Puerto de la cruz island tenerife spain. Puerto de la Cruz or what it's like to live on a volcano? Entertainment and attractions in Puerto de la Cruz
) is a city with its own history, customs, traditions, with a unique flavor and distinctive character. If you compare it with other settlements of the Canary Islands, it quite large in size, there are various shops, cafes and bars. The resort is well suited for a beach holiday. This is a calm city where life flows smoothly.
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Puerto de la Cruz on the map: location and brief description
Finding the resort on the map will not be a problem - it is located on, one of 7 in the Canary archipelago, located in the Atlantic Ocean. Since the islands belong to Spain, you should obtain a Schengen visa before visiting.
Puerto is located in the Orotava Valley, in the northern part of the island, 37 km from Santa Cruz, the capital of the island. The territory is landscaped, the city is rich evergreen forests and banana plantations.
First there was the port of the commune of La Orotava, which appeared in the 16th century. It was then that the city began to exist. Over time, a church and a square appeared in Puerto de la Cruz, but for a long time it remained an unremarkable fishing village. The turning point can be considered the eruption of the Teide volcano, as a result of which the main port of the island was destroyed. After this, his functions were transferred to Puerto.
The settlement in Spain grew rapidly. Puerto de la Cruz soon became an important center for the sale of wine - grape plantations, growing there, fruited very well. Then wealthy tourists began to choose Puerto de la Cruz for their holidays: the mild climate, a lot of greenery and healthy air formed by the ocean and vegetation did their job.
Soon the first hotel, called Grand Hotel Taoro, was built, and then they began to convert old mansions into hotels. Thus, Monopol and Marquesa appeared. And, probably, Puerto would have remained in demand if the development of the southern part and, as a result, the construction of Playa de las Americas, a resort with a more developed infrastructure, now considered the main one, had not begun in the 1980s. But Puerto de la Cruz is firmly in second place.
Weather in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife
It differs from the southern part, but not significantly. The difference is felt mainly in early spring and winter. In summer it is more comfortable here due to the increased humidity.
A separate topic is sea weather. Water may be warm and pleasant to the body, but everything spoils it possible concern. Therefore, many vacationers prefer swimming in hotel pools, or in the Lago Martianez complex, located in the east.
Puerto de la Cruz attractions
Holidays in Puerto are not limited to swimming in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Since this is a relatively old town on the island of Tenerife, there is a lot to see. All attractions are located mainly in the historical area, traditionally called the Old Town. Many buildings dating from the 17th-18th centuries have been preserved. The castle of San Felipe on the ocean coast is rightfully considered the main one - today the building is used for concerts and exhibitions.
Worth a visit 2 churches - the temple of Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Pena de Francia and All Saints. The first one is especially attractive, since there is a very cozy and beautiful small park with fountains in the shape of swans.
The tourist route also includes the Anglican cemetery from 1667, and Casa Abaco, which is a house museum of Canary Islands architecture.
You can have a good rest in Taoro Park by taking a walk through it. In the center of the city is Charco Square, built using black volcanic stone. You can't miss the dilapidated old building called Miranda's House, which today houses a restaurant and souvenir shop.
The most attractive place on the island is Loro Parque. Here tourists will see a variety of animal species. And to view the exceptional and very rare collection of tropical plants, it is worth visiting the Botanical Garden.
City beaches
A distinctive feature of the beaches of this resort is that the sand here is black! And all because the island is of volcanic origin. There are 4 beaches in total:
Playa Martianez is an unequipped and uncrowded beach, suitable for relaxing on the sand. Since the waves here are very strong, you won't be able to swim. However, it is very beautiful and peaceful here.
In the city center is Playa de San Telmo. The area is well equipped, many cafes have been built, you can swim safely. The downside is that it is very inconvenient and small. But the ideal option for a beach holiday is Playa Jardin. The conditions for an ideal pastime are created here, the sand is soft like velvet, you can swim and even dive near the shore.
Lago Martianez is not exactly a beach - it is a complex of artificial lakes filled with ocean water. The territory is well equipped, goes into the ocean, but there is no beautiful and surprisingly soft black sand that tourists love so much.
Cafe in the port city-resort, Tenerife (Spain)
You can’t be in another country and not try the local cuisine. Puerto de la Cruz has many cafes and restaurants that serve exceptionally fresh and delicious food. Establishments of this kind are more aimed at local residents, so the owners do not relax in offering the best to guests.
Prices are affordable, so food won't put a strain on your wallet. Tourists in recommend in their reviews the following establishments:
- Restaurante Rustico (Calle San Telmo, 1);
- La Carta (Calle San Felipe, 53);
- Tapas Arcon (Calle Blanco, 8);
- Valle Luz (Avda. Melchor Luz, 1);
- Meson El Monasterio (Los Realejos, La Montaneta).
Shopping
If your main desire is to go shopping and buy up half the goods in the city, you should choose the period of time from the first day of summer to the end of August, or from January 7 to March 6. The main sales take place in winter and summer. You can find it in stores goods at favorable prices, and by August 31, the cost of many products drops to 80%.
The stores have reasonable prices. Due to the absence of VAT, the cost of goods is significantly lower compared to Russia and mainland Europe. Recommended to visit:
Where to stay?
The main question remains - where to stay in the city when arriving on the island of Tenerife (Spain)? There are several options to choose from, which, according to most tourists, are the best, considering service level and price-quality ratio:
You can also look at a map of hotels to choose the best option depending on your desired location.
Puerto de la Cruz is one of those cities that you should visit at least once in your life!
Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife)
The resort is famous for the fact that it was from here that the tourist life of the island began. Now the flow of vacationers here is noticeably lower than in the southern resorts of Costa Adeje and Las Americas, but more than in many other Tenerife resorts. Entertainment here is limited mainly to visiting restaurants and cafes, walking along the embankment and shopping in small local shops. This resort is not popular among Russian tourists; most vacationers are Europeans, in particular Germans.
Beaches
Due to high waves, beach holidays in Puerto de la Cruz are not as good as in the southern resorts of Tenerife. On most beaches you won’t be able to swim at all, but at the same time, constant waves delight surfers. Tourists prefer to swim in huge artificial seawater pools located on the shore.
Playa de Punta Brava is located in the westernmost part of the resort coast. It is about 200 meters long and covered with black volcanic sand. Swimming is almost always prohibited here. Tourists here only sunbathe, there are few people. There are sun loungers and umbrellas, a toilet, several cafes.
Playa Jardin, covered with black volcanic sand, is the most popular beach destination in the resort. It is located just behind the Punta Brava beach and is separated from it by a rocky area. Along its 400-meter coastline there is a beautiful park area where you can hide from the sun. Tourists here mostly just sunbathe; there are always high waves in the ocean.
Playa de Puerto. Located in the very center of the resort between the beaches of Hardin and San Telmo. Its length is only 50 meters, there are no waves as it is located in a closed bay, but the water is too dirty to swim in. Tourists here only sunbathe.
Playa San Telmo is the best beach for swimming in Puerto de la Cruz. It is located in a closed bay, so the waves here are noticeably smaller, but there are also disadvantages - its length is only 20 meters and it is covered with pebbles.
Playa de Martianez is located in the easternmost part of the resort and has a length of about 400 meters. You can mainly meet only surfers here; there are always big waves on the beach and there is practically no infrastructure.
Puerto de la Cruz Hotels
Several dozen hotels and apartments of different star levels are concentrated in this area of the island. Using our selection, you can easily compare prices for hotels in Puerto de la Cruz among more than 100 booking sites and all tour operators!
The best hotels in Puerto de la Cruz 4-5 stars
Attractions and entertainment
Loro Park (Parrot Park). Considered the best zoo in the Canary Islands, it is one of the main attractions of Tenerife and is recommended for people of all ages.
Swimming pool complex Lago Martianez- a real salvation for those who cannot imagine their holiday without swimming in sea water. The water temperature is controlled, so you can swim in them at any time of the year.
Puerto de la Cruz seafront- a very popular place for romantic walks. It has excellent restaurants.
17th century Castle of San Felipe (Castillo de San Felipe) was built in honor of the city's founder, Philip VI, will not leave architecture lovers indifferent.
Church of Nuestra Senora de la Pena de Francia (Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Pena Francia) is the main religious building of the city. Its construction began in the 17th century and lasted almost 100 years.
Botanical Garden (Jardin de Aclimatacion de la Orotava) will save you from the midday sun and introduce you to local vegetation.
Plaza del Charco is located in the central part of the city. The pedestrian street Calle Quintana departs from it.
Statue of the patron saint of sailors and fishermen, St. Telmo. It is located on San Telmo.
Casino Taoro- the best place in the resort for gambling lovers.
Restaurants, bars and nightlife
Unlike the more popular resorts of Costa Adeje and Las Americas, here you can taste authentic Canarian cuisine. Restaurants serving African and Portuguese dishes, including a wide variety of seafood, are also equally popular. The cuisine is one of the highlights of Puerto de la Cruz. Prices in restaurants largely depend on the establishment. There are both simple cafes where you can eat inexpensively and restaurants with expensive interiors and first-class cuisine, live music and excellent views, where you can plan a romantic evening or celebrate a significant event.
Young people will be bored here; there are no nightclubs or discos here, but there are several bars open at night and a casino.
How to get to Puerto de la Cruz
The resort is located in the northwestern part of Tenerife. You can get here from the airport and most major towns and resorts by bus, but the most convenient option is to rent a car or order a taxi from Tenerife airport to Puerto de la Cruz before departure using this form. This is especially convenient and beneficial if you are eating with children or a group of friends.
When I was little, and it was the 90s, many people had dreams of a cherry nine, a crimson jacket and a trip to the Canary Islands. In our industrial city, planes only flew to Moscow, and they were broken-down carcasses. And I couldn’t understand how it was possible to fly to a distant tropical island, see the ocean, palm trees, because it was so unreal.
But dreams need to be realized, and today we will go to one of the Canary Islands - the island of Tenerife and visit a tourist town Puerto de la Cruz.
is an archipelago of seven islands of volcanic origin, which are located in the Atlantic Ocean 100 km from the northwestern coast of Africa (Morocco and Western Sahara). The islands belong to Spain, so you need a Schengen visa to visit the island. By the way, most people from Russia go on vacation to the island Tenerife. Imagine my surprise when I saw flights to almost all 7 islands at the German airport.
When we were choosing which part of the island to go to, we settled on the town Puerto de la Cruz, because there is more greenery there than in the south, the weather and climate are also milder, there are fewer noisy tourists, and there are more places for walking than in other towns.
On the map we see that the resort Puerto de la Cruz is located in the north of the island of Tenerife, the capital of the Canary Islands is in the east - this is Santa Cruz, and most Russians go on vacation to the southwest of the island on Playa de las Americas or Costa Adeje. There are two airports on the island, one near the capital, Tenerife North, and the other in the south, and most flights to Tenerife land at this airport.
After arrival, we arrived at an all-inclusive hotel called Hotel Blue Sea Interpalace. We had such a beautiful view from the window, and I immediately fell in love with this city and island. Plus I saw the ocean for the first time!
As soon as we left the hotel, an even more beautiful view of the ocean opened up in front of us.
Due to the volcanic origin of the island, the beaches have black sand.
In addition to black sand, there are strong waves on the island, there is an ocean after all! It’s almost impossible to swim, but the waves are so cool, the first blow blew my bandage off, and my swim shorts immediately became clogged with fine sand.
For the convenience of vacationers in the city Puerto de la Cruz made complex Lago Martianez, which was opened in 2007. The complex is made in such a way that it is as if you are relaxing next to the ocean, and not to the pool.
In this huge complex, the pools are filled with sea water (7 pools in total, connected to each other), there are islands, there are cafes on the territory, you can take any sun lounger, take an umbrella and relax.
It’s not called Tenerife for nothing "Island of Eternal Spring", because the air temperature here stays around 20-25 degrees all year round; in winter, however, it can be cooler. We were in Tenerife at the beginning of April, it seemed to be cool, there was a breeze, but you burned instantly, which is not at all surprising - the island lies at the same latitude as the Sahara. You can turn crimson in no time, so always use sunscreen.
More than 2 million people live on the Canary Islands, and almost a million people on Tenerife, so there is very little parking space, so people park bumper to bumper, and when parking they show such miracles of balancing act that you are amazed.
And often you come across such nice parking lots.
As is customary in tourist places, we meet the artist.
The walk along the embankment continues.
And for some reason this part of the embankment reminded me of America in the early 20s, although I was not there.))
And this is how city residents decorate palm trees.
From one of the beaches there is a view of the sky, which is usually hidden in the clouds. This volcano is the highest point in Spain - 3718 m. You can climb the volcano by cable car, and the area around the mountain is a national park. By the way, thanks to the volcano, the island has a specific climate; the hot air that blows from Africa does not penetrate to the north, so the south of the island is drier and there is much less rain there than in the north. At the same time, the volcano traps clouds that come from the north Atlantic Ocean, so most of the rain falls in the north of the island.
And this is an ordinary small park and houses where local residents live.
In the city Puerto de la Cruz there are two large gardens: Jardin Botanico And Parque de la Sortija.
Jardin Botanico is a botanical garden with an entrance fee, the garden was founded by King Carlos III in 1788.
The garden contains 2,500 flowers, trees and other plants brought from the tropics and subtropics.
I really liked the Calla flowers, which are correctly called Whitewing.
By the way, as it turned out, the garden is located in an elite area, where there are such cute houses.
The next park called Parque de la Sortija- a wonderful quiet cozy place where locals run around or just sit and chat on benches. When you enter the park you immediately come to the waterfall.
The park has a pond with lilies and a lot of different palm trees.
Then we come across various images of the Guanches, who were the indigenous population of the islands before the Europeans arrived here. The Guanches engaged in farming, raising livestock, wrote petroglyphs and were exterminated in the 15th century
One of the main attractions of the park is the beautiful view of the city and ocean. True, it was raining and foggy, so we couldn’t enjoy the view...
Many people say that the Canary Islands are boring, but I didn’t get tired of them at all; in addition, I was pleased with the large number of flowers and plants, as well as places for walking.
Well, that's it, the vacation is over, and we are flying home on the brand new Airbus A320 from Air Berlin, I hope to visit the Canary Islands again someday. And soon I will write a couple more stories about the Canary Islands.
The islands of Spain rank among the top tourist destinations due to their fascinating nature and picturesque landscapes. The Canaries are located in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, near the coast of Africa and have unique beaches. Each territory is special in its own way, for example, there are places with palm groves, desert white sands, volcanic black, quiet bays equipped with breakwaters, or with access to the open ocean.
With such variety, vacationers find their own paradise for relaxation. All the islands are united by a special spiritual atmosphere, which is conveyed by the local residents. Hotels and restaurants are very comfortable and well-equipped, but travelers should be prepared for the fact that, unlike Asian service, local residents create a homely atmosphere for vacationers, in which everyone feels like they are on vacation with relatives. Residents of the islands use Spanish when speaking, but in tourist areas you can hear English, German, and other languages.
Note! Thanks to the warm, but at the same time not hot climate, the islands have a very diverse flora. More often there are plants that are green at any time of the year, but there are also rare varieties that grow only on these islands.
Puerto de la Cruz Tenerife is one of the most popular holiday islands. Its infrastructure includes comfortable hotels, restaurants, cafes, entertainment areas and a lot of attractions. Travelers who prefer an active holiday can book an excursion tour around the island or boat trips.
The Sunny Coast is ideal for a holiday
The heart of the island is Lago Martianez
One of the island's most attractive attractions is the Lago Martianez holiday complex. This complex is designed in the form of artificial lakes, with islands and beautiful fountains. There are swimming pools in the park that can be used by tourists who are good swimmers and children. Small pools have been built for children where they can relax. The peculiarity is that all reservoirs are filled with sea water. Vacationers can enjoy sea water at any time of the year, as sometimes there are storms or storms in the ocean that do not allow swimming.
The entertainment complex is one of the most comfortable places to relax
Throughout Lago Martianez there are sun loungers, changing rooms, cafes, restaurants and a variety of entertainment areas. When paying for entry, the ticket includes the use of comfortable sun loungers with soft mattresses. They are located throughout the territory, and everyone can choose the ideal place to relax. For adults there are bars and a casino. On the territory of the complex, there are maintenance personnel who monitor the cleanliness and take care of it.
What experienced travelers recommend visiting Puerto de la Cruz
Jardin beach, which was created by the architect who designed the Lago Martianez holiday complex, is no less popular among tourists. This beach area is covered with black volcanic sand. On the coast you can sit comfortably on sun loungers or find a secluded corner among the stones. Even during the high season, there is enough space for all guests to sit comfortably and enjoy their holiday.
Picturesque beaches of the coast
All tourists who want to see the most beautiful panorama of the island of Puerto de la Cruz de Tenerife can use the observation decks. There are several of them on the island, but the most fascinating of them is Mirador de la Paz. On the outskirts of the observation area there is a local cafe where you can order cold drinks and sit at a table and enjoy the view from above. This attraction is worth visiting in clear weather in order to have maximum visibility and to take beautiful photos of the landscapes.
Note! This beach is considered the most refined and comfortable, as near it there is a park with benches and a cafe where you can have a tasty snack. The waterfall, which is located on this beach, fascinates travelers with its spectacle, and serves as entertaining entertainment for children.
For lovers of the plant world, a must see is the Botanical Garden. It began its existence in 1788 and is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Europe. It contains both local plants and the world's rarest species. Jardin Botanico is located away from the main streets and can be associated with an oasis in which natural silence and coolness reign, even in sunny weather.
View of the evening city from the observation deck
The central square of the island Puerto de la Cruz - Charco, is considered the center of the city, where there are cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops and shops. In the center of the city there is a monument to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who personifies the faith and protection of the local population. Nearby there is a children's playground and benches surrounded by trees. A lot of people gather on the square for a city pastime. Despite the small size of the city, for every tourist, a city map will make it as easy as possible to move around the local streets and eliminate the possibility of missing any attraction.
Spain has always been famous for its special love among tourists for its warmth and cozy atmosphere. A holiday at the Tenerife resort will give every visitor an unforgettable experience. The island of Puerto de la Cruz is a picturesque corner of Europe that ideally embodies both active and beach holidays. On one side the island is washed by the ocean, and on the other it is surrounded by mountains that create magical landscapes. Entertainment on Puerto de la Cruz is so varied that both adults and children will be delighted. The island invites all tourists to its luxurious beaches, sea and hiking along mountain paths.