Plaza de los Patos, officially Plaza del 25 de Julio, is a small square in Santa Cruz de Tenerife lined with benches covered in tiles from Seville. Its best detail is on the backrests: each bench was paid for by a local business, and their painted advertisements still survive, a catalogue of the city's shops and brands from the early 20th century.
Plaza de los Patos at a glance
- Where: on Avenida 25 de Julio in the Barrio de los Hoteles, a short walk from García Sanabria Park.
- Opened: 1917, after a design drawn up in 1913; the fountain and benches were remodelled in 1926.
- By: the architect Antonio Pintor Ocete drew up the 1913 plan for a landscaped square.
- What it is today: a public square and garden, restored for its centenary in 2018, where locals sit in the shade and children play around the fountain.
- Time needed: 15 to 20 minutes, longer if you want to read every bench.
From the King's Stone to the Duck Square
In 1888 the city's expansion plan laid out a long north-south avenue, today's Avenida 25 de Julio. In 1906, during a visit by King Alfonso XIII, the first stone was laid for a monument to General Leopoldo O'Donnell, who was born in Santa Cruz. The monument was never built, the stone was fenced off and the site became known as the Piedra del Rey, the King's Stone. In 1913 Antonio Pintor Ocete planned a garden here instead, with an irregular pond among volcanic rocks, and the square was finished in 1917. The tourism board of the day donated the fountain, six wooden benches and part of the gardens. That first pond held ducks, which is where the popular name comes from.
In 1926 the residents of the Barrio de los Hoteles raised money through collections, street parties and raffles to give their square a new look. The new fountain copied the Fountain of the Frogs in the María Luisa Park in Seville, and the benches were faced with tiles made in Triana, Seville's old potters' quarter. Tiles were replaced in restorations in the 1960s and again in the late 1980s, and for its 100th birthday the city carried out a full rehabilitation in 2018 to bring back its traditional features.
What to look for
- The bench backrests: around twenty tiled benches carry the names and advertisements of the local businesses that paid for them. Walk the whole circuit and compare the lettering and designs.
- The frogs: eight ceramic frogs sit around the central pool and spout water towards the middle.
- The goose and the turtle: at the centre of the fountain, a bronze goose stands on a turtle.
- The tiles themselves: the blue, yellow and green patterns are typical Sevillian work from Triana, laid on benches, borders and the edge of the pool.
- The houses around the square: the Barrio de los Hoteles is a district of early 20th-century villas and townhouses built by families who grew rich from the port, and it is protected as a historic ensemble.
Why 25 July?
The official name recalls 25 July 1797, when British ships under Horatio Nelson attacked Santa Cruz and were driven off by the island's defenders, led by General Antonio Gutiérrez. Nelson lost his right arm in the fighting, and the victory is still remembered in the city every year. The ducks, by contrast, are long gone: the name Plaza de los Patos survives only as a memory of the first pond.
Tips for your visit
- Come in the morning or late afternoon, when the trees shade the benches and the tiles are easy to photograph without harsh midday light.
- Take a moment to sit down: the square is a neighbourhood space, and the benches are there to be used, not only admired.
- Do not climb on the fountain or the tiled benches; the tiles are old and some have already been replaced.
- Combine the square with García Sanabria Park and a stroll along the Rambla de Santa Cruz.
Nearby
- García Sanabria Park: a large city park with tropical plants, a floral clock and modern sculptures; a few minutes' walk.
- Rambla de Santa Cruz: a broad tree-lined boulevard with benches and sculptures, good for a shady walk.
- Plaza Weyler: a square further south with a marble fountain and the building of the Captaincy General of the Canary Islands.
See Santa Cruz de Tenerife with World City Trail
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If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and an outdoor escape game in the city.
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Facts checked in October 2026.