San Sebastián Trench, Altura de Paso-Alto or Santiago

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Memory · Subcategory: Sites of memory · Year: 1797 · Authors: Luis Marqueli

This military installation was located at the summit of La Altura mountain, 225 metres above sea level, with the clear purpose of covering the rear of the Paso Alto fort.

Also known as Atricheramiento de San Sebastián or Santa Cruz de Santiago , the complex was built by the military engineer Luis Marqueli following the English landing of Nelson's troops at Bufadero on 22 July 1797, just three days before the definitive attack on the city.

It had an irregular layout and included accommodations, storage rooms and cisterns. Initially, it was armed with four cannons. To access it, one had to follow a winding path starting from the bed of the Tahodio ravine and ascending in zigzag along the hillside until reaching the mountain ridge, a strategic point in the defence of the city from the north.

It seems that the installation was already out of use since the mid-19th century. Today, several bunkers built during the Second World War and various communication antennas stand in its place. Nearby is the Cruz de Santiago, a landmark that marks, both day and night, one of the most notable places in the history of Santa Cruz; where the island defences stopped the first assault attempt by Nelson's troops on the population of Santa Cruz.

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