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The province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
consists of the 4 western Canary Islands:
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, La Palma, El Hierro
and La Gomera. The 3 eastern islands make
up the province of Las Palmas de Gran
Canaria which also include Lanzarote and
Fuerteventura
.JPG) Tenerife,
the biggest island attracts the most tourists.
It is located in the middle of the 7 islands,
1,300 kms from the Spanish peninsula and
300kms from Africa. The island is triangular
and covers 2,034 Km2. Mount Teide, 3,718mts
above seal level, is Spain's highest mountain
and is the third highest volcanoe in the
world. It is located on this island within
the Teide National Park.
You can reach Tenerife either by boat
or plane if you are travelling from Spain.
There are 2 airports in Santa Cruz de
Tenerife. One is called Tenerife sur
Reina Sofía and is in Granadilla
de Abona, 64 Km away from Santa Cruz and
the other is Tenerife norte Los Rodeos
located in La Laguna just 13 Kms away
from the capital. On La Palma and El Hierro
the only flights that operate are to Santa
Cruz de Tenerife. The only way to get
to La Gomera is by car ferry which takes
an hour or by hovercraft which takes 40
minutes. All the islands have good roads
so it is easy to explore them by car or
on a organized coach trip.
.JPG) The
history of Tenerife
Tenerife is a volcanic island. From Neolothic
times it was inhabited by the'guanches'.
The kingdom of Anaga, governed by
Mencey Beneharo ruled Tenerife. The prehispanic
period lasted until 1494 when the 'castellanos'
tried to conquer the island. This
did not happen until 1496 when the island
became part of the Kingdom of Castilla.
From the 15th century onwards society
on the islands was made up of Spanish
soldiers, sailors, merchants and the 'guanches'.
This is when many of the islands' fortresses
and castles were built in order to defend
the island from attack.
Santa Cruz grew around San Cristóbal
castle. Santa Cruz de Tenerife officially
became a town in 1803 following a Royal
decree by king Carlos IV, granting it
independance from La Laguna (then the
capital of Tenerife ).
.JPG) Santa
Cruz de Tenerife
Santa Cruz is located in the eastern
part of Tenerife. It has 58 kms of coastline.
It has a very mild climate without much
change in the temperature between day
and night. The average temperature is
22ºC all year round.
Places to visit in Santa Cruz de Tenerife:
On foot: The centre of the city
where people gather to meet is la Plaza
de España, near the port. The De
calle del Castillo leaving the square
is the most important street in the city.
It also connects the Plaza Wheiler to
the Plaza de la Candelaria. The streets
calle del Pilar and calle San José
are full of shops. The area around the
port is very pleasant. Almost every area
in the city has its own park. Another
important area is the Plaza de Principe
de Asturias, Plaza de los Patos and calle
de la Noria, (the Iglesia de la Concepción
is located at the end of this street).
Palaces and Castles in Santa Cruz de
Tenerife:
- Palacio de Carta: 18th century
- a national monument .
- Palacio Martí Dehesa
(Paza de los Patos): Modernist style
- this was the former Government Headquarters
of the Canary Islands.
Cathedrals and Churches in Santa Cruz
de Tenerife:
- Iglesia de la Concepción
(Pl. de la Iglesia, s/n): This Baroque
church dates back to 1502. It was reformed
in the 17th and 18th centuries. Things
to look out for: the Gothic Virgen
de la Consolación, the 17th
century Cristo del Buen Viaje
and the Genoese baptismal font.
- Iglesia de San Francisco (Pl.
de San Francisco, 1): This was built
in the 17th and 18th centuries in a
Baroque style. Things to look out for
are the Baroque altarpiece, the columns
and the portico.
- Iglesia del Pilar (c/ del Pilar):
18th century. Things to look out for:
the Baroque altarpiece and the statue
of the Virgen de las Angustias.
- Ermita de San Telmo: 15th century.
Sponsored by the Seafarers Guild. Things
to look out for: the Mudejar panelling,
the Renaissance alterpiece, the black
stone facade.
- Ermita de la Virgen de Regla:
17th century. Dedicated to the Virgen
de Guadalupe and the Virgen de
Regla.
Museums in Santa Cruz de Tenerife:
- Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre
(c/ Fuente Morales, s/n, in Santa
Cruz de Tenerife, Tel: 922 535 816):
This is located in a building which
used to be the civil hospital. The building
is Neoclassic and was designed by the
architect Oráa. This museum looks
at the origins of the Canary Islands
and the history of the nature found
on the islands. In the museum you can
see the history of its geology, its
volcanos, its ecosystems, its meteorology,
marine biology and archeology all in
a didactic exhibiton.
- Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes
(c/José Murphy, 12, en Santa
Cruz de T., Tel: 922 24 43 58): This
has paintings from the 17th, 18th and
19th centuries from the Canary Islands
as well as national artists too; There
are also some sculptures and other objects
on display.
- Museo Militar Regional de Canarias
(c/ San Isidro, 1, en Castillo de Almeida,
Tel: 922 843 500): Since 1988 this museum
has been housed in the Almeida castle,
in a very pretty setting. It has maps,
uniforms, antique arms, oil paintings
and watercolours showing scenes from
military life. Perhaps most interesting
is the cannon that blew the arm off
Admiral Nelson in 1797 and the flag
from the battle that took place here.
- El Tanque: This is an old petrol
deposit that has been used as an exhibition
centre since 1997. It is also used for
conferences, concerts and other cultural
events.
Important Buildings in Santa Cruz
de Tenerife:
- The Town Hall (c/ Vieira y
Clavija): This is located in
a Modernist palace which is also known
as the Palacio de los Dragos,
due to the 2 drago trees that are on
each side of its main entrance. It has
been used as the Town Hall since 1916.
- Mercado de Nuestra Señora
de Africa: This is a food market
full of products from the Canary Islands
- El Auditorio: Located on the
Cabo de Llanos and designed by
the architect Santiago Calatrava, in
2003. This auditorium has a capacity
of up to 1,600 people, it also has conference
facilities with a capacity of 428).
- Modernist buildings in Santa
Cruz: There are quite a few Modernist
buildings in Santa Cruz located around
the Plaza de los Patos. These are the
Town Hall, the Bank of Spain, the Martí
Dehesa Mansion and the former headquarters
of the Canary Islands government.
- Círculo de Amistad XII de
Enero: This is a cultural society
which is housed in one of the most beautiful
colonial buildings in Santa Cruz.
- Teatro Guimerá: This
was built by the architect Manuel de
Oraá in 1848. It was opened on
25th July in 1851. It is the most important
theatre in the city.
 Parks
and Gardens in Santa Cruz de Tenerife:
- Parque Municipal García
Sanabria: Botanic gardens built
in 1926 set within an area covering
55,000 m2. You can see examples of all
types of vegetation found on the Canary
Islands as well as some sculptures from
the Modern art exhibition that was held
here in 1974.
- Parque de la Granja: Entrance
on the Avenida de Madrid or Avenida
de Benito Pérez Galdós.
Built in 1969. This park is slightly
larger than the Municipal park. Very
popular with families (there is a playground
for children) and you can always see
a lot of people doing sports here.
- Parque Secundino Delgado: Located
in the neighbourhood 'Barrio de Salamanca'.
- Parque de Ofra.
Squares in Santa Cruz de Tenerife:
- Plaza de España: This
is a meeting place in the centre of
the city.
- Plaza de la Candelaria: This
is the oldest square in the city. It
has a Neoclassic monument called the
"Triunfo de la Candelaria"
- Plaza de los Patos: This conmemorates
the 25th July 1797 when the city beat
off Admiral Nelson in his attempt to
occupy the island.
Monuments:
- La Candelaría (Pl. del
Pilar): The virgen de la Candelaria
is the patron of the Canary Islands
and this monument which shows the virgin
surrounded by the gaunches - it is always
surrounded by flowers.
Shopping and typical products from
Tenerife:
The best shopping area in Santa Cruz
de Tenerife is around the Plaza de España,
Plaza del Castillo, Calle del Pilar and
Calle de San José.
Tenerife: Typical products
to buy are palmero and
habana cigars, wines and liquers from
the island.
La Palma: Cigars and fabrics.
La Gomera: Cigars, fabrics,
honey from Palma, rum, wines, cheese and
wood carvings
El Hierro: Wood carvings,
cold meats especially smoked chorizo,
cheese cake an different types of jam.
Fiestas in Tenerife:
Carnival: These are the best known
fiestas in Tenerife and La Palma. They
take place every year to mark the beginning
of lent. They are almost as good as the
Carnival in Río de Janeiro in Brazil.
It takes all year to prepare the costumes
for the processions. They take place at
the end of February or beginning of March
every year and people travel to the island
from all over the world to experience
this colourful street party.
Corpus Christi: These fiestas take
place in May or June in La Orotava, flowers
and figures made of sand cover the the
town hall square.
Virgen de la Candelaria: The patron
saint of the Canary Islands. Celebrations
take place on 2nd February every year
when there is a procession to the Basilica
in Candelaria.
Virgen de los Remedios: The patron
saint of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, celebrations
take place every year on 15th August.
Fiesta del Gran Poder y de la Virgen
del Carmen: Processions with a statue
of the Virgin del Carmen take place in
the fishermen's neighbourhood and at the
same time a procession with the Cristo
del Gran Poder goes through the elegant
streets around the port. Both processions
meet in the port and return together to
their churches. This year celebrations
take place on 17th July.
Fiesta de San Juan: 24th June,
these fiestas take place in Puerto de
la Cruz, on Playa Charcón and Playa
del Muelle, goat shepherds celebrate the
summer solstice by handing out cheese
and milk.
Fiesta de San Andrés also
known as los cacharros or la Castaña:
29th November, in el Puerto de la Cruz.
People meet in the Plaza del Charco where
they throw things, eat chestnuts, ' corn
and sweet potatoes and drink wine.
Fiesta Fundacionales: 3rd May,
in Puerto de la Cruz. A mass and procession
take place to celebrate these fiestas.
Bajada de la Virgen de las Nieves:
This fiesta takes place every 5 years,
the next one will be in 2010 when a statue
of the 'virgin' is brought down from the
mountain to Santa Cruz.
Places to visit on
the island of Tenerife:
- La Laguna: A
world heritage centre since 1999, this
is the second most important city on
the island after Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
It used to be the capital of the island.
It became a city in 1500 and its layout
has remained unchanged since then. It
has 1,600 Mudejar buildings. It is also
a colonial city, containing a mixture
of European and American styles. It
has the only university on the island.
Fantastic scenery especially the Anaga
mountains and views from the Pico del
Inglés and La Cruz del Carmen
- Ntra. Sra. de los Remedios
Cathedral (Plaza de
Fray Albino): This is a church from
the 16th century which became a
cathedral in 1919. In 1983 it was
given special cultural status. Things
to look out for are the altar, the
pulpit and paintings by Luján
Pérez, Cristóbal Hernández
de Quintana and Fernando Estévez.
- The Town Hall: Located
in a building dating back to 1546
by Juan Nepomuceno. The meeting
chambers were refurbished in 1888
by Rafael de Oráa.
- Casa del Corregidor: This
is the oldest building in the city
dating back to the 16th century.
It
 used
to be the town council.
- Ermita de San Miguel:
This is a small chapel located in
the Plaza del Adelantado. It was
built in 1506 by Fernandez de Lugo.
Given special cultural status in
1986 (see photo).
- Monasterio de Santa Catalina
de Siena: Also located in
the Plaza del Adelantado, built
in the 17th century and home to
Fernando del Lugo. It has some very
valuable and interesting furniture
inside. Also given special cultural
status in 1986.
- Palacio de Nava:
Plaza del Adelantado, built in 1776
by Tomás de Nava Grimón
and Porlier, the 5th Marquess of
Villanueva del Prado, (creator of
the Botanic Gardens in La Orotava).
It consists of various styles: Mannerist,
Baroque y Neoclassic. Given special
cultural status in 1976.
- The Anaga Rural park: The
park covers a mountain range. it is
striking because it is very green
with a lot of vegetation. You can
go on very pleasant mountain walks
here along some marked tracks. Located
between La Laguna and Santa Cruz.
This is where the Pico del Inglés
and La Cruz del Carmen viewing points
are.The Monte de las Mercedes and
Tejina, el Valle Guerra and Tacoronte
are also very pretty.
- Puerto de la Cruz:
Located in the Orotava valley
37 kms from Santa Cruz de Tenerife,
in the north of the island. This is
a pretty, cosmopolitan city. It attracts
a lot of tourists. English tourists
started visiting this city towards the
end of the 19th century. The best place
to start exploring the city is from
the Plaza del Charco (a
meeting point in the city) and the fishing
port. Things to see:
- Castillo de San Felipe
17th century, built to defend the
city.
- la Iglesia de Ntra. Sra.
de la Peña de Francia
built in 1697.
- Ermita de San Telmo built
in 1870.
- Plaza de San Telmo.
- la Ranilla, de la Paz and
de San Amaro neighbourhoods.
Places to visit near Puerto
de la Cruz: Garachico,
a coastal village, located just 10 Kms
away; the Botanic Gardens; aleisure area
designed by Cesár Manrique;
Complejo Lago Martianez, a leisure
complex with swimming pools, gardens,
restaurants, the Casino de Puerto
de la Cruz and beaches - Playa
del Charcón, Playa del Castillo
and la Playa de Punta Brava; Loro Parque
- a zoo specializing in parrots.
- Los Cristianos:
This is a touristic city
with a very pleasant climate in the
south of the island. It has a fishing
port and beaches with golden sand which
attract a lot of tourists. Beaches:
la playa de Las Caletillas, El
Camisóny and the most well
known la Playa de las Américas
where there are a lot of large hotels.
Car ferries and hovercraft to La Gomera
and El Hierro leave from here.
- Costa Adeje: The
Adeje coastline starts from the Playa
de las Américas. From here
you can visit: Playa del Duque,
Fañabé, Torviscas, San
Eugenio, all of which have large hotels
and good beaches. You can go on boat
trips from the Colón marina.
You can also visit the Tropical
Gardens (Jardín Tropical de
las Rocas).
- Iglesia de Santa Ursula: Dates
back to the beginning of the 16th
century. Colonial and Baroque styles.
Things to look out for are the Mudejar
panels in the chapel, the French 17th
century tapestries from the Royal
Gobelino workshops in Paris, a German
17th century statue of Santa Úrsula;
a statue of San Juan Bautista.
- Casa Fuerte: Built
in 1556 by Pedro de Ponte. It belonged
to the Marquess of Adeje and the Count
of la Gomera.
- Candelaria: This
is a coastal village located 15 kms
from Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The Basilica
of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria
(patron saint of the Canary Islands)
is located in the village square where
thousands of pilgrims gather on the
2nd February.
- Basílica de la Candelaria:
14th century Neoclassic. This is
a statue of a black virgin found
by the guanches in el Mencey Acayno,
a cave it was then taken to another
cave by the sea called Mencey Achbinico
where it stayed until the 2nd February
1526 when it was taken to the Basilica.
In 1826 it was washed away by a
wave and the Dominican monks produced
a replica which is still on display
today.
- La Orotava: Orotava
valley (Valle de la Orotava) in Tenerife
province. It comprises of several villages
among which is La Villa de la
Orotava, declared a historic
and artistic centre in 1976. It is next
to Puerto de la Cruz, on the coast.
The valley has impressive vegetation,
it is very fertile and consists of many
different areas: mountains, glens, a
camp site. The area called 'el Rincón'
has a very rich landscape and 3 pretty
beaches: El Bollullo, Los Patos and
El Ancón.
There are various interesting buildings
to look out for in La Villa de
la Orotava:
- the Cementery
built in a Norman style in 1823
by Fernando Estevez.
- Iglesia de la Concepción,
built upon a 15th century chapel.
Baroque, 1788.
- Villa de los Molina:
this is a mansion built in 1590,
the oldest in the town.
- La Casa de los Balcones:
1672
- Various 17th and 18th century
palaces and mansions.
- Parque Nacional
de las Cañadas del Teide: Located
in the Orotava valley (Valle de la Orotava),
in las Cañadas in a volcanic
16 km wide crater. There is just one
road that crosses it which goes as far
as Teide. It goes past the Las Cañadas
National, the cable car station and
the visitor centre.
Mount Teide is the highest peak in Spain
at 3,718 mts. above sea level. It is
an active volcano which has been dormant
for many years. The cable car takes
you within 100 metres of the peak. You
can climb the rest on foot.
Las Cañadas peak is 3,414 metres
above sea level and is an active volcano.
The visitors centre has information
on the origins of the park, its vegetation,
types of rocks, lava...
There are 2 viewing points.
In las Cañadas the Roques
de García are strange
rock formations made from lava, they
are very brightly coloured due to their
copper content. There are also some
unusual flowers too due to the lava,
ash and rocks they grow out of.
From Tenerife you can
visit the other islands in the province:
- La Gomera: This
is the most mountinous island, with
lots of vegetation. There are a lot
of valleys too. It is possible to explore
the island on foot if you have enough
time. Another option is to go by bus
or car. La Gomera is 40 minutes from
Los Cristianos, Tenerife by hovercraft
and 90 mins by car ferry from Santa
Cruz.
Things to see:
- The Garajonay National Park
(world heritage centre)
- San Sebatián:
This is the most important village
on the island. Colón stopped
here before crossing the atlantic.
- Some good beaches: Santiago, Las
Rosas, Valle Gran Rey.
- El Hierro: This
is the smallest of the Canary Islands.
It doesn't have many beaches and so
is the least touristic. The capital
is Valverde which is located in the
interior surrounded by pine forests
and interesting vegetation. It is a
charming small town with steep winding
streets.
Things to see:
- La Ermita de los Reyes,
an ancient chapel located in the
south
- The fishing port La Restinga:
there is a diving centre.
- La Palma: This
is the most northern of the Canary Islands.
It is very green with a lot of vegetation
due to its humid, cool climate. Its
mountains are covered in pine forests
and giant ferns.
Things to see:
- La Caldera de Taburiente
National Park: It has an
8 km wide crater. A very rich landscape
and spectacular plants. You can
also visit 2 dormant volcanic craters:
La Cumbrecita and Los Muchachos.
- Santa Cruz de la Palma:
This is the capital. It is a fishing
village with some very pretty typical
houses dating back to the 16th century.
Things to see: Iglesia del Salvador,
with a very pretty Mudejar panelled
ceiling; the Town Hall; the Plaza
de la Alameda, in which you can
find a copy of the 'Carabela
Santa María'.
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Gastronomy in Tenerife:
Gastronomy from the Canary Islands has
been greatly influenced by guanche, Spanish,
African and American cultures. It is very
common to eat gofio, which was
originally guanche, it is a type of bread
made from toasted, ground cereals. It
is also based on lots of fresh vegetables
and fruit like: bananas, mangos, papaya,
avocados...Also well known for its fresh
fish and seafood dishes: makerel, sardines
... As far as meat is concerned there
are a lot of dishes based on pork and
goat accompanied by sweet potatoes. There
are many different types of potatoes to
try and they are usually accompanied by
green sauce made with coriander or red
sauce which contains paprika. Fresh goat's
cheese and different types of cured cheeses
as well as a special cheese from Palma
'queso palmero' are all very good.
Many different desserts too.
Typical dishes from Tenerife:
Papas arrugas con mojo picón
(sweet potatoes with paprika sauce); chickpeas,
sweet black pudding, el Puchero (like
a stew but with pumpkin, carrot, cauliflower
and sweet potato), la Sama frita con mojo
(a type of fish).
Deserts: apart from fruit, there are some
very rich desserts like la Leche asada,
los Bienmesabe, los Huevos moles.
It's very common to have honey from la
Palma sprinkled over the dessert.
Wines and liquers deserve a special mention.
There are some very good quality rums,
especially rum with honey, banana liquer
(it used to be called Malvasía),
both white and red wines with D.O. Tacoronte-Acentejo
in Tenerife are good.
 Restaurants
in Tenerife:
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife city restaurant
guide: Restaurante Café
del Príncipe (Pl. del
Principe de Asturias, Tel: 922 27 88
10): regional cuisne; Restaurante
El Coto de Antonio (c/ General
Goded, 13, Tel.: 922 27 21 05): excellent
regional cuisine; Restaurante
Los Menceyes (in Hotel Mencey,
c/ Dr. José Naveiras, 38, Tel:
922 609 900): internacional cuisine
and creative regional cuisine;
Restaurante Los 4 Postes (c/
Emilio Calzadilla, 5, Tel: 922 287 394):
castellana cuisine, excellent roasts.
The best restaurants in the province:
Rest. El Patio, Hotel
Jardín Tropical (c/ Gran Bretaña,
s/n, Urbanización San Eugenio,
Playa de las Américas (Adeje
coast) Tel: 922 746 000): Good modern
and creative cuisne; Rest. Magnolia
Felipe "El Payés"
(Av. Marqués de Villamnueva del
Prado, en Puerto de la Cruz, Tel: 922
385 614): Good Catalan cuisine; Rest.
Mi vaca y yo (c/Cruz Verde,
3, en Puerto de la Cruz, Tel: 922 38
52 47): Good for rice and seafood; Rest.
El Duende (c/ La Higuerita,
41, en Puerto de la Cruz, Tel: 922 37
45 17): Modern, innovative cuisine;
Rest. Los Corales (Ctra.
General del Norte, 130, en Santa Ursula,
en La Orotava, (Tel: 922 30 19 18):
regional cuisne with a touch of creativity;
Rest. El Pincipito (c/
Santo Domingo, 26, en La Laguna, Tel:
922 63 39 16: creative cuisine; Rest.
Los Limoneros (Ctra. General
del Norte, 15'5, en los Naranjeros,
en Tacaronte, Tel: 922 63 66 37): classic
cuisine; Rest. El Dragó,
Urbanización San Gonzalo, 1,
en Tegueste, Tel: 922 54 30 01: creative
and very good typical cuisine from the
canary Islands.
- El Hierro: Rest. El Mirador
de la Peña (Ctra. General
del Norte, 40, in Guarazoca, Tel: 922
55 03 00): This restaurant was designed
by César Manrique, it has special
cultural status. Acceptable regional
cuisine; Rest. Casa Juan
(c/ Juan Gutierrez Monteverde, 23, in
la Restinga, 23 Kms from Valverde -
Tel: 922 55 71 02): This restaurant
specializes in fresh fish and seafood,
simple but very tastey dishes.
- La Gomera: Rest. El Palmarejo
(Ctra.General de Arure, s/n, in El Palmarejo,
en Valle del Gran Rey, 45 Kms from San
Sebastián, Tel: 922 805 868):
Located in the Mirador, good local cuisine;
Rest. Marqués de Oristano
(c/ Real, 24, San Sebastián de
La Gomera, Tel: 922 87 29 09): Modern,
regional cuisine.
- La Palma: Rest. Chipi Chipi
(c/ Juan Mayor, 42, in Santa Cruz de
La Palma, Tel: 922 41 19 24). Local
cuisine- barbecued meats
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