Castillo de San Juan Bautista
The Castillo de San Juan Bautista—also known locally as the “Black Castle” (Castillo Negro)—is Tenerife’s long-running instrument of coastal defence, once second only in importance to the island’s other major fort. Construction began in 1641 and was completed in 1644, then it was rebuilt in 1765 with a cylindrical sea-facing tower that tightened its control over the harbour approaches. In 1684, King Charles II transferred the power to appoint the castle’s castilian, or warden, to the Cabildo de Tenerife. That post mattered socially and practically: it came with authority over health, port policing, ship permits, and even charges related to salt and flour—duties that intertwined military order with everyday life. The fort remained a military installation until 1924, later becoming a military museum in 1948. …
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