Puerto de la Cruz Holidays

Puerto de la Cruz is the grande dame of Tenerife tourism.

For some Victorians it was the spa destination of choice towards the end of the 19th century. And although its close proximity to Mount Teide does have a slightly detrimental effect on the climate when compared to the south of the island – it’s important to manage your expectations if cloudless blue skies each and every day of your holiday are important to you – it also has the benefit of having safeguarded a traditional ambience in this resort. It feels considerably more Canarian than the pan-European feeling of some of Tenerife’s other resorts.

As the beaches can’t compare with those of the south, a couple of architect designed lidos were commissioned; a pretty sub-tropical park backs the volcanic sand beach at Playa de Jardin and there’s Cesar Manrique’s aquatic vision at Lido Martianez: waterfalls, fountains, wooden foot-bridges, sun terraces, swimming pools and a vast artificial salt-water lake.

The town centre has many handsome buildings surrounding leafy squares which afford opportunities to dine very well in colonial style restaurants.

Some of the buildings in the older part of town date back more than 400 years, and the narrow cobbled streets teem with fisherman’s cottages in brightly coloured hues.

The Botanical Gardens in nearby La Paz feature huge lily ponds, ancient trees and giant plants and Loro Parque has a variety of sealife and wildlife on display.