La Rambla

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Architecture · Subcategory: Squares, streets & markets · Year: 1661

La Rambla is one of the most important urban streets in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Its long stretch runs transversely through the city from South to North, from the Municipal Swimming Pool to Anaga Avenue, already in the lower area bordering the port. This character as a ring road is fundamental for urban traffic and for the connection of the different city districts, while also functioning as an entry and exit axis of the city. With its two lanes in both directions, it has a wide central promenade endowed with spectacular trees, garden beds and, furthermore, it hosts true works of art in the form of sculptures that are naturally interspersed in the urban landscape. La Rambla may be the street with the greatest personality and best appearance in the capital of Tenerife.

Its route has been formed throughout urban history by the concatenation of different sections. Although its entire development presents a homogeneous character, we could differentiate, from South to North, five segments with their own urban and architectural structures. A first section would be formed by Avenida Reyes Católicos, which runs from the city entrance to the junction with San Sebastián and Avenida de Bélgica. A second sector is formed by Avenida de las Asuncionistas, which runs from the old Asunción school, from which it takes its name, to Plaza de La Paz. A third section covers from La Paz to García Sanabria Park. Another segment with its own particularities due to its architectural and landscape beauty is the area called "de las Tinajas", near the Mencey hotel; and finally, the fifth sector slopes down to its end at Anaga Avenue.

The origin of La Rambla is found in the old Camino de los Coches opened by Captain General Jerónimo de Benavente y Quiñones in 1661, with the aim of riding along it in his horse-drawn carriage. This original stretch ran between what is today the Mencey area and the "Statue" located at the corner with Viera y Clavijo. At that time it was an area where only fields and enclosures existed, far from the urban core.

Already in the 19th century, between 1854 and 1863, this area was subject to a timid urbanisation with the planting of trees under the initiative of General Ortega, which is why it was first known as Paseo de Ortega and later Alameda de Isabel II. Buildings in the place were still scarce. In 1863 the civil governor had commissioned the engineering corps to study a ring road for the city, which, taking as a base the Camino de los Coches, would be extended to the Santos ravine, connecting, by means of a bridge, with the road that was coming up from San Sebastián towards La Laguna. This is the origin of the current Avenida de las Asuncionistas.

Developed slowly, La Rambla over time transformed into a uniform and continuous avenue. In 1873 its level was regulated and it reached the crossing with what was then called Cuatro Caminos, today Plaza de La Paz, although the whole area was still rough terrain and cultivated orchards. Between 1910 and 1913 trees began to be planted along its entire route and most of the splendid buildings erected on both sides of the street between the Plaza de Toros and Avenida 25 de Julio began to be constructed.

From 1940, the last stretch between the Mencey and what was then the San Andrés road began to be urbanised. The works were delayed, being practically completed in the following decade.

At the end of 1973, on the occasion of the International Exhibition of Street Sculptures, La Rambla hosted numerous world-class works of art in the field of contemporary sculpture, thus becoming a true open-air museum.

Known throughout its history by different names (Paseo de los Coches, Paseo de Ortega, Alameda Isabel II, Rambla XI de Febrero, Marcos Peraza, General Franco), it has always been popularly known as La Rambla (today Rambla de Santa Cruz). Along its wide route, its promenade offers varied and different faces of a city that intimately identifies with this splendid urban street.

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