The emblematic Castillo de San Cristóbal, originally called El Torreón de San Pedro Mártir, is an ancient tower located in the small fishing district of San Cristóbal, on the east coast of the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
El Torreón de San Pedro Mártir was built in 1578 as part of the project for the fortification of the city undertaken by King Felipe II of Spain.
It is a round tower, built in the sea on a large rock which was covered with argamasa, a type of mortar in ancient times widely used to join stones or bricks in the construction of walls, composed of a mixture of lime, sand and water.
Due to significant damage suffered as a result of countless attacks inflicted on the city, in 1638 El Torreón was rebuilt, continuing to exercise military use until 1878, when it was abandoned.
In 1949 the Castillo was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument of Spain.
Curiosity:
There is a certain number of towers that were built in various places in the Canary archipelago, which, following a certain construction line with the same characteristics, could be considered “twins” of the Torreón de San Pedro Mártir. Among the best known we can find Castillos de Gando in Gran Canaria, San Andrés in Tenerife, El Cotillo and Caleta de Fuste in Fuerteventura and Torre del Águila in Lanzarote.