Puerto de la Cruz travel information and video

Puerto de la Cruz  

Puerto de la Cruz is the main tourist resort situated in the Northern region of Tenerife; it’s also the longest established and unlike many newly developed towns, Puerto de la Cruz is an old working town, where you can eat, drink and converse with the locals. The resort is a mix of cosmopolitan city with old colonial charm. 

History
Puerto de la Cruz was originally developed as a port for the nearby and wealthy town of La Orotava,where it exported produce such as sugar and wine to the New World. Today the harbour is still a central part of local business for the cities economy. 

Places to visit
The town is home to some of the greatest attractions on the island, including the great Lago Martianez, which is a lido/swimming pool complex designed by renowned international artist Cesar Manrique. 

The Parque Loro (ParrotPark), Banaera El Guanche (Banana Plantation and Gardens) and the Jardin Botanico (Botanical Gardens, which date from 1788 and are home to tree and plant species from five continents, are all excellent visits if you want to get away from the beach and enjoy some of the local attractions. 

Around town
In Puerto de la Cruz modern structures coexist with the old colonial style architecture of the original fisherman’s town. Along the harbour food stalls line the walls, cooking delicious Canarian specialities and giant paellas. 

This sophisticated holiday destination boasts many fine restaurants, good shopping options, and some charming plazas where you can sit and watch the world go by.

In the Plaza de Iglesias (Church Square) you find the main church of Puerto de la Cruz, L aIglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia. Dating back to the 17th century it boasts one of the most beautiful church interiors on the island. 

Golf
Five minutes outside of the city is the La Rosaleda Campo de Golf, a charming nine hole course, set amongst a banana plantation with views to Mount Teide.

Eating out
The choice of restaurants in Puerto de la Cruz is endless, there are over 300 establishments serving typical Canarian cuisine, to delicacies from every corner of the earth. 

Head to the old Fishing Quarter known as La Ranilla, which is the heart of the restaurant district. Here the narrow cobbled streets are home to the best seafood and Canarian restaurants. 

There are also some delicious vegetarian and organic options in the town, plus some elegant haute cuisine restaurants if you want to splash out and enjoy a meal in style. 

Cuisine
The cuisine of Lanzarote effortlessly combines typical Spanish dishes with African and Latin American influences. The Spanish tradition of tapas is popular, as are other mainland imported dishes, however, the island does have its very own distinct style of cooking. 

Meat tends to feature prominently on most menus, much of which is imported from South America, asthere is very little cattle rearing on the island. 

Speciality desserts include the wonderful ‘Bienmesabe’, translated means “It tastes good to me”, and is a mix of honey, almond cream, eggs and rum. Frangollas is a corn based milk pudding with cinnamon, honey and brandy, or Las Torrijas, which are sweet maize fritters with honey and aniseed. Lots of calories, but worth every one!

The local goats cheese, is especially delicious and is made into different varieties, as with most cheese, including harder yellow examples or crumbly white ones. 

The local wines are produced from grapes cultivated on the volcanic grounds and are delicious accompaniments to your meal. 

Climate
The Canary Islands enjoy practically all year round good weather. They are nicknamed the Islands of Eternal Spring and temperatures rarely drop below 16ºC and rise to around 30ºC in the summer. The climate is influenced by the island close proximity to North Africa.