06 July 2010
Posted in Tenerife

Puerto de la Cruz is the number one tourist destination in the north of Tenerife, providing numerous hotels which serve the holiday industry. The city has a reputation of being very upmarket and sophisticated and is very popular with Spanish tourists from mainland Spain and also the older generation of the European community, due to its traditional Canarian character. It was originally developed for the wealthy town of La Orotava, to allow the exportation of sugar and wine to the new world.

Today the harbour remains as a thriving centre of activity, with its many brightly coloured fishing boats and its abundance of food stalls which line the sides of the harbour, selling its wonderful canarian fayre and filling the air with the most succulent aromas of sizzling paellas and freshly cooked fish.

The location of Puerto de la Cruz, at the very foot of the La Oratava valley on the north western coast of Tenerife, allows it to receive more sunshine and less rainfall than the surrounding areas. Still it does receive enough rainfall to sustain its lush vegetation, thus providing the town with an array of gardens and a sub-tropical general appearance. The beautiful greenery and agreeable atmosphere is a special feature of this city. Take a stroll in the evening around the lively area of Plaza del Charco, or try one of the many fine open air restaurants on the promenade.

Puerto de la Cruz also has a large number of historical buildings, unlike the purpose built tourist resorts in the south, teaming with natural history dating back hundreds of years. One of the main attractions of the city is the Lago Martinez, or Lido - a series of large seawater swimming pools set on the seafront in the heart of the city. It is a fantastic spot to top up the tan in a beautiful and relaxing subtropical atmosphere.

Besides the Lago, Puerto del la Cruz has a number of volcanic sand beaches, the most popular ones being Playa Jardin and Playa Martinez. On the outskirts’ of the city you have the famous Botanical Gardens. They were founded in 1788 and house one of the most varied array of plants and tree life from all over the world. The city is also home to Tenerife’s number one tourist attraction - the world famous Loro Parque. These are wonderfully maintained subtropical gardens, but also home to the biggest collection of parrots in the world. With a dolphinarium, killer whales, sea lions and much more, this park really is a must-see adventure.

The city of Puerto de la Cruz is also packed with supermarkets and grocery stores, making daily shopping easy, but also the city centre is packed with fine designer shops and boutiques, jewellery stores, lingerie and sportswear outlets - all selling their wares at a considerably less than back home.

If you would appreciate a break from the hot and dry southern tourist resorts, and wish to take in some different history and culture, then a visit to sample the offerings of Puerto de la Cruz would be ideal.

Images of Puerto de la Cruz

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