Plaza de España

Plaza de España is the heart of Santa Cruz de Tenerife: the city's gateway to the sea, with layers of history reaching back to the 16th century. The square was created in 1929 on the site of the demolished Castillo de San Cristóbal, the island's main defensive fortress, built from 1575. The castle also served as the seat of the Captains General and residence of the island's governors for centuries, and for years withstood attacks from pirates and hostile fleets.

The most famous battle took place on the night of 24-25 July 1797. Admiral Horatio Nelson attempted to land with the elite of the British fleet. According to local tradition, the bronze cannon called El Tigre hit Nelson before he even stepped out of his landing boat, fracturing his humerus bone in multiple places and costing him his right arm. Part of the British forces under Troubridge and Hood fought their way into the city but became trapped in the walls of the convent of La Consolación. General Gutiérrez proved magnanimous in victory: he allowed the besieged British forces to leave the city with full military honours. Tenerife became 'Unconquered', and in 1803 Santa Cruz received the title 'Most Loyal, Noble and Unconquered'.

In the centre of the square stands the Monumento a los Caídos: a 25-metre tower-cross from 1947, a controversial Francoist monument to the civil war dead, with sculptures by Enrique Cejas Zaldívar and Alonso Reyes Barroso. A 2019 report found it was built with forced labour by political prisoners and violates the Historical Memory Law.

In 2006-2008 Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron (creators of Tate Modern in London and the Bird's Nest in Beijing) completely transformed the square. They installed a circular saltwater lake of 2,500 m³ with a central geyser shooting water 10 metres high. On the lake bed the outline of the former castle is traced in black: a historical nod visible from above. Three pavilions covered in vertical gardens (Patrick Blanc model) house a restaurant, a shop and a tourist office. Marble paving, 300 trees, and water-drop-shaped lamps hanging from cables create a unique public space. Budget: €19 million.

During the 2006 works, remains of the castle's defensive walls were discovered: unexpectedly preserved beneath the square. An underground gallery was created (FREE!) with panels from the Tenerife Museum of History and Anthropology. In 2009 the star exhibit was added: the cannon El Tigre, cast in Seville in the 18th century, 3 metres long, 2,000 kg. It is the most treasured symbol of the people of Tenerife. The gallery entrance is hidden by the stairs next to the car park entrance: it looks like it leads to a toilet, but inside lies 450 years of history. Trivia: the square 'played' Syntagma Square in Athens in the film Jason Bourne (2016); a time capsule from 2008 is buried under the square, not to be opened until 2108. In 2021 a sculpture by Julio Nieto was installed: stainless steel, 5 metres, 450 kg, a man in the shape of a tree symbolising optimism.