Mutual respect by the two sea faring nations was not diminished by a defeated British Navy attack on the Tenerife capital, Santa Cruz in 1797. Admiral Horatio Nelson lost most of his right arm to musket fire when coming ashore, several of his ships were forced off target by ill judged winds and tides, and the surrender treaty of 25 July confirmed three historic defences of the capital.

Now 222 years later the Amigos de 25 July are staging their annual reconstruction of key battle moments, but there are many places to visit all year round in the Tenerife capital that evoke two entwined histories.
On Friday 19 July 2019, the Castillo Negro, between the modern hook nosed Auditorium and the Parque Maritima outdoor swimming complex, will see the first landing boats met by the defending forces at 9 pm. That began and ended Nelson’s personal action, he was ferried back to a ship under protest, to have most of his arm cut off and the wounds sewn up. He had already lost the sight in the right eye from a previous wound. Not surprisingly, the invading effort had little chance after that.

On Saturday 20 July, small units of troops will be deployed near Plaza de España from noon. Some British troops had landed further north up the coast and tried to battle down through the city as commanded by Admiral Troubridge. From 9 pm skirmishes will be played out near Calle La Noria, just below the barranco bridge. The surrender treaty was signed initially by Admiral Troubridge, at Plaza Isla de Madera, and this will be re-enacted at 9 pm on Sunday 21 July. There will be a procession through the city on Thursday 25 July from 8 pm. Back in 1797, patched up Nelson was invited to dine with the Santa Cruz Governor, Juan Antonio Gutierrez. The British lost 250 men in the failed invasion but Nelson was full of praise for the humanity of Gutierrez, he arranged for injured men and provisions to be returned to their ships and presented barrels of malvasia wine and other gifts to the British. Nelson promised to forbid any future attacks on the Canary Islands, it was a strangely civilised surrender and the Admiral is even commemorated on a couple of street names. This years events are dedicated to Captain Diego Correa of La Laguna, who captured the British Flag from the ship, Emerald. It´s now displayed in a glass cabinet in the Military Museum of Almeyda, a short stroll north of the ferry port. Entry is free, Monday to Friday, from 10 am to 2 pm, and there are two floors of exhibits from many eras plus a range of vehicles in the yard.

All along the coast road of Santa Cruz, and inland, there are plaques describing key points in the Nelson conflict, in English and Spanish. Down on the port, by the small, metal lighthouse, there is the imprint of a canon ball from a British ship, a sculpted tribute to the surrender treaty had pride of place at the port and is expected to be replaced once the major makeover of the port entrance is completed.

For a dip back in time, try the ruins of the old Castillo San Cristobal, unearthed when the Plaza de España lake was updated a decade ago. Entrance is free from Monday to Friday 10 am to 6 pm, you can see part of the old city wall and also the Tigre canon that helped to repel Nelson and his men.