Shipwreck in Anaga

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Memory · Subcategory: Historic sites · Year: 1803

The coasts on the northern side of the Anaga massif have for centuries been a place where numerous shipwrecks have occurred. The drift of vessels searching for the port of Santa Cruz when approaching the island from the north, the frequent rough sea conditions in that area, and dangerous coasts due to their treacherous and steep nature, are more than enough reasons why, over centuries, a considerable number of sinkings with loss of lives and cargo have taken place here.

One of the greatest maritime tragedies in Anaga occurred in the winter of 1803. A vessel flying the English flag and bound for Jamaica, at the end of January that year, foundered near the coasts of Taganana, with only one boy surviving who managed to reach land by swimming. All others, passengers and crew, were swallowed by the sea.

The chronicler Juan Primo de la Guerra, who briefly records this tragedy, notes in his diary that on occasions when boats or launches are very crowded with people, they can be prevented from sinking by placing some empty barrels on them and covering everything with a well-secured sail . None of this was possible on this occasion.

Maritime safety measures in those early 19th-century years were scarce, even for the English, who were the masters of the sea at that time. The navigational aid signals then in the islands were almost non-existent and ineffective due to their rudimentary nature. Just over six decades after this tragedy, the Anaga lighthouse began operating, from then on warning of the danger of a rugged and very hazardous coast if navigated close to it. Despite this, shipwrecks on these coasts, though less frequent, continued to occur.

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