitana, with the exception of its surface immersed in the Anaga rural park, which belongs to the Comarca de Anaga.

The municipality is administratively divided into five districts, based on geographic and demographic characteristics. These are the municipal districts according to the Municipal Population Bureau:

Districts of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The figures correspond to the official list of the left

• District 1, Anaga: Includes the populations of the Macizo de Anaga, including the neighborhoods of Chamorga, Taborno, Almáciga, Afur, San Andrés, El Suculum, Igueste de San Andrés, El Bailadero, Roque Negro, Casas de La Cumbre, Cueva Bermeja, Los Campitos, Lomo de Las Bodegas, La Alegría, Taganana, Valle Tahodio,
• District 2, Centro-Ifara: The oldest area in the city, where you will find the historic centre. It forms the neighborhoods of Ifara, Urbanisation Anaga, Las Mimosas, Barrio Nuevo, Los Lavaderos, Las Acacias, Salamanca, Uruguay, Duggi, Zona Centro, El Toscal, Zona Rambla and Los Hoteles.
• District 3, La Salud-La Salle: It is the most populous district, expansion area during the centuryXX.. It includes the neighborhoods of Alto Health, Lower Health, Villa Ascensión, El Perú, Cuesta de Piedra, Cruz del Señor, Los Gladiolos, La Victoria, El Chapatal, Buenavista, Los Llanos, San Sebastián, El Cabo, Cuatro Torres and La Salle.
• District 4, Ofra-Costa Sur: The district includes the neighborhoods of Uncle Pino, Villa Benítez, Vistabella, Santa Clara, Camino del Hierro, César Casariego, Chimisay, Somosierra, Las Delicias, Chamberí, San Antonio, Moraditas, Llano Alegre, Ballester, Finca La Multa, Miramar, Las Retamas, Las Cabritas, Juan XXIII, Nuevo Obreros
• District 5, Southwest: Separated from the rest of the city by Mountain of Taco and TF-2, is the area with the most expansion possibilities. It includes the neighborhoods of Llano del Moro, El Sobradillo, El Board, Los Alisios, La Gallega, Añaza, El Chorrillo, Santa María del Mar, Acorán, Barranco Grande and Tíncer.

Consular Representation

The consulates based in Santa Cruz de Tenerife are:

Economy

Cruise at the Dársena de Anaga del Puerto de Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Plaza de España, before reforming

Basically services and with a strong component of small and medium-sized companies. It also has chemical industries, among which stands out the oldest oil refinery in Spain, in operation since 1930. The Santa Cruz de Tenerife Refinery is the largest industry in the Canary Islands. It is the subject of controversy due to its size, which remains space for the growth of the city, surrounded by the refinery itself, the municipality of La Laguna and the Anaga Massif. The new expansion area of the city, in the Cabo Llanos neighborhood, was once part of the refinery itself, which has gradually lost ground. This refinery supplies petroleum products not only to the Canary Islands but also to the peninsular, African and American markets.

Very important for the city and for the island is its extensive commercial and passenger port, which allows the simultaneous docking of five large tourist cruise ships, as well as numerous specialized merchant ships.

In 2010 the so-called Santa Cruz de Tenerife High Tourist Influx Area was created, which encompasses more than 3000 shops and the center of the city being the first territory in the Canary Islands to be declared Area of Great Tourist Influx.

Trade

Santa Cruz de Tenerife has the highest concentration of shops in the Canary Islands. With an economy based on services, commerce is very important throughout the city. There are areas with a special concentration of shops, such as the so-called Zona Centro (Calles del Castillo, San José, del Pilar, Viera y Clavijo, Teobaldo Power and surrounding areas), Zona Rambla (Rambla de Pulido, Ramón y Cajal streets and surrounding areas) and the shopping centers and department stores located on Avenida 3 de mayo and in the Barrio de Añaza.

Services

Health

In Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, a tertiary hospital founded in 1966. It is the largest hospital complex in the Canary Islands with 82,000 square meters.

Citizen security

In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, crimes decreased by 8.65% and misdemeanors by 5.01%.

Military

General Office of the Canary Islands

The former Fort of Almeyda (or Almeida), is Military Historical Museum

In the center, in front of Plaza Weyler, is the Palace of the General Captaincy of the Canary Islands. The position has existed since the 16th century and Santa Cruz de Tenerife has always been the headquarters of the Headquarters, either as a city or as capital, since the capital for a time was in La Laguna. Contains the Intermediate Military Archive of the Canary Islands.

In the southern part of Santa Cruz, on land that Defense ceded to the Ministry of the Interior, is the Retention Center for illegal immigrants, in the facilities of the former Hoya Fría Military Base.

Transportation

Public transport

Tramway route

Tram going up to La Laguna

The ferry Bencomo Express It's a fast catamaran ship. In the photograph it is approaching the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Navigating you can see a container ship. First of all, the courier La Palma1912

Santa Cruz has 20 urban bus lines —guaguas— belonging to the insular transport consortium TITSA. They are distributed in 6 circular lines (904, 908, 913, 914, 920 and 921), 10 lines that connect the lower part of the city with the neighborhoods (901, 902, 903, 905, 906, 907, 911, 912, 915 and 918) and 4 that connect the center with the coastal neighborhoods (909, 910, 916 and 917). Most of these lines have their starting point at the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Transport Interchange, on Avenida 3 de Mayo. From there leave the buses that connect the capital with the rest of the island and the neighborhoods of the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz-La Laguna.

On June 2, 2007, the Tenerife Tram came into operation, which runs on line 1 for a large part of the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz. Its exit is located in the Interchange next to the capital's courts. On May 30, 2009, line 2 came into service, connecting the center of Tíncer with La Cuesta. Lines 3 and 4 are in the project.

Maritime communication takes place through the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, from where ferries depart to the eastern islands of the archipelago and to Cádiz. It is also the port of arrival for tourist cruises, en route across the Atlantic or from the Mediterranean. It is the second port in the State in the Canary Islands with the highest number of passengers, after the Port of Los Cristianos. In terms of merchandise, container ships, fishing vessels and oil tankers stand out to supply the city's oil refinery. It is one of the ports in Spain with the highest freight and passenger traffic, spreading out along about 10 kilometers of coastline, with five docks that have a deep draft, one of the largest in the country, since about the coast reaches great depths.

Paths

The municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has a large part of the Anaga Massif, where there is a network of important roads. All of the following are within the term:

• Path PR-TF 2 of the approved trail network. It starts in Taborno and ends in the neighborhood of Valleseco, passing through the Cruz de Taborno and Pico elevations of English.
• Path PR-TF 5 of the approved trail network. Join the village of Chamorga with the neighborhood of Igueste de San Andrés, passing through the Cumbrilla and the Lomo de las Bodegas.
  • Path PR-TF 5.1 of the approved trail network. From Igueste de San Andrés to El Semaforo.
• Path PR-TF 6 of the approved trail network. Circular by Chamorga, Las Palmas de Anaga and El Draguillo.
  • Path PR-TF 6.1 of the approved trail network. Variant by Tafada Mountain.
  • Path PR-TF 6.2 of the approved trail network. Playa del Roque de las Bodegas - El Draguillo - Almáciga.
  • Path PR-TF 6.3 of the approved trail network. The Way of the Hediondo Pass. Spectacular route from Almáciga to the way down from the Cross of El Draguillo to El Draguillo
• Path PR-TF 8 of the approved trail network. Circular route through Afur and Taganana, passing through the Barranco del Tamadite.
• Camino de Las Lecheras, from Barrio Nuevo (Cueva Roja) to Valle Tabares.
• Camino de Abicore, from San Andrés to Taganana, by the Gollada of Abicore.
• El Camino Viejo de Anaga, in its stretch between the Casas de la Cumbre and Chamorga (El Pijaral, La Ensillada, Chinobre, Anambro, Cabezo del Tejo).
• Camino de Tafada, from Chamorga to Tafada Mountain.
• Camino de Roque Bermejo, from Chamorga to Roque Bermejo.
• Path of the Head of the Tejo to Chamorga, passing through the Cross of the Draguillo.
• Camino de La Costa, from El Draguillo to Roque Bermejo, passing through Las Palmas and the Faro de Anaga.
• Camino de Palos Hincados, takes from Taborno to the ravine of Tamadiste.
• Camino de El Frontón, from Taborno to the village of Afur.
• Taborno Road to Las Carboneras. Enlaza Taborno with the farmhouse of Las Carboneras, in the municipality of San Cristóbal de La Laguna.
• The path of La Asomada. From the Taborno Cross to La Asomada, in Jardina, on Mount Aguirre.
• The road to the bulldozer. From Cuatro Caminos, in the Head of the Wind, to El Tomadero, on Mount Aguirre.

Heritage

Historical architecture

Sillars of the castle of San Cristobal under the square of Spain

Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, example of the type in Spain

The Canaries were harassed between the 15th centuries and xvii due to numerous pirate looting, which made it necessary to reinforce the city with defensive constructions. The preserved ones are:

• Castillo de San Cristobal: was the first major fortification of the island of Tenerife and the main pillar of the defensive set of the bay of Santa Cruz. Only a few walls of the original building are preserved, which can be seen in an underground gallery of Plaza de España. The well-known castle street owes its name to this vanished fortress.
• Castle of San Juan Bautista: popularly known as Black Castle for meeting next to the Black Caleta. It was built in the first half of the centuryxvii and rebuilt in 1765. On the left is the Auditorium of Tenerife, on the right the Parque Marítimo César Manrique and opposite the Torres de Santa Cruz. It's a strong circular-planted rib. It is the best preserved island and Spanish Historical Heritage.
• Torre de San Andrés: helped defend the island from pyramid attacks. It was ruined by several avenues of the nearby ravine. In 1949 it is declared as Spanish Historical Heritage and in 1999 Good of Cultural Interest of the Canary Islands (BIC).
• Fort of Almeyda: it was a great defensive fortress of Santa Cruz, mid-centuryxixWith over 40 cannons. It is the headquarters of the Military Historical Museum of the Canary Islands.

The most important religious buildings are:

• Church of the Concepción: built on the first hermitage that the Spanish conquerors built after the disembarkation on the coasts of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is the main temple of the city, which is why it is called Cathedral of Santa Cruz for many saints. It is a sample of the baroque canario and in it is protected the foundational cross that Alonso Fernández de Lugo nailed after disembarking on the island. In this church there is also the image of the patron of the city, Santiago Apostle and other images of great devotion in the city, such as the Virgin of Hope Macarena of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
• Church of San Francisco de Assisi: one of the oldest and most famous churches in the city, is in fact considered the second most important parish in the city, after La Concepción. In this church is the famous image of the Lord of Tribulations, an image of a lot of devotion in the city and declared as Lord of Santa Cruz.
• Church of the Virgin of Pilar: it is located in the confluence of the street of Pilar and the street of San Lucas in the Toscal district.
• San José Church: it is located on the street of Méndez Núñez, next to the Rambla de Santa Cruz, highlighting its facade with two bell towers. It is one of the most representative temples among those built in the mid-centuryxx. Its exterior is of the Neocanian architectural style.
• Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife: it was the headquarters of the Añaza Lodge, the most important of the Canary Islands. It is considered the most beautiful example of Masonic temple in Spain, and was the largest Masonic center in the country until the occupation by the military of the Franco regime.

Other buildings:

The neoclassical style is mainly represented in official buildings, such as the old General Captaincy, the Parliament of the Canary Islands or the aforementioned Masonic Temple.

Modernist architecture also stands out, examples of which are the existing buildings around the Plaza de los Patos and Las Ramblas. The most distinguished are the old tobacco factory La Lucha and El Águila, works of the architect Domingo Pisaca.

The architecture after the Civil War denotes power in its dimensions, which is manifested in the Civil Government building, La Recova —Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África— or the Insular Palace, headquarters of the Cabildo de Tenerife.

New architecture and urbanism

Central Municipal Library, TEA

The growth of the city has occurred, in recent years, mainly in the neighborhoods of El Cabo and Los Llanos. The new official buildings have been concentrated in this area, such as the Palace of Justice, the Multiple Use Building II, the Government Presidency, the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Transport Interchange or the Tenerife Auditorium. Architects of international stature have contributed interesting works to the city: Santiago Calatrava (Tenerife Auditorium and Tenerife International Fair and Congress Center, whose Great Hall is the largest covered space in the Canary Islands), or Herzog & de Meuron (remodeling of the Plaza de España and the TEA - Tenerife Space for the Arts).

The CajaCanarias Headquarters, the Cajasiete Central Headquarters, or the Torres de Santa Cruz, the tallest skyscrapers in the Canary Islands and which until 2010 were the tallest residential buildings in Spain, currently occupy sixth place, also stand out for their design in this last category. The Torres de Santa Cruz are also the tallest twin towers in Spain. Also in the city of Santa Cruz there is a building known simply as El Rascacielos, which was the tallest in the city until the construction of the Torres de Santa Cruz.

The Auditorio de Tenerife building, located next to the port of Santa Cruz, is one of the emblematic buildings of contemporary Spanish architecture.

Parks

Palmetum de Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the Canarian city with the largest number of green areas. The most important parks are:

• Parque García Sanabria: built in 1926, and reopened in 2006 after 18 months of works, has an extension of 67 000 m2, which makes it the largest urban park in the city. Inside is the traditional flower watch, gift of the consul of Denmark and manufactured in Switzerland in 1958, meeting point of many chicharreros as well as a bust of the mayor and a tribute to maternity in the central area. In addition, thanks to the I International Exhibition of Sculpture on the Street of 1973-1974, works of artists such as Pablo Serrano, Amadeo Gabino, Óscar Domínguez and Gustavo Torner can be seen in the park itself. It is the largest urban park in the Canary Islands.
• Parque de La Granja: built in 1969, where is the House of Culture. Usually enclave for sports and rest.
• Viera y Clavijo Cultural Park: former enclosure of a female school, currently closed for remodeling. In the interior building there is a space for performing arts.
• Palmetum de Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is a 12-hectare botanical garden dedicated to palm trees. Divided into biogeographic sections, it houses a collection of great value, with several species in critical danger of extinction. It also has an ethnographic museum that is not yet open.

Places

Plaza de España

Plazas are fundamental meeting points in the city. Highlights:

• Plaza de España: Conforma un todo con su entorno (Alameda del Duque de Santa Elena, Avenida de Anaga, etc.). Herzog & de Meuron took care of its design that occupies 36 160 m2 and which houses a lake with emerging and variable flow sources, a large park, the so-called pavilions (restaurants, cafes, kiosks, information, access to undergrounds, shops, bars...) and new parking area (there are now some underground ones). During its refurbishment the former Castle of San Cristobal, which dates back to 1575 and obtained in those years the approval of the famous military engineer Leonardo Torriani.
• Plaza de Isabel II: It has a neoclassical fountain of Tuscan order, designed by Pedro Maffiotte and made in blue canyon. This was built at the end of 1844, with the beginning of the reign of Isabel II being declared older. The source has five cans in the form of a lion's head. It stands out in the corner with La Marina Street the Nuñez Building (1932), designed by José Blasco, as an important example of rationalism in Tenerife. It was the first building in the city built by metal structure and where prefabricated curves were used in the forged.
• Plaza de la Candelaria: Located opposite the Plaza de España, in its perimeter are emblematic buildings such as the Palacio de Carta, the Casino de Santa Cruz, the Chamber of Commerce or the modern Olympo Building. In the second half of the centuryXVI the first square of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was started to be built in front of the San Cristobal Castle which would be called Plaza de la Pila and which corresponds to the current square of La Candelaria. Also called Plaza de la Constitución.
• Weyler Square: Plaza de 3600 m2. It represents the old gardens of the Palacio de la Capitanía General de Canarias, ceded to the Town Hall as long as the public use of the plot that currently occupies prevails. In its center is a fountain of Genoese marble of Renaissance style work of Achille Canessa.

Weyler Square

• Prince of Asturias Square: Popularly known as Prince ' s Square. It occupies the space of the old orchards of the convent of San Francisco.
• Plaza de Europa: It is one of the main squares of the center of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, next to it are some emblematic buildings such as the Museum of Nature and Man and the Church of Concepción.
• Plaza de 25 de Julio: Popularly known as Plaza de los Patos.
• Plaza de la Paz: Located in the confluence of the branches of Pulido and Santa Cruz and the avenues Canary Islands and Asunistas. It is a meeting place for many citizens since it is the enclave chosen by the fans of the Club Deportivo Tenerife for their celebrations and, head of many social demonstrations or demands that are organized on the island.
• Plaza del Chicharro: In it is the allegorical symbol of the city the sculpture of The Chicharro.

Urban sculpture

Sculptures of the guanches, in the Triomph of the Candelaria. And watch tower of the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife

A characteristic feature and one of the great attractions of the city are the numerous pieces of sculpture, visible both in its squares and along its promenades; Thus, they highlight the Fecundity of the Parque García Sanabria or Arbórea, a statue that recalls a juniper twisted by the wind.

But without a doubt the set of the International Outdoor Sculpture Exhibitions of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1973 and 1994 is the most important. It is located along Las Ramblas; the Parque García Sanabria and Parque Viera y Clavijo (former Colegio de Las Asuncionistas), and contains works by artists such as Henry Moore, Andreu Alfaro, Martín Chirino, Joan Miró and Óscar Domínguez, among others.

Among the large sculptural ensembles present in the city, the Angel Monument stands out, dedicated to Franco in 1966. The fountain represents an angel flying with outstretched wings. On his back is an allegorical image of Franco holding a cross-shaped sword. It is located at the end of Rambla de Santa Cruz, on the corner with Avenida de Anaga.

Another great sculptural monument present in the city is the Triunfo de la Candelaria, whose statue represents the Patroness of the Canary Islands, the Virgin of Candelaria, placed on top of a pyramidal pilaster. It is also known as Obelisco de la Candelaria. It was donated in its day by Bartolomé Montañez. The marble monument, sculpted in Genoa (Italy) by Pasquale Bocciardo in 1768, also has four marble statues representing as many Guanches, who guard the image of the Virgin of Candelaria.

In 2021, the sculpture by the Basque artist Julio Nieto, known asI'm wearing it well, was permanently installed in the city's Plaza de España. It is a piece of stainless steel five meters high and 450 kilos in weight with the appearance of a man in the shape of a tree that symbolizes "the optimism of the human being, who despite all his thoughts, gets along well ».

• 

  Old fountain and new monument to the Tenerfian woman

• 

  Per Adriano, (1993), sculpture by Igor Mitoraj located in front of the Teatro Guimerá

• 

  Monument of the Angel, inaugurated in 1966, by Juan de Ávalos

• 

  I take it well, sculpture by Julio Nieto (2014) located in Plaza de España

• 

  100 Caras del Auditorio de Tenerife

Culture

Cultural facilities

Tenerife Auditorium, symbol of the city and one of the most important buildings of contemporary Spanish architecture

• Military Historical Museum of the Canary Islands: located in the Fort of Almeyda. Thanks to its historical mapping funds, it is an important research centre. It also stands out for its wide variety of armaments, including bronze cannons that are the protagonists of Nelson's attack on Santa Cruz in 1797. The visitor can also contemplate some weapons from the time of the Conquista de Tenerife. Outside you can see parked military vehicles of the centuryxxLike an Earth Army Henschel truck, tanks, armored, or a couple of helicopters.
• Auditorium of Tenerife Adam Martín: work of the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, is considered by some authors as the best modern building of the Canary Islands and one of the most emblematic buildings of the Spanish architecture. The Auditorium of Tenerife is located northeast of the Maritime Park. The construction has two rooms, one of chambers and another symphony and in the hall from it, a cafeteria has been opened to the public. The building is the headquarters of the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and it is celebrated, among other events, the Tenerife Opera Festival, the Festival of Classical Music of the Canary Islands and the awards Cadena Dial. Its structure highlights the wing that covers it.
• Teatro Guimerá: inaugurated on July 25, 1851. Great nineteenth-century building located in the central street of Angel Guimerá, is, today, the oldest theatre in the Canary Islands.
• Teatro Cine Víctor: The Teatro Cine Víctor, built by the architect José Enrique Marrero Regalado and inaugurated on April 22, 1954 with the projection of the British musical film The stories of Hoffman.
• Museo de Bellas Artes de Santa Cruz de Tenerife: In addition to its own background, this museum features a collection of works from the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Artists such as Pieter Coecke, Ribera, Madrazo or Sorolla stand out. As a fixed background, a large sample of Canarian artists such as Gaspar de Quevedo, Cristóbal Hernández de Quintana, Juan de Miranda and González Méndez, among others. The so-called Nava and Grimon Triptych, flamenca painting dated in 1546 and attributed (the central table), to Pieter Coecke.
• Museum of Nature and Man: History, through photos and objects, of the guanches. There is also a room in which the formation of the Canary Islands is explained. Among the archaeological findings shown here are several guanches mummies, including also two mummified fetuses. There are also a lot of guanches skulls and reproductions of objects from Africa and Pre-Columbian America among many other samples. It is an internationally renowned museum because it has participated in international meetings on archaeology.

Teatro Guimerá

• Círculo de Bellas Artes: Founded in 1926 and located in Calle del Castillo n.o 43, it is a cultural activity center that program, continuously, avant-garde exhibitions of painting and photography in the room of the ground floor, accessible directly from the street. It also has a café, located on the first floor.
• El Tanque Cultural Space: In 1997 an old tank containing the Santacrucera refinery becomes exhibitions, dance and audiovisual shows, alternative music, theater, classical music, new technologies and multimedia activities, among others.
• Centro de Fotografía Isla de Tenerife: It has spaces suitable for the exhibition and the study of traditional and contemporary photography.
• La Recova Art Room: As its name indicates, the La Recova Art Room is located in the old city market. There is no permanent collection available, but they rotate exhibitions throughout the year.
• TEA - Tenerife Espacio de las Artes: work by Herzog & de Meuron opened in 2008.
• Public Library of the State in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Casa de la Cultura): public library of state ownership and managed by the Government of the Canary Islands through the Directorate General of the Book, Archives and Libraries. Located in the Parque de La Granja, in addition to the library itself has other cultural spaces such as a theatre and an exhibition hall.
• Casa del Carnival: is a museum dedicated to the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which has the category of International Tourist Interest Party and is one of the most important in the world.

Cultural events

Nightlife

Santa Cruz has never been characterized by an intense nightlife, in contrast to the nearby university city of La Laguna. Despite everything, it has several discos and pubs scattered around the city. The best known are in the Parque Marítimo César Manrique, Avenida 3 de Mayo and at the back, Calle La Noria, and in Residencial Anaga. In addition, in the area of the El Mayorazgo Industrial Estate, they have opened three new nightclubs. There are also pubs that have survived without belonging to a special leisure location, such as El Andén, near the Plaza de Toros, which opened its doors in 1991.

Recently, Antonio Domínguez Alfonso street (popularly known as La Noria street) and adjacent streets, in the vicinity of the Iglesia de la Concepción, have gained importance as a leisure space. After several years of abandonment, the group of traditional houses in this area has been recovered by the hotel industry as places for tapas, light dinners, and drinks. This street also houses the headquarters of several murgas, musical groups linked to Carnival, and the Autonomous Organization for Festivals and Recreational Activities.

The popularly called Avenida de Anaga (as the group of avenues that border the port is known) is in its section of Avenida Francisco la Roche a classic place for dinners and first drinks. During the 90s it was the nerve center of nightlife, concentrating the best-known venues in the city. Despite the fact that many of them closed due to license and noise problems, it is currently intended to recover its splendor.

In 2006, thanks to an agreement between businessmen and administrations —City Hall of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Cabildo Insular de Tenerife and the Government of the Canary Islands— a revitalization plan for the city was launched, managed by the Sociedad de Desarrollo of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, under the trademark Santa Cruz + Viva.

Parties

• January 27, anniversary of the designation of Santa Cruz de Tenerife as the capital of the Canary Islands.
• February, Carnivals.
• 3 May, May parties. Day of the Cross (Day of the City of Santa Cruz de Tenerife).
• May 30, anniversary of the granting of the title as a city to Santa Cruz, and day of the Canary Islands.
• July 25, Santiago Day, patron of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and ephemeral of the defeat of Admiral Nelson.

Carnivals

Cartel del Carnival de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1976, where it is called "Winter holidays" because the Franco dictatorship prohibited its celebration

Queen of Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2012 during the Coso Carnival Apoteosis

The best-known and most popular festival in Santa Cruz and the island of Tenerife is Carnival. It is considered one of the most important in the world. It shares with Cádiz the title of Festival of International Tourist Interest, being two different ways of celebrating and understanding carnival. Its celebration date varies each year, although they usually coincide in the months of January or February. During the Franco era, that is, the 40 years of General Franco's dictatorship, it was in these two Spanish cities that the only carnival was held, under the name of "Winter Festivals", since its celebration as such was prohibited.

Dances to the sound of Salsa and Batucadas de las Comparsas last all night. The explosion of color takes place with the election of the Carnival Queen, then, with the Announcing Parade, the carnival will begin in the street. The murgas and rondallas are in charge of setting the spicy and cultural tone of the party, being the apotheosis of the Santa Cruz Carnival on Shrove Tuesday, with the great color and parade of the parade, and the next day the color of previous days is changed by the black in mourning for the Burial of the Sardine, which officially ends the festivities, although the Carnival continues until the end of the week (piñata Friday and Saturday).

In recent years there has been a controversy regarding the celebration of the burial of the sardine. While a part of the population advocated maintaining the tradition and celebrating the burial on Ash Wednesday, the City Council, citing reasons for attendance, preferred to move it to Piñata Friday. In the Carnival of 2004, two burials were held, one popular and the other institutional, while in 2005 it was the City Council that promoted both burials, not without hearing a multitude of voices about the absurdity of the situation; that year a group of people carried out a "kidnapping" of the sardine that was going to be burned on Friday, burning it on the traditional Wednesday.

May festivities

The dance of magicians has also gained great importance, held on the night of the eve of May 3, where attendees wear the traditional costumes of the islands, called costumes of magicians, and dine in the open air with typical meals brought by each. In 1999 this party broke the Guinness Record as it was the outdoor dinner with the largest number of attendees, estimated at around 8,000. In 2005 the celebration was moved from the Plaza de España and Candelaria to Calle de la Noria and the surrounding area.

The Sunday after the dance of magicians, a pilgrimage is held, in which decorated carts go through some areas of the city with traditional music and typical food. In these festivities the Foundational and Patronal Festivities in Honor of the Holy Cross are commemorated.

Santiago Festival and Recreation of the Gesta of July 25

These festivities are celebrated during the month of July and have their origins in the attempted invasion of Santa Cruz by the English admiral Horacio Nelson in 1797. On July 25, 1797, Rear Admiral Nelson was defeated and the city obtained as award for this victory, the title of «Very Loyal Noble and Invicta Villa, Puerto and Plaza de Santa Cruz de Santiago de Tenerife». Since then, Santiago el Mayor has been the patron of the city together with the Holy Cross. During these festivities a solemn mass is held in the Iglesia Matriz de la Concepción to end the procession with the image of the Saint through the streets of Santa Cruz. All these acts are part of the celebration of the Reenactment of the Deed on July 25, which stages the fighting and the landing as well as the final surrender of Admiral Nelson's troops.

Holy Week

Like most Spanish cities, Holy Week comforts one of the city's main celebrations. Holy Week is the celebration of the passion and death of Christ through processions and other religious acts. Significantly outstanding processions are those of the Lord of Tribulations on Holy Tuesday, Esperanza Macarena on Holy Thursday and the Magna Interparroquial Procession on Good Friday. The procession of the Lord of Tribulations is especially rooted in the city, this act has its origin in the miraculous salvation of Santa Cruz de Tenerife from a terrible epidemic that decimated the city at the end of the century xix, after the procession in prayer of the holy image, he stopped the evil and since then he has been considered Lord of Santa Cruz and protector of the city.

Sports

Santa Cruz de Tenerife has various sports clubs, among which the Club Deportivo Tenerife football club stands out, which has played, since the 2013-14 season, in the Second Division of Spain.

In other sports, the city has the following teams:

• Basketball: The basketball tradition of the capital has been important, being the Real Club Náutico de Tenerife de Baloncesto founder of the ACB league and eleven years in it, or the Tenerife AB already disappeared. Currently, the Real Club Náutico de Tenerife has been playing since 2013-14 in the EBA league and also the Club Baloncesto Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz disputes his meetings at the Palacio de los Deportes de Santa Cruz.
• Feminine basketball: C. B. Tenerife Central.
• Ritmic gymnastics: Club Odisea Tenerife, Club Batistana de Tenerife and Club Evangim Santa Cruz.
• Waterpolo: C. N. Echeyde in Honor Division, Santa Cruz Sports Group in regional and also Waterpolo Tenerife (C.N. Echeyde split).
• Volleyball: C. V. Tenerife Santa Cruz (Cuesta Piedra), Silver division.
• Football Room: Tenerife Iberia Toscal F. S.
• Patin online: Santa Cruz Patina.
• Athletic tradition in Santa Cruz is important since the thirtieth centuryXX.. One of his historical figures was Juan Ruano Rojas, international champion and Spain of speed on twelve occasions. The Club Corredores Tenerife de Santa Cruz, which was founded in 1987, has had important national representations.
• Artistic line skate: Santa Cruz Patina.
• Hockey on online skates: Club Santa Cruz Patina Dolphins.
• Freestyle: Club Santa Cruz Patina
• Swimming: Santa Cruz Sports Group, Club Tenerife Masters, C. N. Alameda, C. D. Teimar, C. D. Teneteide (only lower categories), Náutico de Tenerife, C. N. Aletas Breca, C. N. Echeyde and C. D. Mistral (Fusion between C. N. Martianez and C. D. Tenete).
• Synchronized: Santa Cruz Sports Group and Real Club Náutico de Tenerife

Masonic influence

The I hear everything sees it., on the facade of the Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is characterized, among other things, by the influence of Freemasonry exhibited by some of the most important historical buildings in the city, an influence that is palpable even at the city level.

The city had a significant number of mayors and politicians affiliated with Freemasonry, especially between the XIX and early centuries del XX. The Añaza Lodge was founded in this city in 1895, which was one of the most important Masonic workshops in Spain in the XX century and helped to consolidate Freemasonry in the Canary Islands and to spread the culture and ideas of progress in the Canarian society of the time. The largest Masonic center in Spain until the occupation by the military of the Franco regime.

The influence of Masonic symbolism on the architecture and urban planning of the city has been the subject of various academic studies, from the work of Professor Sebastián Hernández Gutiérrez of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, through the studies of Professor David Martín López from the University of Granada. More recently those of the architect Carlos Pallés, curator of the exhibitions Faces of La Logia Añaza and Masonería y Sociedad held in 2014.

In the words of Carlos Pallés: «The influence of Freemasonry in the urban planning of the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife far exceeds the temple on San Lucas street... From the first extensions to the symbols drawn on plan: compass, square, bevel... By Manuel de Cámara, Antonio Pintor, Marrero Regalado...", and adds: "The 25 de Julio square is the center of the compass and the ends end up in the town hall (civil power) and captaincy (military)».

Melchor Padilla, a professor of Geography and History at the University of La Laguna, maintains that by joining some of the buildings and enclaves with Masonic symbols in the city they form a pentacle or five-pointed star that would extend through the center of the city and whose center would be the Parque García Sanabria.

Some of the buildings and places with Masonic symbols in the city are:

Religion

The majority of the believing population of the municipality professes the Catholic religion, the parishioners being distributed in fifty parishes belonging to the archpriestships of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, La Salud, Ofra and Taco of the diocese of Tenerife.

Sponsorship

Image of the Lord of the Tribulations, venerated in the church of San Francisco. This size enjoys a lot of devotion among the inhabitants of the city, as a popular tradition affirms that it saved the city from a cholera epidemic in 1893. Since then it is also known under the title of Lord of Santa Cruz

The patron saints of the city and the municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife are: The Holy Cross from which the city takes its name and which is venerated in the main church of La Concepción, its name day being on May 3, and Santiago the Major, because it was precisely on July 25, the day of the saint, when the British admiral Nelson was defeated. Since then, Santiago is also considered the patron saint of the city, with the symbol of the Sword of Santiago on his coat of arms. His image is also found in the church of La Concepción.

Another prominent image in the city is the Señor de las Tribulaciones venerated in the church of San Francisco de Asís, which received the official title of Señor de Santa Cruz by the Santa Cruz City Council of Tenerife, because it is popularly considered a miraculous image, because according to tradition it saved Santa Cruz from a great epidemic. Since then he has been held as the protector and savior of the city, as well as the most revered image of the city. The image goes out in procession during Holy Week, its main day being Holy Tuesday.

Another historically highly devoted image since the time of the conquest is the Virgen de la Consolación, who is the historic patron saint of the city. The primitive image was brought by the Adelantado Alonso Fernández de Lugo and is barely 46 centimeters high. This image is found in the church of La Concepción. There is another life-size and dress image, which is venerated in the church of San Francisco de Asís. His name day is August 15.

Visit to the Virgin of Candelaria

Triumph of the Candelaria, monument in honor of the Virgin of Candelaria in Santa Cruz, example of religious canarian culture

In this regard, it is also important to note the transfer or visit every fourteen years of the Virgin of Candelaria (patron saint of the Canary Islands), from Villa Mariana de Candelaria to the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, alternating every seven years between this city and that of San Cristóbal de La Laguna. The image of the Virgin usually remains in the city for two weeks, during which different religious activities are carried out. This Marian pilgrimage has become a tradition and one of the most important religious events for the city and its municipality.

The first transfer or visit of the image to Santa Cruz took place in 1939, to commemorate the end of the Spanish Civil War. Those of 1964-65, 1994 and 2002 followed. The last transfer to Santa Cruz was in October 2018. The Virgin of Candelaria has the title of Honorary and Perpetual Mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, as is the case with the rest of the municipalities on the island of Tenerife.

In popular culture

• In 2015, the film Jason Bourne was shot in this city. To this end, the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was specially set to simulate the Greek cities of Athens and El Pireo. The Plaza de España, which is the main square in the city of Santa Cruz, was set to represent the Plaza de Sintagma.

Media

The two provincial newspapers have their newsroom in Santa Cruz de Tenerife: El Día and Diario de Avisos.

The headquarters of different television channels are also located in the city, most of which broadcast on the island: Televisión Española en Canarias, Televisión Canaria, Canal 4 Tenerife, Canal Ocho Televisión, Mírame Televisión, etc.

Most of the radio stations are also in the city: Radio Club Tenerife (Cadena SER), RNE, Teide Radio-Onda Cero, Canarias Radio, La Cope, Diez Radio, Radio ECCA etc.

Twin cities

According to the Tourism and Leisure Portal of the City Council, the following cities are twinned with Santa Cruz de Tenerife:

Notable people

• 

  Guaguas de TITSA at Santa Cruz station

• 

  Auditorium of Tenerife

• 

  Parliament of the Canary Islands

• 

  Plaza de España

• 

  Puerto de Santa Cruz de Tenerife

• 

  Museum of Nature and Man

• 

  Unit del Tranvía de Tenerife

• 

  Edificio del Palacio Insular del Cabildo de Tenerife

• 

  Playa de Las Teresitas

• 

  Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

• 

  Teatro Guimerá

• 

  Castle of San Andrés

• 

  Our Lady of Africa Market

• 

  Government of the Canary Islands

• 

  Monument to the Chicharro

• 

  Castle of San Juan