Casona y Jardines de San Fernando

Casona y Jardines de San Fernando is a historic estate in Puerto de la Cruz, set in the Valle de La Orotava on Tenerife, blending late-19th-century English architecture with extensive botanical gardens.

Who built the estate?

The house was built in 1887 by Colonel Owen Peel Wethered, a member of the British community that settled in significant numbers along Tenerife's northern coast during that period, drawn by the mild climate and growing trade links with Britain. The residence was conceived as an English country house, raised in noble materials such as stone and timber, worked using the artisanal building techniques typical of the Victorian era. Its roof was originally covered in slate, a material foreign to the island's traditional construction methods.

Why did the name change?

The land on which the house stands was previously known as El Robado. It was a later owner, the Duke of Peñaranda, who gave the property its current name, Casona de San Fernando. He was also responsible for replacing the slate roof with typical Canarian tile, bringing the building closer to the local architectural vocabulary while preserving its essentially English structure.

What can be found in the gardens?

The grounds surrounding the house were laid out as a planned recreational and botanical complex rather than left as incidental greenery. They included spacious lawns for playing croquet and bowls, along with a tennis court, remnants of which are still visible today. Beyond these sporting areas, the property held large vegetable gardens and dedicated botanical sections planted entirely with species and trees native to the Canary Islands. This layout reflects a residence built for both daily living and social life, offering the kind of leisure and gathering spaces favoured by British residents of the period.

Why does this site matter today?

Casona y Jardines de San Fernando stands as an example of English architecture transplanted onto Canarian soil, documenting the strong British presence in Puerto de la Cruz around the turn of the 20th century. The town had long been a key destination for British emigration and early tourism in the Canary Islands, and residences of this kind record that chapter of local history. The property is recognised as a cultural monument in the region, a status that reflects the value of both the building itself and the surviving garden layout, which is considered just as significant as the architecture.

Frequently asked questions

Who built Casona de San Fernando? The estate was built in 1887 on the initiative of Colonel Owen Peel Wethered, a member of the British community settled in Puerto de la Cruz.

Where does the current name come from? The land was previously called El Robado; the name Casona de San Fernando was given by a later owner, the Duke of Peñaranda.

What can visitors see in the gardens? Traces of the former croquet and bowls lawns, remnants of a tennis court, and garden areas planted with species native to the Canary Islands.

What architectural style does the building represent? Late-19th-century English country house architecture in stone and timber, later partly adapted to local aesthetics with the addition of Canarian roof tiles in place of slate.