| San Andrés | |
| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Autonomous region: | Canary Islands |
| Province: | Santa Cruz de Tenerife |
| Island: | Tenerife |
| Population: | about 2,500 (2005) |
| Car designation: | TF until 2001 |
San Andrés ("Saint Andrew") is a village located on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands (Spain). It is located 10 km north of the capital city Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in a coastal area by the Anaga mountains. It is administratively part of the municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The village is situated on a mountain slope with an urban area located near the valley and the beach. San Andrés is one of the oldest villages of the Canary Islands, and was founded around 1497.
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San Andres has had numerous names throughout its history. The Guanches called the two valleys that make up San Andrés "Abicor" and "Ibaute", being current and valleys of Cercado de Las Huertas respectively. According to some scholars "Abicor" was associated with fig trees, while others are similar to African voices to refer to the hives. Already after the arrival of the Spaniards, the valley became known in the early years of the Higueras Valley (by the abundance of them), Valle de Las Higueras and Los Sauces, Valle de Salazar (by the owners dated to the area) and Valle de San Andrés (being the saint's devotees Salazar) interchangeably. Finally prevail the current name of San Andrés. However, during the first half of the twentieth century was also known as "San Andres de Pots" by the major pottery production.
From 1505–1510 Don Lope de Salazar, built the chapel, on which the current church is based, and he placed two images: St. Andrew the Apostle, by special devotion, and Saint Lucy, in honor of the name of his wife. St. Andrew Church (Iglesia de San Andrés) was constructed on a structure from an earlier period. Also in San Andrés one finds a former castle, which was built to defend Tenerife of the assaults of the pirates.
San Andrés has about 4,000 people and until 1940 could only be accessed by footpath. With the construction of a coastal road with Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the village became connected by road to the capital. A fortress used to exist, with a tower built in 1706, but was destroyed by storms in 1740 and 1896.
In 1973 the administration brought 4 million bags of Sahara sand to the island into the Las Teresitas beach and improved the infrastructure with parking lots. The Spanish court stopped larger tourist properties in 1984.
In a cave on the outskirts of this locality was discovered the famous Mummy of San Andrés, a mummified body belonging to the guanche culture. It is now held in the Museum of the Nature and the Man in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
In nearby Macizo de Anaga one finds the zone of "El Bailadero", so named because, according to the old legends, it was the place where witches danced around bonfires and practiced witchcraft.
Residents of San Andrés live primarily on fishing. Tourism is also an important source of employment. The town features hotels, retirement homes, apartments and villas.
Not far from San Andrés is the beach named Playa de las Gaviotas, a 200 m-long white volcanic sand beach by Igueste de San Andrés. The depth by the coastline is 180 m.