Centro de Interpretación del Castillo de San Cristóbal

Centro de Interpretación del Castillo de San Cristóbal exists precisely because the island once had a fortification that later disappeared from the surface—but not entirely from the ground. In this bay-town, the Castillo de San Cristóbal was the first fortification of major significance on Tenerife and the main defensive building on Santa Cruz Bay. Its defensive life ended in the early twentieth century, yet its story has returned through archaeology and a museum narrative focused on one object: the famous “Cañón Tigre.”

A fortress built for Tenerife’s coastline

The castle’s construction began under the administration of Álvarez de Fonseca, when work started in 1575. On 15 December 1575, the building program truly took hold, and it entered service on 20 January 1577, when the Cabildo moved artillery to the new fort. The structure was built on a reef in Bias Díaz Cove, and its plan was square, with a rampart at each corner—an arrangement suited to covering approaches from the water. Beyond its walls, the castle functioned as a working military headquarters. It was the residence of the Captains General and the Governors, and it served as the seat of the Military Government.