Plaza de los Patos, Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Whilst in Santa Cruz in March, we paid a visit to the famous Plaza de los Patos (Ducks Square), in the so-called Barrio de los Hoteles (Hotels District), which is apparently the Sweetest Square in Santa Cruz. It's real name is Plaza de 25 de Julio - so named after the failed attack on Santa Cruz on that date in 1797 by Admiral Horatio Nelson.



La reforma de la Plaza de los Patos

The plaza, built between 1913 and 1917, a symbol of Santa Cruz and an important part of the city's heritage, was reopened after refurbishment last year. The fountain has figures of eight frogs that surround the central goose. The most outstanding feature of the square, in addition to the central fountain, are the 20 benches, covered in ceramic tiles from Triana (Seville), bearing the names the companies who sponsored the construction of the Plaza.

Plaza de los Patos in 1920 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

From here, it's well worth taking a stroll north on the Avenida de Veinticinco de Julio (25th July Avenue - there's a bit of a theme here - to where the avenue crosses the Rambla de Santa Cruz at the corner of the Parque García Sanabria and stop at the Kiosco Numancia. It has a reputation for being expensive (we didn't notice), but has such an interesting position right in the middle of the street where you can watch the world pass by on either side, with the tranquility of the park next to it. A perfect coffee stop in a city.