Casa "Rincón del Puerto"
(Fonda Casino)
In 1853 Nicolás Martínez constructed a house situated in Plaza del Charco, today known as El Rincón del Puerto. It was the first serious attempt by a local person to establish a quality hotel in the area. It is a lovely Canarian house with two floors. It has access to the upper floors from the stairway in the central patio. After Martínez´s death on January 23rd 1855, it passed through various hands. First his second wife, Juana Esquivel, left the house open. Afterwards, in 1857, it was rented out to Pedro Aguilar who kept it open for the longest period of time, until 1873. Mr. Aguilar renamed it as the Casino Inn. It had many guests of honour. For example, the brother of the emperor Francisco José, the archduque Fernando Maximiliano of Austria, (1832-1867) during his trip to Mexico in 1859 and in 1867 His Imperial Highness, the great Duke Alexis Alexandrowich and later Czar Alexander III, during his stay to visit Teide. Many travelers also stayed there for the night. The astronomer Piazzi Smyth, Elizabeth Murray, etc. were also hosted on their arrival in Puerto de la Cruz in 1866. The vice-consul of Great Britain in Lanzarote, John Topham also stayed there. The Inn remained in the hands of Pedro Aguilar until December of 1873, after which it closed for some time. His sister-in-law, Isabel Medina de Chávez, reopened it in 1875. It finally closed down permanently in the ninety’s. |