Isle of Tenerife

Holiday in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife

Puerto de la Cruz Vacation in the green oasis in the north

Map TenerifePuerto de la Cruz has a population of nearly 30,000, making it the sixth largest town in Tenerife.

The benefits of Puerto's mild climate were discovered by the British in the early part of the 19th Century and it became so well known that doctors prescribed a winter in Puerto as the best cure for many an ailment.

Teide with birds from Puerto de la Cruz

The town lies at the foot of the most agriculturally productive part of the island, the Orotava Valley, whose wines and fruits enjoy a worldwide reputation.

Plaza del Charco ist the beautiful main square and meeting point for tourists and locals in the centre of Puerto de la Cruz.

Puerto de la Cruz offers two beaches to the vacationer. Especially the beach Playa Jardín between the city and the quarter Punta Brava is beautiful and accompanied by a park with exotic flowers and plants.

Playa Jardin, Puerto de la Cruz
Beautiful Beach Playa Jardín

Also you find some bars where you can eat and drink.

Beach Cafe Playa Jardin, Puerto de la Cruz
Beach Cafe in Puerto de la Cruz

The other beach is Playa de Martiánez on the other side of the town. Many surfers and other young people you find here.

Shopping
The shopping possibilities in Puerto de la Cruz are nearly the best of tenerife. Especially in the quarter La Paz, where you find the Canary Center with shops, stores, cafés, restaurants and medical supplies.

Worth seeing in Puerto de La Cruz

Casa de la Material Aduana
The old customs office, dating back to 1620, is one of the oldest buildings in Puerto and is a fine example of Canarian architecture.
Calle Las Lonjas 1, Puerto de la Cruz

Playa Jardin, Puerto de la CruzCastillo San Felipe
Built between 1630 and 1644, the castle's main function was to afford protection against pirate raids. An enormous cannon that once served to deter the pirates from venturing ashore now fires on special occasions to mark important cultural events and exhibitions.
Tuesday - Saturday 10am-1pm, 5-8pm. Paseo de Luis Lavaggi.

Ermita de San Telmo
A small white chapel next to the sea, the Ermita de San Telmo has provided spiritual comfort to sailors since 1780. The chapel has undergone substantial restoration work in recent times to repair the ravages of more than 200 years of close proximity to the sea.

Martianez Promenade, Puerto de la CruzSubtropic Garden of Hotel Tigaiga
At Hotel Tigaiga near Taoro Park in Puerto de la Cruz you find a beautiful subtropic garden with lots of plants from around the world. The garden is open not only for hotel guests, but for everyone. Ask for guided tours through the garden. More information: Subtropic garden Tigaiga

Sunsets in Puerto de la Cruz
Sunsets over Tenerife can be pretty spectacular, as this shot taken from the mirador at La Paz, Puerto de la Cruz, clearly demonstrates.

Tenerife Sunset La Paz
Sunset from La Paz, Puerto de la Cruz

Churches in Puerto de la Cruz

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Franzia
The most important place of worship in the town took 13 years to build, from 1684-1697. The neo-classic bell tower was added at a later date. The church can be found in the Plaza de la Iglesia.
Calle Quintana

Iglesia de San Francisco
The Iglesias de San Francisco was built between 1599-1608 and is probably the oldest building in the town.
Calle San Juan/Calle Quintana

Parks and places in Puerto de la Cruz

Loro Parque
From relatively humble beginnings as the world largest parrot exhibition, Loro Parque has grown to become Tenerife's best man-made tourist attraction. Loro Parque's list of species includes Orca killer whales, dolphins, sea lions, gorillas, tigers and also a white tiger, penguins in an antarctic snowy landscape, jaguars, sharks, alligators, chimpanzees and flamingos, to name but a few. You'll need a whole day to do it justice and still you will want to go back again the next day!

Loro Parque shows are just as spectacular as anything you'll see in Florida, separately featuring the killer whales, dolphins, sea lions and parrots.

View above Puerto de la Cruz
View from the Taoro Park above Puerto de la Cruz

Taoro Park (Parque Taoro)
Overlooking the town, Taoro Park has been a popular area for the British for many years. In the Taoro Park you can see waterfall, children's playground, lookout points, restaurants and the beautiful garden Risco Bella. The Taoro Park offers superb views across the town and up to the Orotava Valley and Mount Teide.


Carnival in Puerto de la Cruz

Every February Puerto throws off its cloak of respectability to host its major international festival, the carnival. Plaza del Charco, Puerto de la Cruz

It's a smaller version of the main event in the island capital of Santa Cruz, said to be second only to Rio de Janeiro in staging the world's biggest carnival. Puerto's annual thrash is a more modest affair, but for ten days the whole town echoes to the exuberance of revellers well into the early hours of the morning.

Fancy dress is the main feature of La Carnaval and while some of the costumes will certainly make granny blush, the whole event is extremely good natured.

The carnival events are centred around Ash Wednesday, the night of the burial of the sardine when the burning of the effigy of a huge sardine is followed by a spectacular fireworks display.

The festivities begin and end with a procession and with this dummy run under their belts everyone then heads off to Santa Cruz for the island's main event. In 2007, Puerto's carnival takes place from February 15-25.

Puerto has a host of other fiestas, fairs, conventions and conferences happening all through the year. Another great festival in Puerto de la Cruz is the famous annual Carmen Fiesta in July, which is in español the Fiesta del Carmen.
Also the Fiesta de La Cruz & Founding of Puerto de La Cruz
Another kind of festival in Puerto de la Cruz is the annual MUECA festival with many individual artists.

San Telmo, Puerto de la Cruz
The promenade of San Telmo in Puerto de la Cruz


Restaurants in Puerto de la Cruz

Restaurant Marlin
The cosy Restaurant Marlin is right by the sea and has a terrace with superb views out across the Atlantic ocean.
Closed Mondays. Calle Añateve 1, Punta Brava

Casa Régulo
Popular with locals and holidaymakers alike, Casa Régulo offers a wide range of dishes. It is set in an old but renovated town hall.
Closed Sundays. Calle Pérez Zamora 16

Oasis Centre
A romantic setting with meals served under large sunshades to a musical accompaniment. The Oasis Centre serves late into the night.
Open daily. Calle at Juan 18

Mamma Rosa
Close to the archaeological museum is the Italian restaurant Mamma Rosa. The bill of fare promises a multiplicity of Italian specialities - pasta of all kinds, gnocchi and pizza. And for dessert they are also specialised in the typically Italian tiramisu.
Closed Mondays. Calle del Lomo 6

History of Puerto de la Cruz

In the 1950s Puerto began to develop as the tourist centre we know it today.

From a small fishing village, its fortunes changed overnight when in 1706 a volcanic eruption destroyed the harbour at Garachico, then the most important port in the north of the island.

Puerto de la Cruz assumed responsibility for the export of sugar cane and wine, flourishing trades at the time.

 

Beaches in & near Puerto de la Cruz

»  Beaches Tenerife North

»  Naturist Beaches in Tenerife-North

» Tenerife family vacation

 

Holiday destinations around Puerto de la Cruz

The closest vacation spots around Puerto de la Cruz you can get to are Los Realejos, San Juan de la Rambla, La Guancha, La Orotava and Santa Ursula.

 

 

 

 

Holidays in Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife North: Accommodation and holiday rentals such as a holiday home, vacation home, hotel, apartment, bed and breakfast, lodging, guest house, pension, inn, chalet, bungalow, villa, cottage or country house. Vacation and holiday in hotels, apartments, holiday houses and other vacation rentals in Puerto de la Cruz on the north coast of Tenerife.