Things to see and do Tenerife

In the west of the city you will find Playa Jardin. These black sandy beaches have, like Lago Martianez, been renovated by artist César Manrique. It has enriched this area of gardens, as its name indicates, dykes, bars, restaurants and leisure areas. Three new beaches were thought of: Playa del Charcón, Playa del Castillo and the Playa de Punta Brava.

A few kilometres northeast of Puerto de la Cruz, you will find two beautiful beaches: Playa de los Patos (frequented by the nudist) and Playa del Bollullo, both located in El Rincon, on La Orotava commune. Guagua No. 376 will lead you to these huge black sandy beaches. You will have to walk a little to access it.

The historic center has been declared a World Heritage Site and is one of the most characteristic examples of this type of urban structure. It maintains intact its grid pattern that was developed in Latin America during the colonization process. Don't hesitate to take a walk around the streets of La Laguna, as there are many places to admire.

The streets of the historic center. In La Laguna you will be able to appreciate the architecture of its historical buildings, which are full of beauty with their wooden balconies in bow windows or in this style. They are home to museums of all kinds, restaurants, stores, and more. Often hidden inside are beautiful open-air gardens with round balconies on the upper floor: a marvel. The historic streets and alleys are pedestrianized, and are either quiet or lively depending on the time of day. Architectural jewels with beautiful churches, numerous palaces, and Canarian houses in the Spanish colonial style, from the 16th to the 18th century. Do not hesitate to enter to discover flowered patios and their shaded wooden galleries.

Must-see. The Palacio de Nava, on the Plaza del Adelantado, is baroque in style, recognizable among all with its long wooden balcony. On another corner of the square, we will visit the town hall(ayuntamiento). From the Plaza del Adelantado, we will take a tour of the old town through the streets Herradores, de la Viana, Obispo Rey Redondo, where the tourist office is located in the Casa Bragamonte.

The Laguna history. It is the seat of the Episcopate of Tenerife and the other three western islands. It is richly endowed with churches. Between the town hall and the palace of Nava, we can see the convent of Santa Catalina de Siena and, opposite, the hermitage of San Miguel. Via Calle Santo Domingo, we arrive at the church of the same patron saint, the Church of Santo Domingo, which dates from the 16th and 17th centuries. The Santa Iglesia Cathedral is located west of the Plaza del Adelantado, following Calle Obispo Rey Redondo or Calle Deán Palahi. Much more beautiful is the church of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, which is reached by continuing on Calle Obispo Rey Redondo. Returning eastward along Calle San Agustín, we will have a look at the old Augustinian convent. If we take a detour to the north of the old city, we can also visit the Royal Sanctuary of San Miguel de las Victorias.

Founded at the beginning of the 16th century by the conquistadores, it is a pretty, quiet village with cobbled streets whose historic centre, casco antiguo , has remained practically unchanged since its creation. This is why it has been declared a monument of historical and artistic interest in its entirety. A stroll will allow you to enjoy the beautiful French gardens "Jardines del Marquesado de la Quinta Roja", wonderfully maintained, its botanical garden, flowered squares, and beautiful Castilian mansions. By pushing the heavy wooden doors, you will discover beautiful civil or religious buildings, as well as houses with balconies from the 17th and 18th centuries. You will see beautiful facades on the carretera del Escultor Estévez and a 16th century house on the plaza del Ayuntamiento. In the Plaza San Francisco and in Calle del Dr. González Garcia, the gofio mills date back to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. To obtain this staple food inherited from the Guanches, today's Canary Islanders still grind corn, barley or wheat. Some of the mills are still in operation, but are now powered by electricity rather than water. The Town Hall, located in the Plaza Ayuntamiento, is a neoclassical building from the late 19th century. Behind the Church of the Concepción, Calle Colegio, which becomes Calle San Francisco, is a small, sloping alleyway that concentrates a string of superb Canarian mansions with facades adorned with richly sculpted balconies.

Dating from the 17th century, the Casa de los Monteverde was the cradle of the Orotava's identity in the mid-19th century with its flower carpets at the time of Corpus Christi and its late Renaissance-style entrance. In 1864, it was the home of the infante Henri de Bourbon, the first member of the royal family to visit the Canary Islands. Also from the XVII century, the splendid house of the Lercaro family, is its neighbour. You will be able to taste pastries and buy decoration items.

This palace was the residence of the counts of Valle de Salazar who requested its construction of it in 1664. The façade, a baroque work of Juan González of Castro Illada, was built by the in 1681 stonemasons Juan Lizcano and Andrés Rodríguez Bello, it is one of the most beautiful Canarian architecture with simple and wholesome lines. The complex is built around a courtyard whose columns support galleries. Before becoming the seat of the bishopric of La Laguna in the 19th century, this palace housed the casino El Porvenir and it is on the piano of this club that Teobaldo Power composed most of its famous Cantos Canarios. In January 2006, the palace was destroyed by a fire that reduced part of this artistic heritage in a lot of ashes.

Communities of humpback dolphins and small pilot whales live off Los Gigantes. While these species were originally migratory, they are now sedentary and can be observed. At a depth of more than 30 metres, the sea bed full of fish is also a delight for divers. To swim, we will finally take advantage of the Arena Beach, a small cove of black sand, pleasantly landscaped with palm trees, a little suffocated by the constructions.

Founded in the 17th century, it currently houses the municipal library. Its beautiful interior courtyard lined with wooden balconies and the neoclassical style sculpture of Poseidon who presides over it are remarkable. Old kitchen utensils and photographs can be seen. The church of Santa Ana, built in the 16th century, was rebuilt after the eruption. It houses the image of the merciful Jesus from Mexico and the 17th century marble baptismal font.

This viewpoint offers a spectacular view of the valley of La Orotava and Teide. The landscape, which opens in front of the traveller from the east and extends up to 3 700 m, is particularly beautiful in the morning, when the volcano is in sunlight. The clouds of the trade winds make the landscape blurred. From there, we admire the extensive banana plantations in a vast circus, probably due to a huge landslide, similar to the one that formed El Golfo Bay on the island of El Hierro. This lookout bears the name of Alexander von Humboldt, the geographer and German naturalist who, in 1799, wrote enthusiastically: " I saw hot areas where nature is more majestic, and its richer forms, but, after wandering along the banks of the Orinoco, cordilleras of Peru, beautiful valleys of Mexico, I confess that I never met, in any part of the world, a more varied, more attractive, and more harmonious view of the disposition of rocks and green spots. " Today, La Orotava Valley has lost a bit of its charm, invaded by urbanization in the th century, but nature still offers a beautiful panorama.

Dating from the 17th century, this church was the church of the convent of Our Lady of Gracia, of the Augustinian order. The ensemble is baroque in style. The church has three naves, a large chapel with a representation of Our Lady of Gracia, a 17th century Portuguese sculpture, and two side chapels. There are also a few beautifully done paintings. Expropriated in the 19th century, the convent now houses the Maison de la Culture.

Excursions with a guide to Tenerife and La Gomera. This company has 20 cars and organizes towers on the island on Wednesday and Friday.

Visit of a colonial house of the th century. The visit applies mainly to the house, its structure and its gardens. The furniture is recent and the rooms have been replaced by lounges. In the evening, the place is transformed into a chic piano bar.

It organizes different walks around 4 h such as the road of volcanoes, Chamoza and the coast of Anaga, Masca and Los Gigantes, La Vallée valley…

Its origins date back to 1608, when a small hermitage was built on some land donated by the second lieutenant Francisco de Valcarcel. Of this construction only the rear façade survives, which was built around 1728 according to the religious architecture of the Canary Islands. The largest chapel is dominated by a neoclassical tabernacle from 1787. Note the sculptures of Christ attached to the column and that of Our Lady of the Remedies, by the Sevillian Pedro Roldán, dating from the 17th century, and the Virgen de la Gloria by Luján Pérez.

In this natural garden you will discover exotic plants from the Canary Islands and examples of island fauna. A beautiful botanical park and faunistique with slug rides. You can also enjoy typical Canarian gourmet products and wines from the region.