Poblado dirigido de San Cristóbal de los Ángeles

The origins of San Cristóbal de los Ángeles lie in a social housing programme carried out by the Gerencia de Poblados Dirigidos (Department of Managed Settlements) in collaboration with the National Housing Institute to eradicate shanty towns. In total, the department subsidised 6,077 houses, which were built in successive phases starting in 1959. Covering an area of more than 43 hectares (106 acres), they occupy the site of a former brickworks (Norah), whose chimney has been preserved as a landmark.

The urban planning and the buildings were designed according to the criteria of the major social housing estates of the time, with different types of buildings, narrow streets and communal areas.

The general layout is based on superblocks with large open spaces. These parallel open blocks are arranged back to back along a dividing avenue. On the northern edge, opposite Dehesa Boyal, and on the western edge, next to Avenida de Andalucía, there are two towers of twelve and fourteen storeys respectively, the neighbourhood’s most distinctive landmarks.

Since its inception, the town has had a full range of cultural, commercial, religious, educational and sporting facilities. The parish church of Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados merits special mention.

Updated: 20/10/2025