fbpx
Wikipedia

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spanish: [ˈsanta ˈkɾuθ ðe teneˈɾife]) (Spanish: [ˈsanta ˈkɾus ðe teneˈɾife]), commonly abbreviated as Santa Cruz, is a city, the capital of the island of Tenerife, Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and one of the capitals of the Canary Islands, along with Las Palmas. Santa Cruz has a population of 206,593 (2013) within its administrative limits.[5] The urban zone of Santa Cruz extends beyond the city limits with a population of 507,306[6] and 538,000[3] within urban area. It is the second largest city in the Canary Islands and the main city on the island of Tenerife, with nearly half of the island's population living in or around it.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Nickname(s): 
"La Capital Chicharrera", "La Capital Tinerfeña", "La Capital Santacrucera", "The Sydney of the Atlantic".[1]
Location of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Coordinates: 28°28′N 16°15′W / 28.467°N 16.250°W / 28.467; -16.250
CountrySpain
Autonomous communityCanary Islands
ProvinceSanta Cruz de Tenerife
IslandTenerife
Founded3 May 1494, founded as "Real de la Santa Cruz"
Government
 • AlcaldeJosé Manuel Bermúdez Esparza (CC)
Area
 • Municipality150.56 km2 (58.13 sq mi)
Elevation
4 m (13 ft)
Population
 (2018)[4]
 • Municipality204,856
 • Density1,400/km2 (3,500/sq mi)
 • Urban
538,000[3]
Demonym(s)Santacrucero, ra Chicharrero, ra
Time zoneWET
 • Summer (DST)WEST
Postal code
38001-38010, 38107, 38108, 38110, 38160, 38320
Dialing code+34 922, +34 822
LanguageSpanish
Websitewww.santacruzdetenerife.es

Santa Cruz is located in the northeast quadrant of Tenerife, 210 kilometres (130 mi) off the north-western coast of Africa within the Atlantic Ocean. The distance to the nearest point of mainland Spain is 1,300 kilometres (810 mi). Between the 1833 territorial division of Spain and 1927, Santa Cruz de Tenerife was the sole capital of the Canary Islands, until 1927 when a decree ordered that the capital of the Canary Islands be shared, as it remains at present.[7][8] The port is of great importance and is the communications hub between Europe, Africa and Americas, with cruise ships arriving from many nations. The city is the focus for domestic and inter-island communications in the Canary Islands.[9]

The city is home to the Parliament of the Canary Islands, the Audience of Accounts of the Canary Islands, the Captaincy General of the Canary Islands,[10] the Canarias Ministry of the Presidency (shared on a four-year cycle with Las Palmas), one half of the Ministries and Boards of the Canarias Government, (the other half being located in Gran Canaria), the Tenerife Provincial Courts and two courts of the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands. There are several faculties of the La Laguna University in Santa Cruz, including the Fine Arts School and the Naval Sciences Faculty. Its harbour is one of Spain's busiest. It is important for commercial and passenger traffic as well as for being a major stopover for cruisers en route from Europe to the Caribbean. The city also has one of the world's largest carnivals. The Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife now aspires to become a World Heritage Site, and is the second largest in the world.[11]

The varied architecture of the city stands out, highlighting the Auditorio de Tenerife (Auditorium of Tenerife), which is considered one of the greatest exponents of contemporary architecture. In the panoramic view of the city, the Torres de Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz Towers) also stand out, which with 120 meters tallest twin towers in Spain. Other outstanding places are the Plaza de España (Spain Square), which is the nerve center of the city, and the Parque García Sanabria (García Sanabria Park), a large urban park located in the center of the city. Outside the city but in its municipal district, Playa de Las Teresitas (Las Teresitas) and a large part of the Macizo de Anaga (Anaga Massif) stand out, declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2015. Santa Cruz de Tenerife hosts the first headquarters of the Center UNESCO in the Canary Islands. In recent years the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has seen the construction of a significant number of modern structures and the city's skyline is the sixth in height across the country, behind Madrid, Benidorm, Barcelona, Valencia and Bilbao.[12]

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, next to the Cihangir district, in Istanbul; the district of Sankt Pauli, in Hamburg, the north coast of Maui, in Hawaii and Portland, in the state of Oregon (United States).[13] The 82% of the municipal territory of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is considered a natural area, this is due in large part 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%).[14]

Etymology edit

The area where Santa Cruz currently lies belonged to Menceyato Guanche Anaga, which was the most easterly of the island. The city that is now Santa Cruz had a few names throughout its history: Añazo or Añaza (Guanche name), Puerto de Santiago Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Santa Cruz de Santiago de Tenerife,[15] and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (current), which means: "holy cross of Tenerife," in memory of the foundation of the city, when a Christian cross was planted in the place that is now the center of town.

History edit

 
Map of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1701
 
Ruins of the Castle of San Cristóbal, underground of the Plaza de España
 
Castle of St John the Baptist, also known as Castillo Negro

Guanche period, conquest and Castilian colonization edit

The area on which now stands the city and the municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has been the subject of human occupation since the time of the Guanches, approximately 2000 years ago, as attested by the archaeological sites found. The area was known to the Guanches, the first inhabitants of the island, as Añazo or Añaza. The famous Mummy of San Andrés is one of the most important archaeological remains of the aboriginal past of the region. Besides caves with some remains of mummified animals and stones with engravings ruprestres. This area belonged to the Menceyato de Anaga (aboriginal Guanche kingdom of Anaga), one of nine in which the island was divided.

On 3 May 1494 Castilian troops under the control of the conqueror Alonso Fernández de Lugo disembarked on the beaches of the present city and founded a military camp that would eventually develop into the city.[16] From this place began the conquest of the island of Tenerife. During the foundation, Alonso Fernández de Lugo placed a large wooden cross in reference to the day of disembarkation, during the Catholic festivity of the Invention of the Cross (3 May). After the conquest and defeat of the Guanche aborigines, the capital of the island was initially established in the city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, which was founded in the same year of the conquest of the island in 1496.[16]

Old Regime and Modern Stage edit

Later, it became one of the most important ports of the Atlantic, a status it retains to this day. This former fishermen's village rose to prominence after a Volcano destroyed the port of Garachico in the 18th century. Santa Cruz became the major port on the Island. It first won its independence from La Laguna and, in the 19th century, was awarded the status of Capital of the Province of Canary Islands by King Ferdinand VII.

Between 1833 and 1927 Santa Cruz de Tenerife was the sole capital of the Canary Islands. In 1927 a Royal decree ordered that the status of capital city of the Canary Islands would be shared with Las Palmas in Gran Canaria. This arrangement remains in place today.[7][8]

In 1893 an outbreak of cholera-morbid spread throughout the city and neighboring municipalities. The disease was brought by an Italian ship returning from Brazil. There were 382 dead.[17]

Between 1936 and 1939, during the Spanish Civil War, the Canary Islands were in the rear of General Francisco Franco's side. In this context, in 1936 the republican mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Carlos Schwartz Hernández, was arrested and murdered. After the war, years of great economic difficulties followed.

From 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 80s and 90s of the 20th century, the city experiences a great economic boom. The expansion of the city towards the south begins gaining ground to the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Refinery and creating new residential and urbanizable areas such as Cabo-Llanos. Since then, this area of the city is immersed in a major construction boom that has been nicknamed "Manhattanization",[18] due to the presence of tall buildings and the layout of the streets that mimics that of American cities.

Current era: 21st century edit

Santa Cruz inaugurated the 21st century with a great expansionary and commercial boom that is especially manifested in architecture with the construction of emblematic buildings such as the Auditorio de Tenerife, the work of Santiago Calatrava or the remodeling of the Plaza de España according to the design of Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron.

A torrential flood took place on 31st March 2002. This was caused by a phenomenon of cold drop characterized by the repeated fall of torrential rain accompanied by lightning, which affected the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The flooding caused 8 dead, 12 missing and dozens injured.[19]

In recent years, it has become clear that there exists a de facto union with neighbouring city San Cristóbal de La Laguna (141,627 inhabitants as in 2005 census) due to the rapid population growth and reduction in undeveloped space between the cities, as their suburbs merged, forming a metropolitan area with 420,198 inhabitants (including the nearby municipalities of Tegueste, Candelaria and El Rosario). Regarding this situation, the mayor of Santa Cruz, Miguel Zerolo Aguilar and his La Laguna counterpart, Ana María Oramas Moro, both belonging to the Canarian Coalition, stated several times to local media that they shared a willingness to proceed to a full political union between their municipalities, even though the decision was postponed to a date after the local elections in 2007. As of 2012 the merger is no longer part of the political agenda.[20]

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 will allow the expansion of the city to the south.[21]

Administrative divisions edit

 
Administrative divisions of Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz is divided administratively into five districts, which in turn are subdivided into districts, not necessarily consistent with the traditional neighborhoods.

No District Population[22]
1 Anaga 14,135
2 Centro-Ifara 53,652
3 La Salud-La Salle 70,120
4 Ofra-Costa Sur 47,977
5 Distrito Suroeste 41,136

Demographics edit

 
Population

In 1990, the population peaked above the 200,000 mark. Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna form a continuous urban area, with a combined population of over 380,000 inhabitants.[23][24]

Ethnically, the population is mainly of European origin, primarily from the Iberian Península, both Spain and Portugal, with some mix of the island's original inhabitants, the Guanches. There has been some Latin American immigration (especially from Cuba and Venezuela) as well as from both Northern and Sub-Sahara Africa. There are also important historical minorities such as Indians (Sindhi), Koreans (see Koreans in Spain) and, more recently, Russians.[citation needed] The majority of the population professes the Catholic religion, but there are also small communities of Hindus and Muslims. In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, crime has decreased in recent years and the city has gained a reputation for tolerance among its inhabitants. In fact, Santa Cruz de Tenerife was the first city of the Canary Islands to display the rainbow flag alongside the flag of the City Council, in June 2008.[25]

In comparison with the nearby city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, which is the seat of Bishopric of Tenerife, traditionally the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has had a much more secular character. This fact brought about in the city institutions of deep secular tradition such as the Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife that was one of the largest masonic centers in Spain.[26]

According to a study by the National Statistics Institute of Spain (INE), among the two Canarian 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.[14]

 
Panoramic view of the city
 
The city as seen from San Andres' Industrial Estate, and in the background the Auditorio and the skyscrapers.
Year Population
1991 200,172
1996 203,787
2001 188,477
2002 217,414
2003 220,022
2004 219,466
2006 221,956
2007 220,902
2008 226,232
2013 206,593

Largest groups of foreign born people in 2018 :

Venezuela 9,608
Cuba 3,940
Argentina 1,659
Bolivia 1,569
Colombia 1,558
Italy 1,097
Morocco 702
Ecuador 655
Uruguay 627
China 558

Metropolitan area edit

 
Map of Tenerife, in yellow note of Metropolitan Area

The Santa Cruz de Tenerife-La Laguna Metropolitan Area forms the second largest city and metropolitan area of the European Union outside Europe. According to data provided by the Canary Islands Government and Cabildo de Tenerife the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is composed of the municipalities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, San Cristobal de La Laguna, El Rosario and Tegueste with a population of 404,913 inhabitants in 2008, 322.13 km2, and a population density of 1,156.33 inhabitants/km2.[27]

According to AUDES5 this conurbation also comprises the municipalities of Tacoronte and El Sauzal, bringing the total population of the urban population would reach 581.947 (2008).[28]

The cities of Santa Cruz and San Cristobal de La Laguna and urban are physically linked, so that together have a population of over 382,331 inhabitants, making them the largest urban area in the Canaries (independent of municipal lines).[23][24][29]

Infrastructure edit

 
Autopista TF-5 passing by the Guajara Commercial Area and the Central Campus

As the centre of the Tenerife Metropolitan Area, Santa Cruz is the hub for the island's motorway network. The 85 km. long Autopista TF-1 links the south of the island, including Playa de las Américas and other southern resorts and towns, with its capital. The motorway itself starts near the Auditorio and gives access to Santa Cruz and La Laguna by three different routes.

Autopista TF-5 links Santa Cruz with the Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava and the northern side of the island, passing right through La Laguna before entering Santa Cruz.

The Santa Cruz harbour is one of the busiest in Spain; three quays host regular ferries, fast ferries, cruise ships and merchant ships.

Tenerife North Airport, formerly Los Rodeos Airport, is adjacent to Autopista TF-5 on the western outskirts of the city.

The mostly tourist Tenerife South Airport, formerly Reina Sofia Airport, ranks 7th in Spain and is located next to the Autopista TF-1, 75 km. south of Santa Cruz. There are plans to link this airport to the capital with a railway network.

The Intercambiador public transport/mass transit terminal is in the Avenida 3 de Mayo, and is the hub for all TITSA bus lines, the new Tenerife Tram service, and is a major car-parking area.

The first tram line (opened in 2007) line 1, starts at the Intercambiador, and ends at La Laguna's Avenida Trinidad, with a planned extension to Tenerife North Airport A second line between La Cuesta and Tíncer opened in 2009 (connecting with Line 1 at Hospital Universitario and El Cardonal). Main article Tenerife Tram.

Cabo-Llanos (south of downtown) is the location of new expansion. This area is undergoing a major building boom which has been nicknamed "Manhattanization", where tall, modern buildings and street layouts imitate American cities.

Economy edit

Santa Cruz de Tenerife has the highest concentration of shops in the Canary Islands.[30] The economy of Santa Cruz relies mainly on services. Trade, tourism, import-export, the seaport and the presence of the major political and financial institutions, as well as the most important companies, guarantee a strong economic activity and development. The building sector is important, while industry, apart from the oil refinery and food processing, is relatively minor. Santa Cruz has regenerated many areas of the city and modernised its infrastructure, built brand new areas, malls, high buildings and some charismatic structures, such as Calatrava's Auditorio or the Congress Hall, César Manrique's Marina and the not-yet-completed Óscar Domínguez Museum of Modern Art and Culture (IODACC) and the new Plaza de España layout, both by Basel-based Pritzker Prize winner studio Herzog & de Meuron. Work to renew the man-made Las Teresitas Beach is ongoing under the direction of French architect Dominique Perrault.

Cultural areas edit

 
Auditorio de Tenerife, icon of architecture in Canary Islands
 
Statues in the entrance of the Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
 
Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre
 
Plaza de España
 
Iglesia de la Concepción (Church of Concepción)
  • Auditorio de Tenerife: the work of Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Is an emblematic building of Spanish architecture. The Tenerife Auditorium stands northeast of the Marine Park. Their great sailing boat simulating has become a symbol of the city, island and archipelago.[31] The auditorium has two rooms and a chamber symphony. It is the seat of Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife and it holds, among other acts, the Festival de Ópera de Tenerife, the Classical Music Festival of the Canary Islands, the Tenerife International Film Music Festival and the delivery of awards Cadena Dial.
  • Guimerá Theater: Opened on 25 July 1851. Great 19th century building located in the central street of Àngel Guimerà, is the oldest theater in the Canary Islands.[32]
  • Museum of Fine Arts: This museum has, in addition to a fund with a deposit of works from the Prado Museum. Outstanding paintings by artists such as Peter Coeck, Ribera, Madrazo and Sorolla. As a fixed background, artists such as canaries Gaspar de Quevedo, Cristóbal Hernández de Quintana, and Juan Miranda González Méndez, among others.
  • Museum of Nature and Man: history, through pictures and objects, the Guanches. There is a room where is the formation of the Canary Islands. Among the archaeological finds shown are several Guanche mummies, including two mummified fetuses. There are a lot of Guanche skulls and reproductions of works of Africa and the pre-Columbian America among many other samples. It is a museum of international reputation since it has participated in international meetings on archeology.
  • Circulo de Bellas Artes: Founded in 1926 and based in Castle Street 43, is a cultural center that program of events, such as art exhibitions of painting and photography in the courtroom on the ground floor, directly accessible from the street. It has a cafeteria on the first floor.
  • Espacio Cultural El Tanque: In 1997 a former container tank at the refinery, there becomes exhibitions, dance and audio, alternative music, theater, classical music, new technologies and multimedia, among other productions.
  • Centro de Fotografía Isla de Tenerife: It has areas suitable for exhibition and study of traditional and contemporary photography.
  • The Art Room Recova: The Recova the Art Room is located in the old market town. Do not have a permanent collection, but are rotating exhibitions throughout the year.
  • TEA – Tenerife Espacio de las Artes: work of Herzog & de Meuron opened in 2008.

Urban sculptures edit

The city contains many pieces of sculpture, as well as the Exhibition of Outdoor Sculpture in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Situated along the Ramblas and the Parque Garcia Sanabria, the exhibition contains works by artists such as Henry Moore, Andreu Alfaro, Martin Chirino, Joan Miró and Óscar Domínguez, among others.

Cultural events edit

Nightlife edit

 
Queen of the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This carnival is one of the largest in the world.

Santa Cruz has not been characterized by an intense night life, in contrast to the nearby university town of La Laguna.[citation needed] Nevertheless, there are several clubs and pubs spread across the city. The best known are in the Parque Marítimo César Manrique, 3 May Avenue and back, and in La Noria street Residencial Anaga. Moreover, in the area of Industrial Mayorazgo, three new clubs have opened. There are also pubs that have survived without belonging to a particular location for leisure, as the platform, near the Bullring, which opened its doors in 1991.

It has recently gained importance as a leisure street Antonio Dominguez Alfonso (popularly known as Calle La Noria) and adjacent in the vicinity of the Church of the Conception. After several years of neglect, all the houses in this area has been recovered by the local hotel as tapas, light dinner and drinks. This street also hosts the headquarters of several murgas, music groups linked to Carnival, and independent organ of Events and Recreation.

Popularly known as the Avenida de Anaga (as known to all roads adjacent to the port) is in his section of Avenida Francisco la Roche a classic dinner and drinks first. During the 90s was the nerve center of nightlife, the best known local focus of the city. Although many of them closed down because of licenses and noise, attempt to regain its glory today. To that end, the city will undertake various initiatives through 2009.

In 2007, as decided by the City Council and managed by the Society for Development, is set in motion an ambitious plan for revitalization of the city under the brand name "Santa Cruz + Viva ', in accordance with Cabildo Insular de Tenerife and Government of the Canary Islands.[33]

Media edit

In Santa Cruz de Tenerife have drafted the three provincial newspapers (Diario de Avisos, La Opinión de Tenerife and El Día), as well as editors of newspapers regional La Gaceta de Canarias. Also located in the city the headquarters of various TV channels, most of which broadcast on the island: Spanish Television in the Canary Islands, Television Canaria, Antena 3 TV Canary Islands, Television Day, Canal 7 Atlantic, Channel 4 Tenerife, Channel 8, etc. Most radio stations are also located in the city. Radio Club Tenerife (Cadena SER), RNE, Teide Radio-Onda Cero, Radio Day, Radio ECCA etc.. In the city is the headquarters of the TV Canaria.

Tourist sites edit

 
Tenerife Opera House (Auditorio de Tenerife)
 
Torres de Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz Towers), the tallest twin towers in Spain
  • Auditorio de Tenerife (Auditorium of Tenerife): Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the Auditorium of Tenerife was constructed in 2003. The building has an organic and famous structure in the shape of 'sails' with white blue rollers. The auditorium has a big room for concerts, a room for opera and other smaller rooms. It is an emblem of the city and is one of the more photographed buildings. This building is in the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife close to the sea. It was inaugurated on 26 September 2003 with the presence of Felipe de Borbón, Prince of Asturias, and was also visited by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. The profile of the famous and majestic auditorium has become a symbol of the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is one of the main attractions of Tenerife and the Canary Islands.
  • Torres de Santa Cruz (Towers of Santa Cruz): Twin towers finished in 2006 are the highest skyscrapers of the city and the Canary Islands, was the tallest residential building in Spain until 2010. The Torres de Santa Cruz are also the tallest twin towers in Spain.
  • Plaza de España (Spain Square): is the largest square in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the Canary Islands. The square is located in the center of town, just meters north of the Auditorio de Tenerife. It is the heart of the city, stands the great artificial lake source or work of Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron.
  • Tenerife Espacio de las Artes (Tenerife Space of Arts – TEA): Building designed by the Swiss firm of architects Herzog & de Meuron and directed by the Canary architect Virgilio Gutierrez Herreros. The building houses the contemporary museum Óscar Domínguez Institute, the Alejandro Cioranescu Island Library and the Center for Photography Island of Tenerife. In addition, the property has a hall, a restaurant, a shop, a public plaza, offices.
  • Parque García Sanabria: is a public urban park in the heart of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, it was inaugurated in 1926. It is a large garden area, combined with fountains and architectural groups. It is the largest urban park in the Canary Islands. It has an area of 67,230 m2 (723,658 sq ft).
  • Centro Internacional de Ferias y Congresos de Tenerife (Tenerife International Centre for Trade Fairs and Congresses): The complex was designed by architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava is configured as a multipurpose building that can host major fairs, exhibitions and conferences that take place on the island of Tenerife. The Great Hall, located on the top floor, took a total of 12,000 square meters, making it the largest covered space in the Canary Islands.
  • Playa de Las Teresitas: is a beach in the village of San Andrés municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is one of the most important beaches of the Tenerife and the Canary Islands.
  • Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre (Museum of Nature and Man) is a museum of archeology and biology that has participated in international meetings on archeology, but his fame is mainly due to its formidable collection of Guanche mummies. For this reason, the Museum of Nature and Man is a world reference in regard to preservation of mummies.[34]
  • Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife: Is a Masonic Temple located in the on San Lucas street. It is considered the finest example of Masonic Temple in Spain.[35] Similarly was even greater in Spain Masonic Center before it was occupied by Franco's military.[36]

Naval history edit

Due to the strategic location of Tenerife on the route between the Mediterranean and the Americas, it was attacked a number of times by the English and the Dutch. In particular, Santa Cruz Bay was the scene of two notable naval engagements involving two of the most famous British admirals.

In 1656, Admiral Robert Blake totally destroyed a Spanish silver fleet of 16 ships for the loss of none of his own, despite being under fire from shore batteries and attacking and withdrawing on the tide. 50 years later, the British under John Jennings were defeated when they attacked the island on 6 November 1706 during the War of the Spanish Succession.

In 1797 Admiral Horatio Nelson met with bloody defeat in an attempt to storm the harbour. It was at this battle that Nelson lost his right arm having been hit before he had stepped off the ship's boat. It was on Santiago's day and that is the reason for having Santiago's sword cutting the lion's head as a symbol of the British defeat.

Symbols of Santa Cruz de Tenerife edit

Seal edit

 

The seal of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has the characteristic features of the Loyal, Noble, Invicta and very beneficial Town, Port and Plaza de Santa Cruz de Santiago de Tenerife. Curiously, it is not square or shield-shaped, but oval. In a blue background with anchors and castles have a green cross, the symbol of the Foundation Cross, which gave the city its name. Behind the cross is a sword of Santiago in red, reminiscent of the day in which the city of Santiago defeated Horatio Nelson. Under this sword are three lion heads facing right (the shield), which symbolizes the victories over the attacks by Blake, Jennings and Nelson (the Spanish considered the 1657 attack a victory). It has castles, anchors and an island of silver. Also holds the Medal of Charity and the Crown. The crown of laurel and olive trees surrounding the shield is the symbol of victory for the city to each and every one of the attacks.

Flag edit

 

The flag of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is all white with the municipal shield in the center. Granted by Royal Warrant of King Charles IV of 28 August 1803. On a white cloth, coat of arms of the city. The white, the characteristic of the Bourbon dynasty, refers to fidelity to the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Royal House of Spain.

Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife edit

 
Panoramic view of the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

The Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a fishing port, commercial, passenger and sports from the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, capital of the island, located in the Atlantic Ocean. It is managed by the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

It is the first fishing port in the Canary Islands with approximately 7,500 tons of fish caught, according to the Statistical Yearbook of the State Ports 2006 (the latest of which is changing). Following this report is the largest port number of passengers recorded.[clarification needed]

Climate edit

Santa Cruz has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification: BSh) with less precipitation in the summer than in the winter. Its average annual temperature is 25 °C (77 °F) during the day and 18 °C (64 °F) at night. In the coolest month – January, the typical day temperature ranges from 19–23 °C (66–73 °F), to around 15–16 °C (59–61 °F) at night, the average sea temperature is 20 °C (68 °F). In the warmest month, August, the typical day temperature ranges from 26–32 °C (79–90 °F), to above 21 °C (70 °F) at night, whilst the average sea temperature is 23–24 °C (73–75 °F).

Sunshine hours average at 2,887 per year, from 168 in December and to 337 in July and August.[37] Precipitation per year is only 226 millimetres (8.9 in), concentrated heavily between November and March: May to September are normally mostly dry.[38] Precipitation patterns closely resemble those of the Mediterranean climates found in mainland Spain and up the hill in La Laguna, but generally with less precipitation during winter months.

Climate data for Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1991-2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 21.5
(70.7)
21.6
(70.9)
22.4
(72.3)
23.3
(73.9)
24.8
(76.6)
26.9
(80.4)
29.2
(84.6)
29.7
(85.5)
28.6
(83.5)
27.0
(80.6)
24.5
(76.1)
22.6
(72.7)
25.2
(77.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) 18.5
(65.3)
18.5
(65.3)
19.2
(66.6)
20.1
(68.2)
21.5
(70.7)
23.4
(74.1)
25.4
(77.7)
26.0
(78.8)
25.3
(77.5)
23.8
(74.8)
21.6
(70.9)
19.7
(67.5)
21.9
(71.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 15.5
(59.9)
15.4
(59.7)
15.9
(60.6)
16.8
(62.2)
18.2
(64.8)
19.9
(67.8)
21.6
(70.9)
22.4
(72.3)
22.1
(71.8)
20.7
(69.3)
18.6
(65.5)
16.8
(62.2)
18.7
(65.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 28.8
(1.13)
32.9
(1.30)
27.9
(1.10)
10.3
(0.41)
3.5
(0.14)
0.6
(0.02)
0.1
(0.00)
3.5
(0.14)
4.5
(0.18)
24.4
(0.96)
35.8
(1.41)
36.8
(1.45)
209.1
(8.24)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 4.0 3.5 3.6 2.2 0.8 0.1 0.0 0.4 0.8 3.2 5.0 4.9 28.5
Average relative humidity (%) 62.2 61.6 60.9 59.7 59.2 59.0 56.5 59.2 63.2 64.6 63.7 64.7 61.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours 187.8 191.5 235.1 253.3 289.2 312.0 346.3 329.9 267.8 227.9 179.9 177.8 2,998.5
Source: World Meteorological Organization Normals (NOAA) [39]
Climate data for Santa Cruz (1981–2010), Extremes (1920–2016)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 28.4
(83.1)
31.2
(88.2)
35.4
(95.7)
35.2
(95.4)
36.4
(97.5)
37.1
(98.8)
42.6
(108.7)
40.4
(104.7)
39.3
(102.7)
38.1
(100.6)
34.0
(93.2)
28.2
(82.8)
42.6
(108.7)
Mean maximum °C (°F) 22.6
(72.7)
24.3
(75.7)
24.9
(76.8)
25.0
(77.0)
26.3
(79.3)
28.5
(83.3)
31.1
(88.0)
31.4
(88.5)
29.7
(85.5)
28.0
(82.4)
26.0
(78.8)
24.1
(75.4)
31.4
(88.5)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 21.0
(69.8)
21.2
(70.2)
22.1
(71.8)
22.7
(72.9)
24.1
(75.4)
26.2
(79.2)
28.7
(83.7)
29.0
(84.2)
28.1
(82.6)
26.3
(79.3)
24.1
(75.4)
22.1
(71.8)
24.6
(76.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) 18.2
(64.8)
18.3
(64.9)
19.0
(66.2)
19.7
(67.5)
21.0
(69.8)
22.9
(73.2)
25.0
(77.0)
25.5
(77.9)
24.9
(76.8)
23.4
(74.1)
21.3
(70.3)
19.4
(66.9)
21.5
(70.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 15.4
(59.7)
15.3
(59.5)
15.9
(60.6)
16.5
(61.7)
17.8
(64.0)
19.5
(67.1)
21.2
(70.2)
21.9
(71.4)
21.7
(71.1)
20.3
(68.5)
18.4
(65.1)
16.6
(61.9)
18.4
(65.1)
Mean minimum °C (°F) 14.2
(57.6)
14.0
(57.2)
14.8
(58.6)
15.2
(59.4)
16.4
(61.5)
18.2
(64.8)
19.8
(67.6)
20.6
(69.1)
20.3
(68.5)
18.9
(66.0)
16.3
(61.3)
15.3
(59.5)
14.0
(57.2)
Record low °C (°F) 9.4
(48.9)
8.1
(46.6)
9.5
(49.1)
9.7
(49.5)
12.0
(53.6)
13.4
(56.1)
16.5
(61.7)
17.0
(62.6)
16.8
(62.2)
14.6
(58.3)
10.1
(50.2)
10.0
(50.0)
8.1
(46.6)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 31.5
(1.24)
35.4
(1.39)
37.8
(1.49)
11.6
(0.46)
3.6
(0.14)
0.9
(0.04)
0.1
(0.00)
2.0
(0.08)
6.8
(0.27)
18.7
(0.74)
34.1
(1.34)
43.2
(1.70)
225.7
(8.89)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 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
Average relative humidity (%) (daily average) 64 63 62 61 61 61 58 61 65 65 64 67 63
Mean monthly sunshine hours 178 186 221 237 282 306 337 319 253 222 178 168 2,913
Percent possible sunshine 52 60 59 61 65 73 78 79 70 65 54 54 64
Source 1: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología[40][41]
Source 2: Weatherbase,[42] Weather Atlas (possible sunshine)[43]
Climate data for Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average sea temperature °C (°F) 20.1
(68.3)
19.4
(66.8)
19.3
(66.7)
19.5
(67.2)
20.1
(68.3)
21.1
(70.1)
22.0
(71.5)
22.8
(73.1)
23.7
(74.6)
23.6
(74.4)
22.3
(72.1)
20.8
(69.4)
21.2
(70.2)
Mean daily daylight hours 11.0 11.0 12.0 13.0 14.0 14.0 14.0 13.0 12.0 11.0 11.0 10.0 12.2
Average Ultraviolet index 4 6 8 9 10 11 11 11 9 7 5 4 7.9
Source: seatemperature.org (sea temperature) [44]
Source: Weather Atlas [43]

Culture edit

Carnival edit

During the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, thousands of people take to the streets each year for over a week. On 18 January 1980 it was declared a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest by the Secretary of State for Tourism, and is one of the world's largest carnivals.[45][46] At present, the Carnival of Santa Cruz hopes to become a World Heritage Site.[11]

Masonic influence edit

 
Eye of Providence, on the facade of the Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is characterized, among other things, by the influence of Freemasonry[47][48] exhibited by some of the most important historical buildings in the city, a palpable influence even on the plane of the city.

The city had a significant number of mayors and politicians affiliated with Freemasonry, especially between the 19th and early 20th centuries. In this city the Añaza Lodge (Logia Añaza) was founded in 1895, which was one of the most important Masonic workshops in Spain in the 20th century and helped consolidate Freemasonry in the Canary Islands and spread the culture and ideas of progress in the Canarian society of the time.[49] Under its auspices the Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife will be built, located on Calle San Lucas and which was the largest Masonic center in Spain until the military occupation 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 works of Professor Sebastián Hernández Gutiérrez of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria,[50] through the studies of Professor David Martín López from the University of Granada.[51][52][53] More recently those of the architect Carlos Pallés, curator of the exhibitions "Rostros de La Logia Añaza" and "Masonería y Sociedad" held in 2014.

Melchor Padilla, professor of Geography and History at the University of La Laguna, maintains that by joining some of the buildings and enclaves with Masonic symbols of 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 García Sanabria Park.

In 2016 an international Masonic congress was held in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in which 17 regular supreme councils from different countries of the world participated, around 300 people participated in the congress.[54][55] At present there are several tourist routes with a Masonic theme that are organized in the city.[56][57]

Some of the buildings and places with Masonic symbols in the city are:[58]

Sites of interest edit

Attractions edit

 
Per Adriano, (1993), sculpture by Igor Mitoraj in front of Guimerá Theatre.
 
The parliament of the Canary Islands
 
Fountain at the Plaza Weyler
 
Aerial view

In the environs:

Skyscrapers edit

Parks and squares edit

Churches and historical monuments edit

Commercial areas edit

Santa Cruz is popular for its wide commercial offerings, including zona Centro (Central part) – Pedestrian calle Castillo, San José, del Pilar, Viera y Clavijo Zona Rambla (Rambla area) or Rambla de Pulido, calle Ramón y Cajal, and the big shopping centres and department stores in Avenida de 3 Mayo, plus the big malls in Añaza on the southern suburbs. The most upmarket and high street shopping is located along Calle del Pilar and nearby Parque Bulevar Shopping Centre, where many designer shops can be found. International and local brands of shops and restaurants, such as Zara, Mango, H&M, El Corte Inglés, IKEA, C&A, McDonald's and Burger King are much present on the island. Not only the wide range of shops makes the city attractive but the lower prices found in many items, such as tobacco, alcohol, electronic devices, beauty products, sunglasses or even food or coffee. They are indeed much lower than in most cities of Western Europe including Spain, due to the very special and much lighter taxation on goods enjoyed on the Canary Islands.

Sports edit

 
Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López, the stadium of CD Tenerife.
  • CD Tenerife: Founded in 1912, it currently plays in Segunda División, holding home matches at the Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López, with a 22,824-seat capacity.

Honours: In 1991, Argentine Jorge Valdano took charge of the club as manager, and would help rob former side Real Madrid of two consecutive league titles in the last round, to the benefit of FC Barcelona; in the first season, the Canary Islands outfit barely avoided relegation, but would finish in a best-ever fifth position in the following year, eventually reaching the round of 16 in the subsequent UEFA Cup, losing to Juventus 2–4 on aggregate. CF Tenerife has finished in fifth position in La Liga on two occasions, in 1992–93 and 1995–96. It is the only Canary team that has played a European competition.

  • CV Tenerife: Volleyball is one of the island's most successful sports, particularly in women's volleyball where CV Tenerife were European champions and participate in the Spanish Super League.[9] Two other teams are the women's CV Aguere 2009/2010 Super League champions[10] and the men's Arona Playa de las Américas which competes in the Spanish Super League. There is a growing interest in this sport in Tenerife.
  • Isla Tenerife Canarias: is a professional basketball team based in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, and plays in the Pabellón Insular Santiago Martín, in Liga ACB league.

Education edit

International schools:

Celebrations of the city edit

 
Palmetum of Santa Cruz
 
Roques de Anaga
 
Playa de Las Teresitas
  • 27 January, anniversary of the designation of Santa Cruz de Tenerife as the capital of the Canary Islands.[63]
  • February, Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (of International Tourist Interest).
  • 3 May, May festivities. Día de la Cruz (Day of the City of Santa Cruz de Tenerife).
  • 25 July, the day of Saint James the Great (patron saint of Santa Cruz de Tenerife) and defeat of Admiral Nelson. This festival is part of the acts of the Recreation Gesta July 25.

Consulates edit

The consulates located in Santa Cruz de Tenerife are:

International relations edit

Twin towns – sister cities edit

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is twinned with:

Notable people edit

 
Leopoldo O'Donnell

In popular culture edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ El nuevo perfil de Santa Cruz de Tenerife con el Auditorio Archived 24 June 2013 at archive.today
  2. ^ Instituto Canario de Estadística, area
  3. ^ a b Demographia: World Urban Areas – Demographia, 2015
  4. ^ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
  5. ^ Instituto Canario de Estadística 19 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine, population
  6. ^ Eurostat. "Population and living conditions in Urban Audit cities, larger urban zone (LUZ)".
  7. ^ a b Real Decreto de 30 de noviembre de 1833 on wikisource
  8. ^ a b Real Decreto de 30 de noviembre de 1833 22 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine at the official website of the Canary Islands Government
  9. ^ . Archived from the original on 4 February 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  10. ^ Historial de la Capitanía General de Canarias Fuente: Ministerio de Defensa, Gobierno de España.
  11. ^ a b [1][dead link]
  12. ^ "Spain Skyscraper Diagram". Skyscraperpage.com. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  13. ^ "Santa Cruz de Tenerife, uno de los cinco mejores sitios del mundo para vivir, según "The Guardian"". ABC. Madrid. 27 January 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  14. ^ a b Anaga convierte a Santa Cruz en la tercera gran ciudad de España con más suelo natural
  15. ^ "El por qué de Santa Cruz de Santiago de Tenerife Santa Cruz de Tenerife – Portal turismo y ocio de Santa Cruz de Tenerife Islas Canarias – SANTACRUZ MAS +++++++++". Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  16. ^ a b "La conquista de Tenerife : 1494–1496 :: Memoria Digital de Canarias – Textos". mdc.ulpgc.es. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  17. ^ Santa Cruz, Muy Benéfica. El cólera de 1893
  18. ^ La utópica "manhattanización" de Cabo-Llanos en Santa Cruz de Tenerife para el siglo XXI
  19. ^ Ya son OCHO los muertos. El Día. 09/04/2011.
  20. ^ . Archived from the original on 30 August 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  21. ^ La Refinería se va y deja un nuevo dibujo de Santa Cruz
  22. ^ Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain) – Datos Poblacionales del término municipal de Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Avance del Padrón Municipal. Datos provisionales. [2] 22 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine, 1 January 2007
  23. ^ a b (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  24. ^ a b . Archived from the original on 24 June 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2009. Santa Cruz-La Laguna
  25. ^ "Santa Cruz celebra que los LGTB "pueden amar sin ser condenados a pena de muerte"". Ecodiario.eleconomista.es. 28 June 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  26. ^ El templo masónico, bien de interés cultural
  27. ^ Cabildo de Tenerife. (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 1 July 2010.
  28. ^ AUDES5. (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 22 August 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ^ . Eldia.es. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  30. ^ «Apostamos por una Santa Cruz activa, viva y dinámica»
  31. ^ "AUDITORIO DE TENERIFE "ADáN MARTíN" – Centros de congresos – Página oficial de Turismo de Tenerife". Webtenerife.com. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  32. ^ TEATRO GUIMERÁ – Teatro, danza y música en Santa Cruz de Tenerife 23 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  33. ^ "Santa Cruz de Tenerife – Portal turismo y ocio de Santa Cruz de Tenerife Islas Canarias – SANTACRUZ MAS +++++++++". Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  34. ^ Espacios culturales Auditorio de Tenerife. "Cultural sites in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (in Spanish)". Stacruz.es. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  35. ^ "Masonería en Canarias – Masoneria Regular". masoneria.org.
  36. ^ "El templo masónico, bien de interés cultural". 17 October 2002.
  37. ^ "Weather2Travel.com: Santa Cruz Climate Guide".
  38. ^ "World Meteorological Organization: Weather Information for Santa Cruz".
  39. ^ https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Spain/CSV/
  40. ^ "Valores Climatológicos Normales. Santa Cruz De Tenerife".
  41. ^ "Valores Climatológicos Extremos. Santa Cruz De Tenerife". Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  42. ^ "Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain Travel Weather Averages (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  43. ^ a b "Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain – Climate data". Weather Atlas. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  44. ^ "Santa Cruz de Tenerife Climate". seatemperature.org. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  45. ^ Noticia sobre el Carnaval en Canarias 5 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine, publicada por el diario Canarias7, 7 February 2007
  46. ^ <<Yoteca>> Guía de ayuda documentada,[3] 5 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine, 22 February 2008
  47. ^ Los conventos de La Orotava. Manuel Hernández González.
  48. ^ La Masonería en Canarias
  49. ^ La rehabilitación del Templo Masónico de Santa Cruz de Tenerife arrancará en el primer trimestre de 2022
  50. ^ Arquitectura y Masonería en las Islas Canarias
  51. ^ El arte masónico oficial de la Postguerra en Canarias. Marrero Regalado y Aguiar.
  52. ^ Sobre artistas masones y filomasones en tiempos de represión: José Aguiar, un pintor al Servicio de Franco. Martín López, David.
  53. ^ Arte y masonería: consideraciones metodológicas para su estudio (1936-1939). Madrid: Sociedad Estatal de Conmemoraciones Culturales, Ministerio de Cultura, 2007.
  54. ^ Los masones eligen Santa Cruz para su congreso internacional del próximo año
  55. ^ Jesús Soriano: "Me emociona venir al templo de la Logia Añaza"
  56. ^ La próxima ruta guiada por el patrimonio se centrará en la ‘Santa Cruz misteriosa’
  57. ^ ¿Una ruta masónica en Tenerife?
  58. ^ Un paseo por la Santa Cruz oculta
  59. ^ "Deutsche Schule Santa Cruz de Tenerife[permanent dead link]." ZfA. Retrieved on 13 February 2016. "Deutsche Schule – Colegio Alemán Calle Drago, 1 38190 Tabaiba Alta (El Rosario) Spanien"
  60. ^ "Address." Svenska Skolan Teneriffa. Retrieved on 13 February 2016. "Address Colegio Sueco Calle Coronel 8, local 9 Los Cristianos 38650 Arona Tenerife, Espana".
  61. ^ "Find Us 17 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine." British School of Tenerife. Retrieved on 13 February 2016. "La Luz Carretera de La Luz S/N; 38300 La Orotava" and "TRINITY Camino Montijo, 16; 38410 Los Realejos" and "YEOWARD C/ Irlanda, 1; Parque Taoro; 38400 Puerto de la Cruz"
  62. ^ "Home page." Wingate School. Retrieved on 13 February 2016. "Mirador de la Cumbrita, 10, Cabo Blanco, Arona, Tenerife, 38626"
  63. ^
  64. ^ "The International Affairs Department (IAD)". Sanantonio.gov. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  65. ^ (in French). Ville de Nice. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  66. ^ 20Minutos. "El rodaje de 'Bourne 5' convierte a la ciudad de Santa Cruz de Tenerife en Atenas".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links edit

santa, cruz, tenerife, province, province, other, places, named, santa, cruz, santa, cruz, disambiguation, spanish, ˈsanta, ˈkɾuθ, teneˈɾife, spanish, ˈsanta, ˈkɾus, teneˈɾife, commonly, abbreviated, santa, cruz, city, capital, island, tenerife, province, capi. For the province see Santa Cruz de Tenerife province For other places named Santa Cruz see Santa Cruz disambiguation Santa Cruz de Tenerife Spanish ˈsanta ˈkɾu8 de teneˈɾife Spanish ˈsanta ˈkɾus de teneˈɾife commonly abbreviated as Santa Cruz is a city the capital of the island of Tenerife Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and one of the capitals of the Canary Islands along with Las Palmas Santa Cruz has a population of 206 593 2013 within its administrative limits 5 The urban zone of Santa Cruz extends beyond the city limits with a population of 507 306 6 and 538 000 3 within urban area It is the second largest city in the Canary Islands and the main city on the island of Tenerife with nearly half of the island s population living in or around it Santa Cruz de TenerifeMunicipalityAuditoriumPlaya de Las TeresitasIglesia de la ConcepcionPlaza de EspanaFlagCoat of armsNickname s La Capital Chicharrera La Capital Tinerfena La Capital Santacrucera The Sydney of the Atlantic 1 Location of Santa Cruz de TenerifeShow map of TenerifeShow map of Canary IslandsShow map of Spain Canary IslandsCoordinates 28 28 N 16 15 W 28 467 N 16 250 W 28 467 16 250CountrySpainAutonomous communityCanary IslandsProvinceSanta Cruz de TenerifeIslandTenerifeFounded3 May 1494 founded as Real de la Santa Cruz Government AlcaldeJose Manuel Bermudez Esparza CC Area 2 Municipality150 56 km2 58 13 sq mi Elevation4 m 13 ft Population 2018 4 Municipality204 856 Density1 400 km2 3 500 sq mi Urban538 000 3 Demonym s Santacrucero ra Chicharrero raTime zoneWET Summer DST WESTPostal code38001 38010 38107 38108 38110 38160 38320Dialing code 34 922 34 822LanguageSpanishWebsitewww wbr santacruzdetenerife wbr esSanta Cruz is located in the northeast quadrant of Tenerife 210 kilometres 130 mi off the north western coast of Africa within the Atlantic Ocean The distance to the nearest point of mainland Spain is 1 300 kilometres 810 mi Between the 1833 territorial division of Spain and 1927 Santa Cruz de Tenerife was the sole capital of the Canary Islands until 1927 when a decree ordered that the capital of the Canary Islands be shared as it remains at present 7 8 The port is of great importance and is the communications hub between Europe Africa and Americas with cruise ships arriving from many nations The city is the focus for domestic and inter island communications in the Canary Islands 9 The city is home to the Parliament of the Canary Islands the Audience of Accounts of the Canary Islands the Captaincy General of the Canary Islands 10 the Canarias Ministry of the Presidency shared on a four year cycle with Las Palmas one half of the Ministries and Boards of the Canarias Government the other half being located in Gran Canaria the Tenerife Provincial Courts and two courts of the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands There are several faculties of the La Laguna University in Santa Cruz including the Fine Arts School and the Naval Sciences Faculty Its harbour is one of Spain s busiest It is important for commercial and passenger traffic as well as for being a major stopover for cruisers en route from Europe to the Caribbean The city also has one of the world s largest carnivals The Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife now aspires to become a World Heritage Site and is the second largest in the world 11 The varied architecture of the city stands out highlighting the Auditorio de Tenerife Auditorium of Tenerife which is considered one of the greatest exponents of contemporary architecture In the panoramic view of the city the Torres de Santa Cruz Santa Cruz Towers also stand out which with 120 meters tallest twin towers in Spain Other outstanding places are the Plaza de Espana Spain Square which is the nerve center of the city and the Parque Garcia Sanabria Garcia Sanabria Park a large urban park located in the center of the city Outside the city but in its municipal district Playa de Las Teresitas Las Teresitas and a large part of the Macizo de Anaga Anaga Massif stand out declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2015 Santa Cruz de Tenerife hosts the first headquarters of the Center UNESCO in the Canary Islands In recent years the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has seen the construction of a significant number of modern structures and the city s skyline is the sixth in height across the country behind Madrid Benidorm Barcelona Valencia and Bilbao 12 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 next to the Cihangir district in Istanbul the district of Sankt Pauli in Hamburg the north coast of Maui in Hawaii and Portland in the state of Oregon United States 13 The 82 of the municipal territory of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is considered a natural area this is due in large part 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 Caceres 83 14 Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2 1 Guanche period conquest and Castilian colonization 2 2 Old Regime and Modern Stage 2 3 Current era 21st century 3 Administrative divisions 4 Demographics 5 Metropolitan area 6 Infrastructure 7 Economy 7 1 Cultural areas 7 2 Urban sculptures 7 3 Cultural events 7 4 Nightlife 7 5 Media 8 Tourist sites 9 Naval history 10 Symbols of Santa Cruz de Tenerife 10 1 Seal 10 2 Flag 11 Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife 12 Climate 13 Culture 13 1 Carnival 13 2 Masonic influence 14 Sites of interest 14 1 Attractions 14 2 Skyscrapers 14 3 Parks and squares 14 4 Churches and historical monuments 15 Commercial areas 16 Sports 17 Education 18 Celebrations of the city 19 Consulates 20 International relations 20 1 Twin towns sister cities 21 Notable people 22 In popular culture 23 See also 24 References 25 External linksEtymology editThe area where Santa Cruz currently lies belonged to Menceyato Guanche Anaga which was the most easterly of the island The city that is now Santa Cruz had a few names throughout its history Anazo or Anaza Guanche name Puerto de Santiago Santa Cruz de Tenerife Santa Cruz de Santiago de Tenerife 15 and Santa Cruz de Tenerife current which means holy cross of Tenerife in memory of the foundation of the city when a Christian cross was planted in the place that is now the center of town History edit nbsp Map of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1701 nbsp Ruins of the Castle of San Cristobal underground of the Plaza de Espana nbsp Castle of St John the Baptist also known as Castillo NegroGuanche period conquest and Castilian colonization edit The area on which now stands the city and the municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has been the subject of human occupation since the time of the Guanches approximately 2000 years ago as attested by the archaeological sites found The area was known to the Guanches the first inhabitants of the island as Anazo or Anaza The famous Mummy of San Andres is one of the most important archaeological remains of the aboriginal past of the region Besides caves with some remains of mummified animals and stones with engravings ruprestres This area belonged to the Menceyato de Anaga aboriginal Guanche kingdom of Anaga one of nine in which the island was divided On 3 May 1494 Castilian troops under the control of the conqueror Alonso Fernandez de Lugo disembarked on the beaches of the present city and founded a military camp that would eventually develop into the city 16 From this place began the conquest of the island of Tenerife During the foundation Alonso Fernandez de Lugo placed a large wooden cross in reference to the day of disembarkation during the Catholic festivity of the Invention of the Cross 3 May After the conquest and defeat of the Guanche aborigines the capital of the island was initially established in the city of San Cristobal de La Laguna which was founded in the same year of the conquest of the island in 1496 16 Old Regime and Modern Stage edit Later it became one of the most important ports of the Atlantic a status it retains to this day This former fishermen s village rose to prominence after a Volcano destroyed the port of Garachico in the 18th century Santa Cruz became the major port on the Island It first won its independence from La Laguna and in the 19th century was awarded the status of Capital of the Province of Canary Islands by King Ferdinand VII Between 1833 and 1927 Santa Cruz de Tenerife was the sole capital of the Canary Islands In 1927 a Royal decree ordered that the status of capital city of the Canary Islands would be shared with Las Palmas in Gran Canaria This arrangement remains in place today 7 8 In 1893 an outbreak of cholera morbid spread throughout the city and neighboring municipalities The disease was brought by an Italian ship returning from Brazil There were 382 dead 17 Between 1936 and 1939 during the Spanish Civil War the Canary Islands were in the rear of General Francisco Franco s side In this context in 1936 the republican mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife Jose Carlos Schwartz Hernandez was arrested and murdered After the war years of great economic difficulties followed From 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 80s and 90s of the 20th century the city experiences a great economic boom The expansion of the city towards the south begins gaining ground to the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Refinery and creating new residential and urbanizable areas such as Cabo Llanos Since then this area of the city is immersed in a major construction boom that has been nicknamed Manhattanization 18 due to the presence of tall buildings and the layout of the streets that mimics that of American cities Current era 21st century edit Santa Cruz inaugurated the 21st century with a great expansionary and commercial boom that is especially manifested in architecture with the construction of emblematic buildings such as the Auditorio de Tenerife the work of Santiago Calatrava or the remodeling of the Plaza de Espana according to the design of Swiss architects Herzog amp de Meuron A torrential flood took place on 31st March 2002 This was caused by a phenomenon of cold drop characterized by the repeated fall of torrential rain accompanied by lightning which affected the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife The flooding caused 8 dead 12 missing and dozens injured 19 In recent years it has become clear that there exists a de facto union with neighbouring city San Cristobal de La Laguna 141 627 inhabitants as in 2005 census due to the rapid population growth and reduction in undeveloped space between the cities as their suburbs merged forming a metropolitan area with 420 198 inhabitants including the nearby municipalities of Tegueste Candelaria and El Rosario Regarding this situation the mayor of Santa Cruz Miguel Zerolo Aguilar and his La Laguna counterpart Ana Maria Oramas Moro both belonging to the Canarian Coalition stated several times to local media that they shared a willingness to proceed to a full political union between their municipalities even though the decision was postponed to a date after the local elections in 2007 As of 2012 the merger is no longer part of the political agenda 20 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 will allow the expansion of the city to the south 21 Administrative divisions edit nbsp Administrative divisions of Santa CruzSanta Cruz is divided administratively into five districts which in turn are subdivided into districts not necessarily consistent with the traditional neighborhoods No District Population 22 1 Anaga 14 1352 Centro Ifara 53 6523 La Salud La Salle 70 1204 Ofra Costa Sur 47 9775 Distrito Suroeste 41 136Demographics edit nbsp PopulationIn 1990 the population peaked above the 200 000 mark Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the city of San Cristobal de La Laguna form a continuous urban area with a combined population of over 380 000 inhabitants 23 24 Ethnically the population is mainly of European origin primarily from the Iberian Peninsula both Spain and Portugal with some mix of the island s original inhabitants the Guanches There has been some Latin American immigration especially from Cuba and Venezuela as well as from both Northern and Sub Sahara Africa There are also important historical minorities such as Indians Sindhi Koreans see Koreans in Spain and more recently Russians citation needed The majority of the population professes the Catholic religion but there are also small communities of Hindus and Muslims In Santa Cruz de Tenerife crime has decreased in recent years and the city has gained a reputation for tolerance among its inhabitants In fact Santa Cruz de Tenerife was the first city of the Canary Islands to display the rainbow flag alongside the flag of the City Council in June 2008 25 In comparison with the nearby city of San Cristobal de La Laguna which is the seat of Bishopric of Tenerife traditionally the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has had a much more secular character This fact brought about in the city institutions of deep secular tradition such as the Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife that was one of the largest masonic centers in Spain 26 According to a study by the National Statistics Institute of Spain INE among the two Canarian 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 14 nbsp Panoramic view of the city nbsp The city as seen from San Andres Industrial Estate and in the background the Auditorio and the skyscrapers Year Population1991 200 1721996 203 7872001 188 4772002 217 4142003 220 0222004 219 4662006 221 9562007 220 9022008 226 2322013 206 593Largest groups of foreign born people in 2018 Venezuela 9 608Cuba 3 940Argentina 1 659Bolivia 1 569Colombia 1 558Italy 1 097Morocco 702Ecuador 655Uruguay 627China 558Metropolitan area edit nbsp Map of Tenerife in yellow note of Metropolitan AreaThe Santa Cruz de Tenerife La Laguna Metropolitan Area forms the second largest city and metropolitan area of the European Union outside Europe According to data provided by the Canary Islands Government and Cabildo de Tenerife the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is composed of the municipalities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife San Cristobal de La Laguna El Rosario and Tegueste with a population of 404 913 inhabitants in 2008 322 13 km2 and a population density of 1 156 33 inhabitants km2 27 According to AUDES5 this conurbation also comprises the municipalities of Tacoronte and El Sauzal bringing the total population of the urban population would reach 581 947 2008 28 The cities of Santa Cruz and San Cristobal de La Laguna and urban are physically linked so that together have a population of over 382 331 inhabitants making them the largest urban area in the Canaries independent of municipal lines 23 24 29 Infrastructure edit nbsp Autopista TF 5 passing by the Guajara Commercial Area and the Central CampusAs the centre of the Tenerife Metropolitan Area Santa Cruz is the hub for the island s motorway network The 85 km long Autopista TF 1 links the south of the island including Playa de las Americas and other southern resorts and towns with its capital The motorway itself starts near the Auditorio and gives access to Santa Cruz and La Laguna by three different routes Autopista TF 5 links Santa Cruz with the Puerto de la Cruz La Orotava and the northern side of the island passing right through La Laguna before entering Santa Cruz The Santa Cruz harbour is one of the busiest in Spain three quays host regular ferries fast ferries cruise ships and merchant ships Tenerife North Airport formerly Los Rodeos Airport is adjacent to Autopista TF 5 on the western outskirts of the city The mostly tourist Tenerife South Airport formerly Reina Sofia Airport ranks 7th in Spain and is located next to the Autopista TF 1 75 km south of Santa Cruz There are plans to link this airport to the capital with a railway network The Intercambiador public transport mass transit terminal is in the Avenida 3 de Mayo and is the hub for all TITSA bus lines the new Tenerife Tram service and is a major car parking area The first tram line opened in 2007 line 1 starts at the Intercambiador and ends at La Laguna s Avenida Trinidad with a planned extension to Tenerife North Airport A second line between La Cuesta and Tincer opened in 2009 connecting with Line 1 at Hospital Universitario and El Cardonal Main article Tenerife Tram Cabo Llanos south of downtown is the location of new expansion This area is undergoing a major building boom which has been nicknamed Manhattanization where tall modern buildings and street layouts imitate American cities Economy editSanta Cruz de Tenerife has the highest concentration of shops in the Canary Islands 30 The economy of Santa Cruz relies mainly on services Trade tourism import export the seaport and the presence of the major political and financial institutions as well as the most important companies guarantee a strong economic activity and development The building sector is important while industry apart from the oil refinery and food processing is relatively minor Santa Cruz has regenerated many areas of the city and modernised its infrastructure built brand new areas malls high buildings and some charismatic structures such as Calatrava s Auditorio or the Congress Hall Cesar Manrique s Marina and the not yet completed oscar Dominguez Museum of Modern Art and Culture IODACC and the new Plaza de Espana layout both by Basel based Pritzker Prize winner studio Herzog amp de Meuron Work to renew the man made Las Teresitas Beach is ongoing under the direction of French architect Dominique Perrault Cultural areas edit nbsp Auditorio de Tenerife icon of architecture in Canary Islands nbsp Statues in the entrance of the Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife nbsp Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre nbsp Plaza de Espana nbsp Iglesia de la Concepcion Church of Concepcion Auditorio de Tenerife the work of Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava Is an emblematic building of Spanish architecture The Tenerife Auditorium stands northeast of the Marine Park Their great sailing boat simulating has become a symbol of the city island and archipelago 31 The auditorium has two rooms and a chamber symphony It is the seat of Orquesta Sinfonica de Tenerife and it holds among other acts the Festival de opera de Tenerife the Classical Music Festival of the Canary Islands the Tenerife International Film Music Festival and the delivery of awards Cadena Dial Guimera Theater Opened on 25 July 1851 Great 19th century building located in the central street of Angel Guimera is the oldest theater in the Canary Islands 32 Museum of Fine Arts This museum has in addition to a fund with a deposit of works from the Prado Museum Outstanding paintings by artists such as Peter Coeck Ribera Madrazo and Sorolla As a fixed background artists such as canaries Gaspar de Quevedo Cristobal Hernandez de Quintana and Juan Miranda Gonzalez Mendez among others Museum of Nature and Man history through pictures and objects the Guanches There is a room where is the formation of the Canary Islands Among the archaeological finds shown are several Guanche mummies including two mummified fetuses There are a lot of Guanche skulls and reproductions of works of Africa and the pre Columbian America among many other samples It is a museum of international reputation since it has participated in international meetings on archeology Circulo de Bellas Artes Founded in 1926 and based in Castle Street 43 is a cultural center that program of events such as art exhibitions of painting and photography in the courtroom on the ground floor directly accessible from the street It has a cafeteria on the first floor Espacio Cultural El Tanque In 1997 a former container tank at the refinery there becomes exhibitions dance and audio alternative music theater classical music new technologies and multimedia among other productions Centro de Fotografia Isla de Tenerife It has areas suitable for exhibition and study of traditional and contemporary photography The Art Room Recova The Recova the Art Room is located in the old market town Do not have a permanent collection but are rotating exhibitions throughout the year TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes work of Herzog amp de Meuron opened in 2008 Urban sculptures edit The city contains many pieces of sculpture as well as the Exhibition of Outdoor Sculpture in Santa Cruz de Tenerife Situated along the Ramblas and the Parque Garcia Sanabria the exhibition contains works by artists such as Henry Moore Andreu Alfaro Martin Chirino Joan Miro and oscar Dominguez among others nbsp Sol Rojo by Edgar Neget nbsp Homenaje a Millares by Claude Viseux nbsp Sin titulo by Federico Assler nbsp Monumento al Gato by oscar Domingez nbsp Femme Bouteille by Joan Miro nbsp Sin titulo by Andreu Alfaro nbsp Lo llevo bien by Julio NietoCultural events edit Festival de Musica Clasica de Canarias Festival de opera de Tenerife Tenerife International Film Music Festival Festival de Zarzuela de Canarias Festival Santa Blues de Tenerife Platano Rock Festival MUMES Mestizo Music Festival Festival de Salsa del Atlantico Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife Dia de la Cruz Cross Day Rock Coast Festival Premios Cadena Dial Recreation Gesta July 25 Tenerife Zombie WalkNightlife edit nbsp Queen of the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife This carnival is one of the largest in the world Santa Cruz has not been characterized by an intense night life in contrast to the nearby university town of La Laguna citation needed Nevertheless there are several clubs and pubs spread across the city The best known are in the Parque Maritimo Cesar Manrique 3 May Avenue and back and in La Noria street Residencial Anaga Moreover in the area of Industrial Mayorazgo three new clubs have opened There are also pubs that have survived without belonging to a particular location for leisure as the platform near the Bullring which opened its doors in 1991 It has recently gained importance as a leisure street Antonio Dominguez Alfonso popularly known as Calle La Noria and adjacent in the vicinity of the Church of the Conception After several years of neglect all the houses in this area has been recovered by the local hotel as tapas light dinner and drinks This street also hosts the headquarters of several murgas music groups linked to Carnival and independent organ of Events and Recreation Popularly known as the Avenida de Anaga as known to all roads adjacent to the port is in his section of Avenida Francisco la Roche a classic dinner and drinks first During the 90s was the nerve center of nightlife the best known local focus of the city Although many of them closed down because of licenses and noise attempt to regain its glory today To that end the city will undertake various initiatives through 2009 In 2007 as decided by the City Council and managed by the Society for Development is set in motion an ambitious plan for revitalization of the city under the brand name Santa Cruz Viva in accordance with Cabildo Insular de Tenerife and Government of the Canary Islands 33 Media edit In Santa Cruz de Tenerife have drafted the three provincial newspapers Diario de Avisos La Opinion de Tenerife and El Dia as well as editors of newspapers regional La Gaceta de Canarias Also located in the city the headquarters of various TV channels most of which broadcast on the island Spanish Television in the Canary Islands Television Canaria Antena 3 TV Canary Islands Television Day Canal 7 Atlantic Channel 4 Tenerife Channel 8 etc Most radio stations are also located in the city Radio Club Tenerife Cadena SER RNE Teide Radio Onda Cero Radio Day Radio ECCA etc In the city is the headquarters of the TV Canaria Tourist sites edit nbsp Tenerife Opera House Auditorio de Tenerife nbsp Torres de Santa Cruz Santa Cruz Towers the tallest twin towers in SpainAuditorio de Tenerife Auditorium of Tenerife Designed by Santiago Calatrava the Auditorium of Tenerife was constructed in 2003 The building has an organic and famous structure in the shape of sails with white blue rollers The auditorium has a big room for concerts a room for opera and other smaller rooms It is an emblem of the city and is one of the more photographed buildings This building is in the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife close to the sea It was inaugurated on 26 September 2003 with the presence of Felipe de Borbon Prince of Asturias and was also visited by former U S President Bill Clinton The profile of the famous and majestic auditorium has become a symbol of the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife It is one of the main attractions of Tenerife and the Canary Islands Torres de Santa Cruz Towers of Santa Cruz Twin towers finished in 2006 are the highest skyscrapers of the city and the Canary Islands was the tallest residential building in Spain until 2010 The Torres de Santa Cruz are also the tallest twin towers in Spain Plaza de Espana Spain Square is the largest square in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the Canary Islands The square is located in the center of town just meters north of the Auditorio de Tenerife It is the heart of the city stands the great artificial lake source or work of Swiss architects Herzog amp de Meuron Tenerife Espacio de las Artes Tenerife Space of Arts TEA Building designed by the Swiss firm of architects Herzog amp de Meuron and directed by the Canary architect Virgilio Gutierrez Herreros The building houses the contemporary museum oscar Dominguez Institute the Alejandro Cioranescu Island Library and the Center for Photography Island of Tenerife In addition the property has a hall a restaurant a shop a public plaza offices Parque Garcia Sanabria is a public urban park in the heart of Santa Cruz de Tenerife it was inaugurated in 1926 It is a large garden area combined with fountains and architectural groups It is the largest urban park in the Canary Islands It has an area of 67 230 m2 723 658 sq ft Centro Internacional de Ferias y Congresos de Tenerife Tenerife International Centre for Trade Fairs and Congresses The complex was designed by architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava is configured as a multipurpose building that can host major fairs exhibitions and conferences that take place on the island of Tenerife The Great Hall located on the top floor took a total of 12 000 square meters making it the largest covered space in the Canary Islands Playa de Las Teresitas is a beach in the village of San Andres municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife It is one of the most important beaches of the Tenerife and the Canary Islands Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre Museum of Nature and Man is a museum of archeology and biology that has participated in international meetings on archeology but his fame is mainly due to its formidable collection of Guanche mummies For this reason the Museum of Nature and Man is a world reference in regard to preservation of mummies 34 Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife Is a Masonic Temple located in the on San Lucas street It is considered the finest example of Masonic Temple in Spain 35 Similarly was even greater in Spain Masonic Center before it was occupied by Franco s military 36 Naval history editDue to the strategic location of Tenerife on the route between the Mediterranean and the Americas it was attacked a number of times by the English and the Dutch In particular Santa Cruz Bay was the scene of two notable naval engagements involving two of the most famous British admirals In 1656 Admiral Robert Blake totally destroyed a Spanish silver fleet of 16 ships for the loss of none of his own despite being under fire from shore batteries and attacking and withdrawing on the tide 50 years later the British under John Jennings were defeated when they attacked the island on 6 November 1706 during the War of the Spanish Succession In 1797 Admiral Horatio Nelson met with bloody defeat in an attempt to storm the harbour It was at this battle that Nelson lost his right arm having been hit before he had stepped off the ship s boat It was on Santiago s day and that is the reason for having Santiago s sword cutting the lion s head as a symbol of the British defeat Symbols of Santa Cruz de Tenerife editSeal edit nbsp The seal of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has the characteristic features of the Loyal Noble Invicta and very beneficial Town Port and Plaza de Santa Cruz de Santiago de Tenerife Curiously it is not square or shield shaped but oval In a blue background with anchors and castles have a green cross the symbol of the Foundation Cross which gave the city its name Behind the cross is a sword of Santiago in red reminiscent of the day in which the city of Santiago defeated Horatio Nelson Under this sword are three lion heads facing right the shield which symbolizes the victories over the attacks by Blake Jennings and Nelson the Spanish considered the 1657 attack a victory It has castles anchors and an island of silver Also holds the Medal of Charity and the Crown The crown of laurel and olive trees surrounding the shield is the symbol of victory for the city to each and every one of the attacks Flag edit nbsp The flag of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is all white with the municipal shield in the center Granted by Royal Warrant of King Charles IV of 28 August 1803 On a white cloth coat of arms of the city The white the characteristic of the Bourbon dynasty refers to fidelity to the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Royal House of Spain Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife edit nbsp Panoramic view of the port of Santa Cruz de TenerifeThe Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a fishing port commercial passenger and sports from the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife capital of the island located in the Atlantic Ocean It is managed by the Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife It is the first fishing port in the Canary Islands with approximately 7 500 tons of fish caught according to the Statistical Yearbook of the State Ports 2006 the latest of which is changing Following this report is the largest port number of passengers recorded clarification needed Climate editSanta Cruz has a hot semi arid climate Koppen climate classification BSh with less precipitation in the summer than in the winter Its average annual temperature is 25 C 77 F during the day and 18 C 64 F at night In the coolest month January the typical day temperature ranges from 19 23 C 66 73 F to around 15 16 C 59 61 F at night the average sea temperature is 20 C 68 F In the warmest month August the typical day temperature ranges from 26 32 C 79 90 F to above 21 C 70 F at night whilst the average sea temperature is 23 24 C 73 75 F Sunshine hours average at 2 887 per year from 168 in December and to 337 in July and August 37 Precipitation per year is only 226 millimetres 8 9 in concentrated heavily between November and March May to September are normally mostly dry 38 Precipitation patterns closely resemble those of the Mediterranean climates found in mainland Spain and up the hill in La Laguna but generally with less precipitation during winter months Climate data for Santa Cruz de Tenerife 1991 2020 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearMean daily maximum C F 21 5 70 7 21 6 70 9 22 4 72 3 23 3 73 9 24 8 76 6 26 9 80 4 29 2 84 6 29 7 85 5 28 6 83 5 27 0 80 6 24 5 76 1 22 6 72 7 25 2 77 3 Daily mean C F 18 5 65 3 18 5 65 3 19 2 66 6 20 1 68 2 21 5 70 7 23 4 74 1 25 4 77 7 26 0 78 8 25 3 77 5 23 8 74 8 21 6 70 9 19 7 67 5 21 9 71 4 Mean daily minimum C F 15 5 59 9 15 4 59 7 15 9 60 6 16 8 62 2 18 2 64 8 19 9 67 8 21 6 70 9 22 4 72 3 22 1 71 8 20 7 69 3 18 6 65 5 16 8 62 2 18 7 65 6 Average precipitation mm inches 28 8 1 13 32 9 1 30 27 9 1 10 10 3 0 41 3 5 0 14 0 6 0 02 0 1 0 00 3 5 0 14 4 5 0 18 24 4 0 96 35 8 1 41 36 8 1 45 209 1 8 24 Average precipitation days 1 mm 4 0 3 5 3 6 2 2 0 8 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 8 3 2 5 0 4 9 28 5Average relative humidity 62 2 61 6 60 9 59 7 59 2 59 0 56 5 59 2 63 2 64 6 63 7 64 7 61 2Mean monthly sunshine hours 187 8 191 5 235 1 253 3 289 2 312 0 346 3 329 9 267 8 227 9 179 9 177 8 2 998 5Source World Meteorological Organization Normals NOAA 39 Climate data for Santa Cruz 1981 2010 Extremes 1920 2016 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 28 4 83 1 31 2 88 2 35 4 95 7 35 2 95 4 36 4 97 5 37 1 98 8 42 6 108 7 40 4 104 7 39 3 102 7 38 1 100 6 34 0 93 2 28 2 82 8 42 6 108 7 Mean maximum C F 22 6 72 7 24 3 75 7 24 9 76 8 25 0 77 0 26 3 79 3 28 5 83 3 31 1 88 0 31 4 88 5 29 7 85 5 28 0 82 4 26 0 78 8 24 1 75 4 31 4 88 5 Mean daily maximum C F 21 0 69 8 21 2 70 2 22 1 71 8 22 7 72 9 24 1 75 4 26 2 79 2 28 7 83 7 29 0 84 2 28 1 82 6 26 3 79 3 24 1 75 4 22 1 71 8 24 6 76 3 Daily mean C F 18 2 64 8 18 3 64 9 19 0 66 2 19 7 67 5 21 0 69 8 22 9 73 2 25 0 77 0 25 5 77 9 24 9 76 8 23 4 74 1 21 3 70 3 19 4 66 9 21 5 70 7 Mean daily minimum C F 15 4 59 7 15 3 59 5 15 9 60 6 16 5 61 7 17 8 64 0 19 5 67 1 21 2 70 2 21 9 71 4 21 7 71 1 20 3 68 5 18 4 65 1 16 6 61 9 18 4 65 1 Mean minimum C F 14 2 57 6 14 0 57 2 14 8 58 6 15 2 59 4 16 4 61 5 18 2 64 8 19 8 67 6 20 6 69 1 20 3 68 5 18 9 66 0 16 3 61 3 15 3 59 5 14 0 57 2 Record low C F 9 4 48 9 8 1 46 6 9 5 49 1 9 7 49 5 12 0 53 6 13 4 56 1 16 5 61 7 17 0 62 6 16 8 62 2 14 6 58 3 10 1 50 2 10 0 50 0 8 1 46 6 Average rainfall mm inches 31 5 1 24 35 4 1 39 37 8 1 49 11 6 0 46 3 6 0 14 0 9 0 04 0 1 0 00 2 0 0 08 6 8 0 27 18 7 0 74 34 1 1 34 43 2 1 70 225 7 8 89 Average rainy days 1 0 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 7Average relative humidity daily average 64 63 62 61 61 61 58 61 65 65 64 67 63Mean monthly sunshine hours 178 186 221 237 282 306 337 319 253 222 178 168 2 913Percent possible sunshine 52 60 59 61 65 73 78 79 70 65 54 54 64Source 1 Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia 40 41 Source 2 Weatherbase 42 Weather Atlas possible sunshine 43 Climate data for Santa Cruz de TenerifeMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearAverage sea temperature C F 20 1 68 3 19 4 66 8 19 3 66 7 19 5 67 2 20 1 68 3 21 1 70 1 22 0 71 5 22 8 73 1 23 7 74 6 23 6 74 4 22 3 72 1 20 8 69 4 21 2 70 2 Mean daily daylight hours 11 0 11 0 12 0 13 0 14 0 14 0 14 0 13 0 12 0 11 0 11 0 10 0 12 2Average Ultraviolet index 4 6 8 9 10 11 11 11 9 7 5 4 7 9Source seatemperature org sea temperature 44 Source Weather Atlas 43 Culture editCarnival edit During the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife thousands of people take to the streets each year for over a week On 18 January 1980 it was declared a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest by the Secretary of State for Tourism and is one of the world s largest carnivals 45 46 At present the Carnival of Santa Cruz hopes to become a World Heritage Site 11 Masonic influence edit nbsp Eye of Providence on the facade of the Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife Santa Cruz de Tenerife is characterized among other things by the influence of Freemasonry 47 48 exhibited by some of the most important historical buildings in the city a palpable influence even on the plane of the city The city had a significant number of mayors and politicians affiliated with Freemasonry especially between the 19th and early 20th centuries In this city the Anaza Lodge Logia Anaza was founded in 1895 which was one of the most important Masonic workshops in Spain in the 20th century and helped consolidate Freemasonry in the Canary Islands and spread the culture and ideas of progress in the Canarian society of the time 49 Under its auspices the Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife will be built located on Calle San Lucas and which was the largest Masonic center in Spain until the military occupation 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 works of Professor Sebastian Hernandez Gutierrez of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 50 through the studies of Professor David Martin Lopez from the University of Granada 51 52 53 More recently those of the architect Carlos Palles curator of the exhibitions Rostros de La Logia Anaza and Masoneria y Sociedad held in 2014 Melchor Padilla professor of Geography and History at the University of La Laguna maintains that by joining some of the buildings and enclaves with Masonic symbols of 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 Garcia Sanabria Park In 2016 an international Masonic congress was held in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in which 17 regular supreme councils from different countries of the world participated around 300 people participated in the congress 54 55 At present there are several tourist routes with a Masonic theme that are organized in the city 56 57 Some of the buildings and places with Masonic symbols in the city are 58 Palacio Insular de Tenerife Chamber of Commerce building Parque Garcia Sanabria Cemetery of San Rafael and San Roque Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes de Santa Cruz de Tenerife Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de TenerifeSites of interest editAttractions edit nbsp Per Adriano 1993 sculpture by Igor Mitoraj in front of Guimera Theatre nbsp The parliament of the Canary Islands nbsp Fountain at the Plaza Weyler nbsp Aerial viewCalle de la Noria Palmetum of Santa Cruz de Tenerife Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre Parque Maritimo Cesar Manrique Playa de Las Teresitas Auditorio de Tenerife Teatro Guimera Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes de Santa Cruz de Tenerife Palacio Insular de Tenerife Casa del Carnaval Carnival House of Santa Cruz de Tenerife In the environs Macizo de Anaga Igueste de San Andres Taganana San AndresSkyscrapers edit Torres de Santa Cruz Rascacielos de la avenida Tres de Mayo Edificio Olimpo Edificio Juan AmadorParks and squares edit Parque Garcia Sanabria Parque de La Granja Plaza de 25 de julio de los Patos Plaza de Espana Plaza de la Candelaria Plaza del Principe Plaza de Weyler Plaza del ChicharroChurches and historical monuments edit Iglesia de La Concepcion church Iglesia de San Francisco de Asis church Iglesia de Nuestra Senora del Pilar church Iglesia de San Jose church Cabildo Insular de Tenerife governing body of the island Castle of St John the Baptist or Castillo Negro Castle of San Cristobal Castle of San Andres Parlamento de Canarias Parliament of the Canary Islands Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de TenerifeCommercial areas editSanta Cruz is popular for its wide commercial offerings including zona Centro Central part Pedestrian calle Castillo San Jose del Pilar Viera y Clavijo Zona Rambla Rambla area or Rambla de Pulido calle Ramon y Cajal and the big shopping centres and department stores in Avenida de 3 Mayo plus the big malls in Anaza on the southern suburbs The most upmarket and high street shopping is located along Calle del Pilar and nearby Parque Bulevar Shopping Centre where many designer shops can be found International and local brands of shops and restaurants such as Zara Mango H amp M El Corte Ingles IKEA C amp A McDonald s and Burger King are much present on the island Not only the wide range of shops makes the city attractive but the lower prices found in many items such as tobacco alcohol electronic devices beauty products sunglasses or even food or coffee They are indeed much lower than in most cities of Western Europe including Spain due to the very special and much lighter taxation on goods enjoyed on the Canary Islands Sports edit nbsp Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez the stadium of CD Tenerife CD Tenerife Founded in 1912 it currently plays in Segunda Division holding home matches at the Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez with a 22 824 seat capacity Honours In 1991 Argentine Jorge Valdano took charge of the club as manager and would help rob former side Real Madrid of two consecutive league titles in the last round to the benefit of FC Barcelona in the first season the Canary Islands outfit barely avoided relegation but would finish in a best ever fifth position in the following year eventually reaching the round of 16 in the subsequent UEFA Cup losing to Juventus 2 4 on aggregate CF Tenerife has finished in fifth position in La Liga on two occasions in 1992 93 and 1995 96 It is the only Canary team that has played a European competition CV Tenerife Volleyball is one of the island s most successful sports particularly in women s volleyball where CV Tenerife were European champions and participate in the Spanish Super League 9 Two other teams are the women s CV Aguere 2009 2010 Super League champions 10 and the men s Arona Playa de las Americas which competes in the Spanish Super League There is a growing interest in this sport in Tenerife Isla Tenerife Canarias is a professional basketball team based in San Cristobal de La Laguna Tenerife Canary Islands and plays in the Pabellon Insular Santiago Martin in Liga ACB league Education editThis section needs expansion You can help by adding to it February 2016 International schools Lycee Francais de Tenerife Jules Verne French school Deutsche Schule Santa Cruz de Tenerife German school in nearby El Rosario 59 Svenska Skolan Teneriffa Swedish school in nearby Arona 60 British School of Tenerife with campuses in La Orotava Los Realejos and Puerto de la Cruz 61 Wingate School British school in Arona 62 Celebrations of the city edit nbsp Palmetum of Santa Cruz nbsp Roques de Anaga nbsp Playa de Las Teresitas27 January anniversary of the designation of Santa Cruz de Tenerife as the capital of the Canary Islands 63 February Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife of International Tourist Interest 3 May May festivities Dia de la Cruz Day of the City of Santa Cruz de Tenerife 25 July the day of Saint James the Great patron saint of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and defeat of Admiral Nelson This festival is part of the acts of the Recreation Gesta July 25 Consulates editThe consulates located in Santa Cruz de Tenerife are Austria Argentina Belgium Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Denmark Ecuador Finland France Germany Guatemala Honduras India Ireland Italy Liberia Mexico Monaco Netherlands Nicaragua Norway Peru Philippines Portugal Sri Lanka Sweden Turkey United Kingdom Uruguay VenezuelaInternational relations editTwin towns sister cities edit See also List of twin towns and sister cities in Spain Santa Cruz de Tenerife is twinned with Aranda de Duero Spain San Antonio US 64 Santa Cruz California US Santa Cruz de la Sierra Bolivia Caracas Venezuela Cadiz Spain Rio de Janeiro Brazil Nice France 65 Santa Cruz del Norte Cuba Guatemala City GuatemalaNotable people editThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed May 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Rafael Arozarena 1923 2009 writer nbsp Leopoldo O DonnellFernando Fernandez Martin born 1943 politician Juan Carlos Fresnadillo born 1967 film director Simon de Herrera 1754 1813 interim governor of Spanish Texas and of Nuevo Leon Julio Hormiga born 1985 retired footballer Maria Rozman 1971 news director of Telemundo Washington D C and Telemundo Denver and Univision Denver Angel Guimera 1845 1924 writer Adan Martin Menis 1943 2010 politician Luis Molowny 1925 2010 football player Leopoldo O Donnell 1809 1867 politician Alfonso de Orleans Borbon Duke of Galliera born 1968 founder of Racing Engineering Ayoze Perez born 1993 football player Pedro born 1987 footballer Alberto Vazquez Figueroa born 1936 writer Eduardo Westerdahl 1902 1983 art critic and author Andrew Wolfson 1890 1978 cricketerIn popular culture editIn the 2016 film the opening part of the movie Jason Bourne was filmed in this city To do this the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was especially set to simulate the Greek cities of Athens and Piraeus The Plaza de Espana which is the main square of city of Santa Cruz was set to represent Syntagma Square 66 See also edit nbsp Spain portalList of municipalities in Santa Cruz de Tenerife province Plaza de Isabel II Santa Cruz de Tenerife References edit El nuevo perfil de Santa Cruz de Tenerife con el Auditorio Archived 24 June 2013 at archive today Instituto Canario de Estadistica area a b Demographia World Urban Areas Demographia 2015 Municipal Register of Spain 2018 National Statistics Institute Instituto Canario de Estadistica Archived 19 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine population Eurostat Population and living conditions in Urban Audit cities larger urban zone LUZ a b Real Decreto de 30 de noviembre de 1833 on wikisource a b Real Decreto de 30 de noviembre de 1833 Archived 22 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine at the official website of the Canary Islands Government Turismo Tenerife Alojamiento Carnaval Actividades Tenerife Archived from the original on 4 February 2010 Retrieved 25 May 2015 Historial de la Capitania General de Canarias Fuente Ministerio de Defensa Gobierno de Espana a b 1 dead link Spain Skyscraper Diagram Skyscraperpage com Retrieved 13 April 2011 Santa Cruz de Tenerife uno de los cinco mejores sitios del mundo para vivir segun The Guardian ABC Madrid 27 January 2012 Retrieved 25 May 2015 a b Anaga convierte a Santa Cruz en la tercera gran ciudad de Espana con mas suelo natural El por que de Santa Cruz de Santiago de Tenerife Santa Cruz de Tenerife Portal turismo y ocio de Santa Cruz de Tenerife Islas Canarias SANTACRUZ MAS Retrieved 25 May 2015 a b La conquista de Tenerife 1494 1496 Memoria Digital de Canarias Textos mdc ulpgc es Retrieved 24 January 2018 Santa Cruz Muy Benefica El colera de 1893 La utopica manhattanizacion de Cabo Llanos en Santa Cruz de Tenerife para el siglo XXI Ya son OCHO los muertos El Dia 09 04 2011 Tenerife s city la Laguna inspires with Spanish colonial architecture Monsters and Critics Archived from the original on 30 August 2013 Retrieved 8 February 2016 La Refineria se va y deja un nuevo dibujo de Santa Cruz Instituto Nacional de Estadistica Spain Datos Poblacionales del termino municipal de Santa Cruz de Tenerife Avance del Padron Municipal Datos provisionales 2 Archived 22 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine 1 January 2007 a b Dos ciudades una Isla y un millon de opciones PDF Archived from the original PDF on 16 July 2011 Retrieved 13 April 2011 a b SANTA CRUZ LA LAGUNA Zonas turisticas Pagina oficial de Turismo de Tenerife Archived from the original on 24 June 2008 Retrieved 27 September 2009 Santa Cruz La Laguna Santa Cruz celebra que los LGTB pueden amar sin ser condenados a pena de muerte Ecodiario eleconomista es 28 June 2008 Retrieved 13 April 2011 El templo masonico bien de interes cultural Cabildo de Tenerife Estudio del area metropolitana in Spanish Archived from the original on 1 July 2010 AUDES5 Poblacion de las areas metropolitanas in Spanish Archived from the original on 22 August 2011 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link La sala de maquinas del nuevo Santa Cruz Eldia es Archived from the original on 16 July 2011 Retrieved 13 April 2011 Apostamos por una Santa Cruz activa viva y dinamica AUDITORIO DE TENERIFE ADaN MARTiN Centros de congresos Pagina oficial de Turismo de Tenerife Webtenerife com Retrieved 13 April 2011 TEATRO GUIMERA Teatro danza y musica en Santa Cruz de Tenerife Archived 23 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine Santa Cruz de Tenerife Portal turismo y ocio de Santa Cruz de Tenerife Islas Canarias SANTACRUZ MAS Retrieved 25 May 2015 Espacios culturales Auditorio de Tenerife Cultural sites in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in Spanish Stacruz es Retrieved 13 April 2011 Masoneria en Canarias Masoneria Regular masoneria org El templo masonico bien de interes cultural 17 October 2002 Weather2Travel com Santa Cruz Climate Guide World Meteorological Organization Weather Information for Santa Cruz https www nodc noaa gov archive arc0216 0253808 1 1 data 0 data Region 6 WMO Normals 9120 Spain CSV Valores Climatologicos Normales Santa Cruz De Tenerife Valores Climatologicos Extremos Santa Cruz De Tenerife Retrieved 1 February 2015 Santa Cruz de Tenerife Spain Travel Weather Averages Weatherbase Weatherbase Retrieved 25 May 2015 a b Santa Cruz de Tenerife Spain Climate data Weather Atlas Retrieved 16 March 2017 Santa Cruz de Tenerife Climate seatemperature org Retrieved 16 March 2017 Noticia sobre el Carnaval en Canarias Archived 5 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine publicada por el diario Canarias7 7 February 2007 lt lt Yoteca gt gt Guia de ayuda documentada 3 Archived 5 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine 22 February 2008 Los conventos de La Orotava Manuel Hernandez Gonzalez La Masoneria en Canarias La rehabilitacion del Templo Masonico de Santa Cruz de Tenerife arrancara en el primer trimestre de 2022 Arquitectura y Masoneria en las Islas Canarias El arte masonico oficial de la Postguerra en Canarias Marrero Regalado y Aguiar Sobre artistas masones y filomasones en tiempos de represion Jose Aguiar un pintor al Servicio de Franco Martin Lopez David Arte y masoneria consideraciones metodologicas para su estudio 1936 1939 Madrid Sociedad Estatal de Conmemoraciones Culturales Ministerio de Cultura 2007 Los masones eligen Santa Cruz para su congreso internacional del proximo ano Jesus Soriano Me emociona venir al templo de la Logia Anaza La proxima ruta guiada por el patrimonio se centrara en la Santa Cruz misteriosa Una ruta masonica en Tenerife Un paseo por la Santa Cruz oculta Deutsche Schule Santa Cruz de Tenerife permanent dead link ZfA Retrieved on 13 February 2016 Deutsche Schule Colegio Aleman Calle Drago 1 38190 Tabaiba Alta El Rosario Spanien Address Svenska Skolan Teneriffa Retrieved on 13 February 2016 Address Colegio Sueco Calle Coronel 8 local 9 Los Cristianos 38650 Arona Tenerife Espana Find Us Archived 17 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine British School of Tenerife Retrieved on 13 February 2016 La Luz Carretera de La Luz S N 38300 La Orotava and TRINITY Camino Montijo 16 38410 Los Realejos and YEOWARD C Irlanda 1 Parque Taoro 38400 Puerto de la Cruz Home page Wingate School Retrieved on 13 February 2016 Mirador de la Cumbrita 10 Cabo Blanco Arona Tenerife 38626 188 Aniversario de la designacion de Santa Cruz como capital de Canarias The International Affairs Department IAD Sanantonio gov Retrieved 13 April 2011 Villes jumelees avec la Ville de Nice in French Ville de Nice Archived from the original on 29 October 2012 Retrieved 24 June 2013 20Minutos El rodaje de Bourne 5 convierte a la ciudad de Santa Cruz de Tenerife en Atenas a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Santa Cruz de Tenerife nbsp Santa Cruz de Tenerife travel guide from Wikivoyage Santa Cruz de Tenerife Encyclopaedia Britannica 11th ed 1911 Santa Cruz de Tenerife New International Encyclopedia 1905 Santa Cruz 360 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Santa Cruz de Tenerife amp oldid 1187311643, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.