Tenerife Puerto de la Cruz

Puerto de la Cruz is a coastal paradise, with sunshine and palm trees surrounding black sandy beaches. It is a very attractive town, especially on the west side and in the older parts.

The town is centred around a small port, with landscaped spaces and wide streets. You can easily explore Puerto de la Cruz on foot, taking in historical buildings such as the Castle of San Felipe, the heritage of San Telmo and the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Peña. Near the port there is Lago Martiánez, created by the famous Lanzarote architect César Manrique.

You could also visit Loro parque and watch parrot and dolphin shows or for a relaxing day, take a stroll around the Botanical gardens.

For Tourist Office information in Puerto de la Cruz, click Tourist Office Tenerife

La Orotava

Near Puerto de la Cruz, is the historic town of La Orotava, which sits in a valley of banana plantations and is often called the prettiest town in Tenerife.

The historic centre has some beautiful buildings such as the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción and the Casa de los Balcones, which houses the Eladio Machado crafts centre.

For people who enjoy gardens there is the Hijuela del Botánico, which has tropical plants from Central Africa, South America and Australia, and the Victoria gardens.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of Tenerife, is a busy port town, one of the busiest in all of Spain. The city has many green spaces with exotic trees. One such place is the Museum of Open Air Sculptures (in the Garcia Sanabria Park) which exhibits the work of contemporary artists on palm trees and tropical plants.

Other places to visit are the Maritime Park, a relaxation area designed by Cesar Manrique and near this San Juan Castle, in Caleta de Negros, a very well preserved castle.

A lot of people come to Santa de la Cruz for the shopping. The main areas are Calle Castillo and the surrounding streets, most importantly Calle del Pilar and Calle Bethencourt Alfonso. Here you can find good deals on electronics, jewellery and items of clothing such as jeans, due to duty-free status of the Canary islands.

In February there is the Carnival, one of the biggest in all of Spain. It has been declared of International Tourist Interest, with spectacular performances and costumes, and is well worth a visit.

For Tourist Office information in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, click Tourist Office Tenerife