San Andres Tenerife with more than ocean front pictures

San Andres Tenerife was one of several aborigine settlements.

It was taken from the Guanche Mencey Beneharo in 1497, after the conquest.

Those Anaga hills by the Barranco El Cerrado San Andres where most of wild Tenerife palms grow and that of Las Huertas (the orchards) are steep. Nevertheless, fairly large farm houses are dispersed on its hills. You see vehicles parked in narrow yards. Sometimes, you wonder how they get there.
Driving further down the slopes you are getting to San Andres. The sight of its old town on the slopes is utterly breath taking.

Latest news of February 2015 for El Cerrado:
Storm water pipes will be installed in this flood prone gorge, last not least. This should also protect the Fort San Andres in the Atlantic mouth of the ravine. Furthermore, it will complement another regional improvement by way of new jetties which will be accomplished soon.

The new San Andres breakwaters

Spot the main 360m long jetty 100m off shore. The price was about €4265950. A fervent wish of the Lagateros the people of San Andres finally came true. They had been waiting for centuries for both the new breakwaters.

Also now, the town has a much loved  esplanade, as shown below. 

San Andres Tenerife and the pirate era

By 1500 Tenerife started to become a target for pirates or rather for attacks by Corsairs.

Why?

Nations who employed them wanted to conquer the island for themselves.

A defense fortress which gave head aches

The first Torre (tower) or fort of Castillo San Andres of 1706 was built for such defense and it helped.  However, it came at a price. Extreme weather as well as floods destroyed it a few times.

The gorge and river mouth were to blame.  Yet, the tower was of good use to fend off Sea Admiral Horatio Nelson in 1797 who was one of most admired corsairs.

Ironically, the island had its own pirates not only in the Masca hills. In fact there was even the nasty Cabeza de Perro (Dog head pirate) whose ruined dwellings still exist near Tegueste by the ocean. That isn't far from San Andres.

San Andres a free town at times

Initially, this town which is located about 6 km from Santa Cruz as well as from Igueste was free for about 200 years. Until then, the Salazar clan of San Andres was in power. It most probably had to pay tribute to the new capital Santa  Cruz when it took over from La Laguna in 1728.

Again, San Andres Tenerife was definitely an independent town from 1813 to 1850.

The stunning photo of 2016 above speaks for itself.

Ocean waves became more of a problem

Meantime, San Andres Tenerife fell victim to frequent onslaught from the high seas. Such flood damage in 2011 broke all news. All environmental protection strategies had shown themselves as more than insufficient.

Wave onslaught of 2014, August 26

Forgive me not to give you the link of the TV broadcast of the ferocious waves of the time, as it was not Safe by GDPR standards or whatnot.

Here an article by Wikipedia that emphasizes the vulnerable location for terrible flooding.

News 2018 after the November El Bravo Wave attack

In fact, no news reported that San Andres suffered a major onslaught by El Bravo on November 19, 2018 in Tenerife contrary to a few other places on the island. Hence, the new breakwaters seem to make all the difference. Also, I noticed no damage there when I entered the village shortly afterwards. A gentle flow of water below the new Rainbow bridge made its way into the ocean,  a video of which I took myself. Now, we may understand why San Andres published that it would like to restore its historical fort which makes sense now. However, this progress means most for the safety of the holiday home in Tenerife San Andres. Mind it is virtually over the road from the beautiful beach Playa Las Teresitas. 

Playazita del Cabezo  is one of three seafront pictures which puts the emphasis on the immediate danger by ferocious waves.

This vulnerable downtown area is totally flat and on the same level as its beach avenue.  Worse, the promenade is hardly four meters above the sea and house entrance doors are also not elevated enough.

2000 year old San Andres for better protection?

No doubt there, buildings were much too exposed to the ocean. The latest Spain law which forbids building within 30m from shore may be debatable. However, it may also protect lives, as in such extreme cases like San Andres Tenerife.

The age of San Andres Tenerife

The mummy of San Andres at the famous museum of  Nature and Man is proof of Guanche inhabitants, 2000 years ago.
 Naturally, they used to move to higher grounds with their goats and other livestock before the rising midsummer Atlantic currents were closing in.

There is a bus stop in the middle of this beach promenade El Dique for going to Santa Cruz.  You must wait opposite by the kiosk for getting to Tigueste. Both distances are about 6 km, by the way.

San Andres Tenerife your gate- way to the Anaga splendor

Encounter the traffic circle with indicators for the Anaga mountains at the end of the newly designed Esplanade. The signs are at the highly popular La Negrita the only bar with free Wifi in San Andres.

Outside La Negrita is the San Andres turnoff sign to the TF12, the Bailadero, the Anaga Massif and more.

That's one way to reach its ancient Laural forests, ocean surf paradises and insider fish taverns besides another route from La Laguna.

The other side of San Andres

Then, there is the TF121 road pointer to Igueste and Mount Suculum between Playa Teresitas and the San Andres tower.

A most unconventional lookout (mirador)

You enter a half ruin at Mount Suculum which is less than ten  minutes by car from the seashore. You best avoid windy days when you want to gaze deep down and far beyond from this exposed spot without fences.  The graffiti on its dilapidated walls link to more modern times.
Beach Playa de las Teresitas with San Andres and Mount Teide in the distance are a priceless reward, though. This roofless shack on 'Monte Seculum' lets you also detect the beach Las Gaviotas and the mountain road that leads to it. You spot it by another big gap in a wall.
Also notice a downtown main street which is one of many. They all lead from the seafront inland. These roads make it easy for the ocean to follow on to create downtown havoc.

Marisqueria Ramon Seafood Restaurant at oceanfront San Andres Tenerife

• Address: C/Dique,23, 38120 San Andres, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tel: 922 549308 and 922 549132
• Prepares:  live lobster and fresh fish, such as huge platters of sea bass grilled
• Delicious home made desserts, such as Lemon Meringue
• and Berry Sorbet
• Free car parking may be in front by the ocean promenade
• Outside veranda in a side street
• About 200 m walking distance from beach Playa de las Teresitas

We intend to eat there again which means quite something. But we always prefer to ask what fish or seafood is best on a particular day. You must go with the flow, right?

Another reason why we like this neighborhood is the reason that dogs are welcome in the streets. We even encountered a small bowl with water for dogs on the town's church square.

Tower San Andres Tenerife destroyed over and over again

Look at the old historical fort Torre San Andres...  Its become a monument to remind that we humans can't always conquer  nature. Only exceptions at an extremely high price may occur. The famous tower has not been repaired any more after its last destruction in 1898. Why it was placed right in the mouth of a river, such as the gorge Barranco San Andres,  makes you wonder. Of course, it was of most strategic importance.

The Tower or Fort that put Horatio Nelson to shame

Admiral Nelson had to try his luck again by the dog beach of Añaza after his embarrassing  encounter with this tower.

San Andres Teresitas beach getting warmer?

There were signs of global warming by an average rise of close to two degrees Celsius by San Andres Tenerife which is mostly known for its beaches Playa las Teresitas and Playa las Gaviotas.   Cool water upswells by its ocean currents near Santa Cruz de Tenerife. In fact, I have never seen so many days that were cooler compared to the last 10 years like in winter of 2014. Www Aeat Spain gave the following data at August 05 in that year. The water temperature for San Andres and Teresitas beaches were 23 degrees Celsius with moderate wind and outside temperatures of the same.  

Idyllic bay by the beach Playa de las Teresitas

By the way, the fisherman bay San Andres by the old  breakwater which is also called the jetty of the Cofradia by
the beach Playa de las Teresitas is a photographer's dream.

So is many a San Andres dry-dock sun-up. You are likely to enjoy them often. Just take your dog to that seaside early in the morning.

Rent a holiday home in Tenerife by San Andres?

We were renting a nice apartment close to the old Castillo ruin. As soon, as I find the address I will keep you posted. Actually, it should be the advertiser who arranged it for my son in law.

Rather prefer a hotel in Santa Cruz capital

Tenerife capital 4 star and 5 star accommodation

Environmental problems San Andres?

Lets hope that politicians make more of an effort these days to avoid environmental problems in Tenerife,  such as by changing the course of a river or altering gorges and valleys.

Latest news for San Andres

In 2015 one of the longest Tenerife bicycle pathways was built to get you from the capital Santa Cruz past San Andres all the way along the ocean to Las Teresitas beach.

Taganana the one and only in the Anaga rural park

Return from San Andres Tenerife to Santa Cruz Tenerife which is the nearby capital where the fishing town is part of, nowadays

More about the little fishing town by Playa de las Teresitas.

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