Efequén Calls for Plaza de España to Be Restored “Exactly as It Was” and Renamed Plaza

The restoration of Plaza de España, in the heart of Puerto del Rosario, has returned to public debate, led by heritage conservator and president of El Efequén, Loren Castañeyra. He argued on Radio Insular’s cultural program for a faithful restoration—without additions or reinterpretations—of one of the most symbolic spaces of the former Puerto de Cabras.

He based his plea on a text by historian Francisco Cerdeña, which he described as “an essential reference for understanding who we were and what we must not have lost.”

“Restoring is not about creating a mix. Restoring means doing it exactly the same, because there is enough documentation for it.”

The local association possesses historic photographs, plans, and testimonies that, according to Castañeyra, would allow the square to be returned to its original layout—a public park, a balcony to the sea, and a neighborhood meeting point for decades.

“If they don’t want to restore it, they should build something new, but they must not falsify what it once was.”

The space originated on a municipal lot, a “road surplus” that, as Cerdeña notes, even served as a “camel dumping ground,” located near the old Muelle Chico. Over time, the square became the social agora of Puerto de Cabras, hosting conversations, walks, and celebrations.

“We never called that place Plaza de España; for us it was the park. That’s where we learned to ride bicycles, to skate, where communions were celebrated.”

A balcony to the sea

“The square was built through popular subscription on a plot granted to the City Council. It belongs more to the people than many other things,” he emphasized, adding that today the existing structure “lacks charm, is not functional, and breaks the visual relationship with the bay.”

The loss of its public character occurred in the 1970s, when the then‑city council granted a private concession—a move Castañeyra calls “absurd.” The privatization led to the opening of the Tinguaro venue, now closed.

The Town’s Square, for the Town, and Under the Name “Puerto Cabras”

Beyond restoring the central space, Castañeyra, on behalf of El Efequén, urges renaming Plaza de España to Plaza de Puerto Cabras.

“It’s a way to restore the name, to recover identity without entering sterile debates,” he explained, dismissing alternatives such as Plaza de Unamuno—once suggested by Cerdeña—to focus consensus on local memory. “Gradually we must revive the name Puerto Cabras, and this would be a good start.”

He stressed that the project is neither costly nor complex.

“It’s a very simple construction. It’s not a budget issue; it’s a matter of will.”

Castañeyra believes there are no legal obstacles to reversing the situation once the concession expires. “All that’s needed is the will to do it.”

The demand also highlights a current deficit in the historic centre, which lacks green spaces and communal areas for residents.

“All the neighbourhoods have parks, but the centre does not. And it was precisely the centre that had a park first.”

Restoring the square would, in his view, return a lost public space to the heart of the island’s capital and reactivate the city’s relationship with the sea.

He also criticized recent urban heritage interventions, such as the remodeling of the municipal market.

“It’s not a matter of personal taste; heritage should not be subject to whims. It’s a matter of suitability.”

Castañeyra concluded that conservation requires rigor and respect for original elements.