Castillo de San Andres

Torre de San Andrés, better known as Castillo de San Andrés, is an old military fort built in the early 18th century. It has historical interest because it is linked to the attack on Santa Cruz de Tenerife by the English Admiral Horacio Nelson in 1797. Since the 17th century, there was a need to fortify the old Salazar or San Andrés bay to protect ships that took refuge in its waters and were fleeing pirates, and to keep enemy ships away. The entrance was made from a wooden drawbridge, so three steps of stone had to be climbed. Its cobblestone esplanade had room for 5 artillery pieces. The guardhouse was located to the south of the tower. Rainwater that fell on the esplanade was poured into a cistern. It had vaulted warehouses for storing gunpowder and two other vaults where the commander and 50 men could stay. It had a metal bell with wooden supports and iron brackets to signal the neighbors to rest. The most notable action in which the Torre de San Andrés participated was the victory over the English Admiral Nelson’s crew. The 43 gunners of this bastion could not intervene in the battle, but when the ship Theseus, in which Nelson was, and the frigate Emerald, were carried by the current into direct range of the Tower’s guns, Lieutenant José Feo, unaware of the English surrender, turned his fire on the invaders, to which they returned a few shots. When the noise of the cannon reached General Gutiérrez, he ordered a ceasefire. In this exchange of fire, an artilleryman was killed when his cannon exploded, which, strangely enough, was called the Assassin.