Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the city with the most famous carnival on an island

The port is in the capital of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, in Spain. It is the main passenger port of the island, and it also has cargo and cruise services. Here is the home of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival, a festival that has been declared of “International Tourist Interest”.
Book ferry tickets to Santa Cruz de Tenerife here at Let’s Ferry.

Attractions in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
• Plaza de España is the biggest square on the Canary Islands. It was built in 1929 on the Castillo de San Cristóbal. You can see the remains of this castle at the museum by the same name, nearby.
• The square is surrounded by important landmarks like the Palacio Insular de Tenerife and the Monument to the Fallen of the Spanish Civil War (Monumento a los Caídos).
• The Historical Military Museum (Museo Militar de Almeyda) is next to the Fort of Almeyda.
• The Museum of Fine Arts (Museo de Bellas Artes) hosts paintings from local artists. Admission is free.
• The Museum of Nature and Archaeology (Museo de la Naturaleza y Arqueología) has mummies and objects from the time Guanches were the only habitants of the Canary Islands.
• The auditorium Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín is a futuristic, seafront building that hosts cultural events.

The amazing city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Beaches in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
• Playa Chica is a small, secluded beach, close to a castle, the Castillo de San Andres.
• Playa de las Teresitas is a popular, sandy beach with sunbeds.
• Playa de Las Gaviotas has black sand, a parking lot and a few canteens for snacks and drinks.
• Playa de La Nea is very close to Santa Cruz and locals’ favourite. The beach has black sand and has free parking.

Beach in Tenerife

Activities in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
• Have a swim at the water park Parque Marítimo César Manrique.
• Walk around the Botanical Garden Palmetum Botanical Garden. It has the biggest palm tree collection in the world.
• Visit the Teide National Park (Parque Nacional del Teide) to see the volcano Teide, the island’s landmark. It’s the highest peak in Spain and the third biggest volcano in the world.

Access to Santa Cruz de Tenerife: You can reach the port by car, ferry, plane, bus or tram. The North Airport of Tenerife is 10 km from the port and the South Airport is 22 km.
San Cristobal de La Laguna is 11 km from the port. Santa Cruz de Tenerife to San Cristobal de La Laguna is 10 minutes by car or bus.
Candelaria is 20 km from the port. Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Candelaria is 15 minutes by car or bus.
Puerto de la Cruz is 35 km from the port. Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Puerto de le Cruz is 30 minutes by car and 50 minutes by bus.

View of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Only in Santa Cruz de Tenerife: Visit a guachinche, a kind of local eatery. They started appearing after a tradition that started in the 17th century where local winemakers were setting up stalls to attract British buyers to buy their new harvest. Their wives were bringing along traditional food to accompany the wine like cheese and chestnuts and so it all began. Guachinches usually open on St Andrews day, November 30th, until the harvest is over. They reopen in April. The original guachinches don’t have a menu, they are not to be found on scenic or seafront locations and they serve 4 plates at the most.