📌Island
Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain). It is a town and municipality on the north coast of Tenerife, in the lower part of the Orotava Valley, between the municipalities of La Orotava and Los Realejos. It has 31.137 inhabitants according to the INE (2025 figure) and covers just 8,73 km², which makes it the smallest municipality in the whole of the Canary Islands. Together with La Orotava and Los Realejos it forms the Orotava Valley metropolitan area, home to 111.606 people (2024). It began as the valley's landing stage, which is why for centuries it was called Puerto de la Orotava, and it lived off the wine trade and, later, bananas. It is known as the place where tourism in the Canary Islands began: in 1886 the archipelago's first sanatorium for sick European travellers opened here. Today it is the classic tourist town of the north: greener, more humid and less of a resort than the south of the island. Its trademarks are César Manrique's Lago Martiánez, Loro Parque, the Botanical Garden from 1788, the black-sand beaches and an old town with a fishing harbour that is still in use. The average annual temperature is around 21,9 °C. It makes a good base for exploring the north: La Orotava, La Laguna, Garachico, Icod, Anaga and Mount Teide.
📌Currency and payments
Euro (€). Cards are accepted in hotels, restaurants and the big attractions. Watch out for two exceptions. TITSA buses do not accept cash on board for the time being: you pay with a bank card, the ten+ card or the ten+ móvil app. And many guachinches (eateries serving their own home-grown wine) take cash only, according to customer reviews. Carry some cash for those and for the car park at Playa del Bollullo.
📌Service hub
Puerto de la Cruz has everything you need day to day, but both airports and the capital are outside town. Tenerife North Airport (TFN), in La Laguna, is the closest: TITSA line 30 connects it with Puerto de la Cruz. Tenerife South Airport (TFS) handles most international flights and is linked by express line 343. For paperwork, large hospitals and the tram, the place to go is the Santa Cruz de Tenerife–La Laguna area, connected by lines 102 and 103. The Puerto de la Cruz bus station is the hub for getting to La Orotava, Icod, Garachico and Mount Teide.
📌Best time to go
You can go all year round. The north of Tenerife is milder and cloudier than the south: greener, with a bit more rain in winter and rougher seas, so it is not the place for a week of guaranteed beach sunshine. On the other hand, it is ideal for walking and for combining town, gardens and mountains. According to Kayak, December is the most expensive month to stay in Puerto de la Cruz. Around holidays like Christmas and Carnival it is worth booking ahead. If you want to go up Mount Teide, check the mountain forecast: it is cold up there even when it is 22 °C down below.
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🌤️ Weather in Puerto de la Cruz
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Puerto de la Cruz is the old, quiet face of tourism in Tenerife. The first European travellers arrived here at the end of the 19th century, when the south of the island was still a desert. That is why the town has a different pace: streets lined with Canarian houses with wooden balconies, a harbour where fishermen still haul up their boats, squares shaded by Indian laurels and a seafront promenade facing an Atlantic that almost always crashes hard against the volcanic rock.
What stands out most is how the town won space from the sea without a natural sandy beach: César Manrique designed Lago Martiánez, a complex of saltwater pools set among lava and palm trees, and later Playa Jardín, a black-sand beach with gardens. Add to that Loro Parque, the Botanical Garden founded in 1788 and an orchid garden with an 18th-century house. You can get around it all on foot or by cheap bus, with no need for a car.
But the big reason to choose the north is what lies around it. Half an hour by bus takes you to La Orotava, with its stately old town, or to La Laguna, a World Heritage Site. Further afield you will find Garachico, rebuilt after the 1706 eruption, the Drago Milenario of Icod, the laurel forests of Anaga and, above it all, Mount Teide. It is a convenient base, cheaper than the south and with local life all year round, for anyone who wants to get to know the island and not just a beach.
📖 History of Puerto de la Cruz
Before the Castilian conquest, the area was part of the menceyato (Guanche kingdom) of Taoro, and its inhabitants lived in the caves of the Riscos de Martiánez, where burial sites and ritual rock carvings have been found. After the conquest of Tenerife at the end of the 15th century, the valley's coast became a landing stage: there was port activity by 1502, although the village depended on La Orotava. Hence its first name, Puerto de la Orotava. The current name comes from a cross that the settlers planted on the quay. The sugar trade first and then the wine trade, especially from the second half of the 16th century, made the fishing village grow. In 1603 the site of the church and square was set, and in 1620 the Casa de la Real Aduana (Royal Customs House) was founded. On 3 May 1651 Philip IV authorised the residents to appoint their own mayor, the first step towards separation. Between 1641 and 1655 the Castillo de San Felipe was built to fend off pirate attacks. In 1706 the eruption that buried the port of Garachico left Puerto de la Cruz as the island's main port. In 1772 it won an elected council and in 1808 full municipal autonomy. At the end of the 19th century, European scientists and travellers arrived, drawn by the climate; in 1886 the first sanatorium in the Canary Islands opened and the Gran Hotel Taoro was built. That is why it is considered the cradle of Canarian tourism. The tourist boom began in the 1950s, in 1956 it was granted the title of city, and in 1977 César Manrique's Lago Martiánez opened. In 2006 its historic centre was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural (Site of Cultural Interest).
🗺️ What to see
Tours you can book
A local guide tells you in half an hour what no sign at the site will ever explain. We look ours up on Civitatis: guided in Spanish and booked online with no fuss. They have 13 activities in Puerto De La Cruz. And there are free tours here: you book without paying and tip the guide whatever you think at the end, so trying one costs you nothing. Three are below so you get the idea: tap any of them and they all open.
If you book from here we earn a commission and you pay no more. Prices and availability come from Civitatis.
1
Lago Martiánez (Complejo Costa Martiánez)
Seawater pools designed by César Manrique among lava, palm trees and sculptures, facing the Atlantic. The symbol of the town.
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Lago Martiánez is the work that defines Puerto de la Cruz. Since the town had no comfortable sandy beach, the town council commissioned the Lanzarote-born artist César Manrique, together with the engineers Amigó and Olcina, to build a bathing complex reclaimed from the sea. The first phase, with pools, opened in 1971. The large lake was inaugurated on 30 April 1977.
The complex covers some 33.000 m² reclaimed from the sea, about 15.000 of which are saltwater surface, with inner islands, sun terraces, gardens and sculptures by Manrique himself. Between 2004 and 2006 it underwent a major refurbishment supervised by the Fundación César Manrique, and the town's casino now operates in the former Andrómeda building.
You can see it for free from the promenade, but it is worth going in to spend the afternoon: the water is seawater, without the Atlantic swell. Admission is single entry: if you leave, you pay again. A sun lounger is included with admission. You cannot bring food in and there are no refunds. Tickets are sold only at the complex's ticket offices.
ℹ️ Distance: At the eastern end of the seafront promenade, a few minutes' walk from the centre · Best time to go: Sunny days, in the morning or early afternoon · Admission: Adult 7 €; child up to 10 years 4 €; parasol 3 €; jacuzzi 2 €. Residents registered in Puerto de la Cruz: 3 € adult and 2 € child or pensioner (source: lagomartianez.es, an unofficial site that reproduces the bylaw from the BOP of 22 January 2025; Teneriffa News confirms the 7 € and 4 €; verified October 2026). Ticket office only · Duration: Half a day
2
Loro Parque
Zoo and theme park with parrots, dolphins, sea lions and orcas. The most visited paid attraction in the north of Tenerife.
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Loro Parque is the big theme park of the north: a zoo with sea lion, parrot, dolphin and orca shows, and areas of tropical vegetation. It is expensive, but for many families it justifies a visit to the north of the island on its own.
It opens every day of the year from 9:30 to 17:30, according to the Taquilla.com listing. The shows run at fixed times throughout the day (for example, sea lions at 9:45, 10:45, 13:45, 14:45 and 16:00 in 2026), and they are scheduled so you can see them all if you plan ahead. Get there early: the park fills up by mid-morning.
You can combine it with Siam Park, the water park in the south, with the Twin Ticket combo. Tickets are valid for one year from purchase, according to the reseller. There is paid parking (7 € a day, according to the same source). By bus, TITSA town line 381 runs from Plaza Reyes Católicos to Punta Brava, where the park is.
Bear in mind that the orca and dolphin shows spark debate over animal welfare. Read up and decide for yourself.
ℹ️ Distance: Punta Brava neighbourhood, in the west of town. Town bus 381 · Best time to go: All year round; best to arrive at opening time · Admission: Non-residents: adult (12+) 44 €, child 3 to 11 years 32 €; Canary Islands residents 22 € and 16 €; under-3s free. Twin Ticket with Siam Park: 78 € adult and 57 € child (source: Taquilla.com, reseller; the adult ticket is also listed at 44 € on Civitatis; verified October 2026) · Duration: A full day
3
Old town and fishing harbour
Plaza del Charco, the church of the Peña de Francia, the Casa de la Aduana and the old harbour where fishermen still beach their boats.
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The old town of Puerto de la Cruz was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural in 2006, and you can explore it in a morning without spending a thing. The social heart is the Plaza del Charco, surrounded by bars and terraces.
A few blocks away is the church of Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia, built from 1697 onwards, and by the sea the Casa de la Real Aduana, founded in 1620, one of the oldest buildings in town. Head down and you reach the harbour, where the town began: from the 17th century wine, and later bananas, were shipped out from here. Today it is a small fishing port where the fishermen's guild boats are still at work, with fish restaurants right beside it.
Very close by is La Ranilla, the old fishermen's quarter: that is where the nickname «ranilleros», sometimes given to the people of Puerto de la Cruz, comes from. If you want some background, there is a free tour of Puerto de la Cruz on Civitatis (1,5 to 2 hours, paid with a tip). Add the chapel of San Telmo and the Anglican church of All Saints, two heritage sites listed by the municipality.
ℹ️ Distance: In the centre; everything on foot · Best time to go: Early morning, when the boats come back, or at sunset · Admission: Free (public streets, squares and harbour) · Duration: 2 to 3 hours
4
Jardín Botánico (Jardín de Aclimatación de La Orotava)
Garden created in 1788 to acclimatise tropical plants before taking them to mainland Spain. Giant trees and a huge collection.
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The Jardín de Aclimatación de La Orotava, which everyone calls the Botanical Garden, was created in 1788. The idea was to acclimatise plants from the tropical colonies in Tenerife before trying to take them to mainland Spain. Today it is run by the Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias (ICIA) and is still an active scientific garden.
It is small, just a few blocks, but very dense: a 2026 academic study counts 856 species. What you see are tropical trees and plants from different continents, in a space designed for study. It opens every day from 9 to 18 and closes on 1 January, Good Friday and 25 December, according to guides. You can see it in an hour, though if you like plants you could stay two or three.
It is in the upper part of town, at calle Retama 2, in the La Paz neighbourhood. You can combine it with Sitio Litre, in the same upper area. TITSA lines 351 and 385 stop at the garden. For years there has been a plan for a visitor centre under outside management, so the price and the way tickets are sold may change.
ℹ️ Distance: La Paz neighbourhood, in the upper part of town; TITSA buses 351 and 385 · Best time to go: All year round; mornings have better light and fewer people · Admission: Around 3 € adult, 2 € residents and students, under-14s free, according to unofficial guides; a source from August 2026 gives 3,50 € (source: nomadotravel.app and guides, aggregators, verified October 2026). We found no official published rate · Duration: 1 to 2 hours
5
Playa Jardín
Black-sand beach designed with César Manrique, with gardens, palm trees and waterfalls between the Castillo de San Felipe and Punta Brava.
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Playa Jardín is the main beach in Puerto de la Cruz and another work by César Manrique with the engineers Amigó and Olcina. The restoration of this stretch of coast, which used to be rocky, was completed in 1993 and runs from the Castillo de San Felipe to Punta Brava.
It has three sections: Playa del Castillo, Playa del Charcón and Playa de Punta Brava. The sand is black and volcanic, and the beach is surrounded by gardens with tropical plants, palm trees and water cascading over the rock, which gives it its name. According to the Barceló guide, it has held a Blue Flag since 2019 and displays a replica of Manrique's sculpture El Róbalo.
It is the best option for a free beach day in town. The northern sea is rougher than in the south: always respect the flags and stay out of the water when the red one is up. From Playa Jardín you can carry on on foot to Loro Parque, in Punta Brava.
ℹ️ Distance: West of the old town, walkable from the centre and the harbour · Best time to go: Summer and days with calm seas · Admission: Free (public beach) · Duration: Half a day
6
Jardín de Orquídeas Sitio Litre
The oldest garden in Tenerife, with an 18th-century manor house, a large orchid collection and famous visitors such as Agatha Christie.
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Sitio Litre is a private garden with a long history for its small size. It is described as the oldest garden in Tenerife, set around a manor house from 1730. Its owners decided to open it to the public and today it has a café and a shop. The garden's own website claims that the Canary Island banana originated at Sitio Litre. Famous travellers passed through its rooms, among them the writer Agatha Christie.
What you come to see is the orchid collection, considered the largest in Tenerife, and the walk through the orchid greenhouse, which Lonely Planet highlights as the best part of the visit. It is a quiet one-hour stroll, with the Café Orquídea to sit down at the end.
Opening hours are short: it opens Monday to Sunday from 9:30 to 14:30, and closes on Tuesdays in June, July and August, according to its website. Best to go in the morning and combine it with the Botanical Garden or the Taoro neighbourhood, both in the same upper part of town. There are painting workshops, breakfasts and brunch by reservation.
ℹ️ Distance: Camino Sitio Litre, in the upper part of town, near the Taoro neighbourhood · Best time to go: Mornings; watch out for the Tuesday closures in summer · Admission: General admission 4,75 €; Spanish nationals and residents 3,75 €; children 4 to 12 years, half price (source: jardindeorquideas.com, official website, verified October 2026) · Duration: 1 hour
7
Castillo de San Felipe
Small 17th-century fortress by the sea, at the start of Playa Jardín, now used for exhibitions and concerts.
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The Castillo de San Felipe is a small fortress with an irregular pentagonal plan, built between 1641 and 1655 to protect the coast from pirate attacks. It stands at the mouth of the San Felipe ravine, right where Playa Jardín begins, and is one of the town's classic postcard views, especially at sunset with the sea breaking on the rocks.
Today it works as a cultural venue, used for art exhibitions and concerts. For example, the Phe Festival in September 2026 included an exhibition at the castle, and the UP&DOWN jazz festival used the venue with free admission and advance booking. So what you can see inside depends on the programme.
Seeing the castle from outside costs nothing and is worth the walk even when it is closed. If you want to go in, check the town council's cultural programme before you go. Combine it with the La Ranilla neighbourhood and Playa Jardín.
ℹ️ Distance: Start of Playa Jardín, a 10 to 15-minute walk from the harbour · Best time to go: Sunset · Admission: Exterior free; admission to exhibitions is listed as free in guides such as Komoot, with 2020 opening hours that may have changed (source: komoot.com, verified October 2026) · Duration: 30 minutes to 1 hour
8
Playa del Bollullo
Black-sand cove at the foot of cliffs, among banana plantations, on the coast of La Orotava. No buildings; you get there by walking down.
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El Bollullo is the closest wild beach to Puerto de la Cruz, just inside the municipality of La Orotava. It is a black-sand cove tucked beneath high cliffs, with banana plantations above and almost nothing built around it except a restaurant. It is the picture of northern Tenerife without hotels.
The bus does not go there. You drive along a narrow road between plantations, leave the car in a private car park that you pay for at the entrance and walk down the last stretch. Travellers who have been mention around 5 € for parking and a signposted path. The beach itself is free.
This is open northern sea, often with big waves. If the red flag is up, stay on the sand. Bring water, food and sunscreen, because shade is scarce. To get back you have to climb up again, so it is not the beach for small children or if you are short on time.
ℹ️ Distance: Coast of La Orotava, east of Puerto de la Cruz; access by car and on foot · Best time to go: Summer and days with calm seas · Admission: Beach free; the private car park costs around 5 € according to traveller reviews (source: Mapstr and lamaletainquieta.com, aggregators, verified October 2026) · Duration: Half a day
9
La Orotava: old town and Casa de los Balcones
Stately town on the slope of the valley, with Baroque churches, mansions with pinewood balconies and flower carpets at Corpus Christi.
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La Orotava is the municipality Puerto de la Cruz used to depend on, and today it has 42.514 inhabitants (INE 2025). Its old town was declared a historic-artistic ensemble in 1976 and is one of the best preserved in the Canary Islands: sloping streets, stone and timber mansions, convents and the church of La Concepción, from the 18th century and a national monument.
The classic visit is the Casa de los Balcones, a 17th-century mansion (the Turismo de Tenerife website dates it to around 1670) with a huge balcony of resinous pinewood, a galleried courtyard and an old wine press. Today it is a craft centre and house museum, with an audio guide included in the ticket. The ground floor and the shop can be seen without paying.
If you are there for Corpus Christi (May or June, depending on the year), the streets are covered in flower carpets and the town hall square in a tapestry made with sands from Mount Teide. A large part of Teide National Park lies within this municipality. From Puerto de la Cruz, TITSA lines 345, 352 and 353 go up to La Orotava.
ℹ️ Distance: Up the valley, a few minutes by bus (lines 345, 352 and 353) · Best time to go: All year round; May or June for Corpus Christi · Admission: Streets free. Casa de los Balcones: from 6 € with audio guide (source: Musement, reseller, verified October 2026); the official website casa-balcones.com sells tickets but does not show the price in text · Duration: Half a day
10
San Cristóbal de La Laguna (World Heritage Site)
Unwalled colonial city from 1496, a World Heritage Site since 1999, with a cathedral, convents and university life.
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La Laguna was Tenerife's first capital. Alonso Fernández de Lugo founded it between 1496 and 1497, after the conquest, and Unesco declared it a World Heritage Site in 1999 as a unique example of an unwalled colonial city. Today it has 161.108 inhabitants (INE 2025), is Tenerife's second city and is home to the Universidad de La Laguna, the first university founded in the Canary Islands.
It's easy to walk because it's flat. Wander its streets of old mansions with courtyards and step inside the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, with its neoclassical façade and dome. The cathedral is open Monday to Friday from 9 to 18 and on Saturdays from 9:30 to 12:30, and there's a guided climb up one of its towers.
The climate is cooler than on the coast, so bring a light jacket. From Puerto de la Cruz, TITSA line 103 goes there direct. La Laguna is also the gateway to the Anaga massif.
ℹ️ Distance: Direct TITSA line 103 from Puerto de la Cruz · Best time: All year round; weekdays to see the cathedral · Admission: Streets free. Cathedral: general 7 €; over-65s 6 €; ages 13 to 18, university students up to 25 and the unemployed 5,50 €; free for under-13s and residents of the province. Cathedral plus tower: 10 € (source: lalagunacatedral.com, official website, verified October 2026) · Duration: Half a day or a full day
11
Garachico
Once Tenerife's great port, buried by lava in 1706. Today, a historic centre and the natural pools of El Caletón.
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Garachico is the best story on Tenerife's north coast. In the 16th and 17th centuries it was the island's main port, shipping wine and sugar to the Americas and Europe. On 5 May 1706 an eruption of the Trevejo volcano sent seven lava flows down the slope and buried much of the town and its port. Nobody died, but the trade moved to Puerto de la Cruz.
The town was rebuilt on top of the lava. Today it has 4.940 inhabitants (INE 2025) and its old quarter was declared a historic site in 1994. You'll see the Castillo de San Miguel, a Bien de Interés Cultural; the square with the former convent of San Francisco, now home to a library and museums; and the Roque de Garachico, the islet just off the town.
The loveliest part is El Caletón: the pools and rock basins that formed when the 1706 lava reached the sea. When the sea is calm they're a place to swim; when there are waves, stay out. From Puerto de la Cruz, TITSA line 363 runs towards Buenavista via Icod de los Vinos.
ℹ️ Distance: North-west coast; TITSA line 363 (Puerto de la Cruz - Buenavista via Icod) · Best time: Summer, or days with a calm sea for swimming at El Caletón · Admission: Town and El Caletón free. Castillo de San Miguel: 2 € according to a travel blog, open 10 to 18 (source: viajeroscallejeros.com, blog, verified October 2026). We found no official rate · Duration: Half a day
12
Icod de los Vinos and the Drago Milenario
The largest and oldest known dragon tree, a national monument since 1917, in a three-hectare park of Canary Island plants.
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The Drago Milenario in Icod de los Vinos is Tenerife's botanical symbol. It's a Dracaena draco declared a National Monument in 1917 and considered the largest and oldest known specimen of its species. It stands about 18 metres tall, the base of its trunk measures some 20 metres around and its crown has more than 300 main branches.
On its age, the town council is clear: it's around 700 years old, give or take 100 to 150. The claim of over 3.000 years is an unconfirmed legend. Because dragon trees don't form growth rings, their age is hard to measure.
Around it lies the Parque del Drago, about 3 hectares, created in 1996 to protect the tree from traffic and vandalism. It has labelled Canary Island plants, a cave recreating a Guanche burial, a wine press and a nursery of young dragon trees, and the Caforiño ravine runs through it. That said, you can also see the tree for free from the church square. Pay for the park if you're interested in the plants or want to see it up close. TITSA line 363 from Puerto de la Cruz.
ℹ️ Distance: Icod de los Vinos, north-west coast; TITSA line 363 · Best time: All year round; longer opening hours from April to September · Admission: Parque del Drago: from 5 € through the official ticket site (parquedeldrago.sacatuentrada.es). 2026 rates according to Taquilla.com: adult 5 €, over-65s and students 3 €, under-8s 2,50 €, Icod residents free (verified October 2026). Free to see from the square · Duration: 1 to 2 hours
13
Macizo de Anaga (Biosphere Reserve)
Rugged mountains with laurel forest and hamlets clinging to the slopes, a Biosphere Reserve since 2015. Trails for every level.
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Anaga is the north-eastern tip of Tenerife: an old, heavily eroded massif of knife-edge ridges and deep ravines running down to the sea. Up top it preserves one of the best laurel forests in the Canary Islands, the humid laurisilva that covered southern Europe millions of years ago. Unesco declared it a Biosphere Reserve on 9 June 2015, and most of it is protected as the Parque Rural de Anaga.
The easiest way in is the Centro de Visitantes de Cruz del Carmen, at kilometre 6 of the Las Mercedes road. Admission is free. From there starts the Sendero de los Sentidos, with a short stretch on a wooden boardwalk suitable for almost everyone. Then you can carry on to hamlets like Taganana or head down to the coast on other Cabildo trails.
By bus, TITSA line 273 leaves from La Laguna (Intercambiador La Laguna - Cruz del Carmen via Las Mercedes). By car, the Cruz del Carmen car park fills up early. Bring a jacket: there's often mist and damp. If you'd rather not drive, Civitatis sells a tour from the north that combines Santa Cruz, La Laguna and Anaga.
ℹ️ Distance: North-east of the island; via La Laguna (line 103, then 273) · Best time: All year round; clear mornings to see the landscape · Admission: Free: the Centro de Visitantes de Cruz del Carmen and the trails (source: Ayuntamiento de La Laguna, visitor centre guide, verified October 2026) · Duration: A full day
💵 Prices
Tickets
| Type | Price |
|---|
| Loro Parque | Non-residents: adult (12+) 44 €, child aged 3 to 11 32 €; Canary Islands residents 22 € and 16 €; under-3s free (source: Taquilla.com, reseller, verified October 2026). Buy online from resellers or on the park's website; parking 7 € per day according to the same source |
| Loro Parque + Siam Park (Twin Ticket) | Non-residents: 78 € adult, 57 € child; Canary Islands residents: 39 € adult, 28 € child (source: Taquilla.com, reseller, verified October 2026) |
| Lago Martiánez | Adult 7 €; child up to 10 years 4 €; sunshade 3 €; jacuzzi 2 €; 15-entry adult pass 80 €. Registered residents of Puerto de la Cruz: 3 € adult (source: lagomartianez.es, unofficial website citing the BOP of 22 January 2025; verified October 2026). Ticket office only; ticket valid for a single entry |
| Jardín de Orquídeas Sitio Litre | General 4,75 €; Spanish nationals and residents 3,75 €; children aged 4 to 12, half price (source: jardindeorquideas.com, verified October 2026). Pay at the entrance; open 9:30 to 14:30 |
| Jardín Botánico (Jardín de Aclimatación de La Orotava) | Around 3 € adult and 2 € residents and students, under-14s free, according to guides; one source from August 2026 gives 3,50 € (source: nomadotravel.app, aggregator, verified October 2026). No official rate published; pay at the entrance |
| Catedral de La Laguna | General 7 € with audio guide; over-65s 6 €; ages 13 to 18, university students up to 25 and the unemployed 5,50 €; free for under-13s and residents of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (without audio guide, which costs 2 €). Cathedral plus tower: 10 € general, 3 € residents of the province (source: lalagunacatedral.com, verified October 2026). Buy online or at the cathedral |
| Parque del Drago (Icod de los Vinos) | From 5 € through the official ticket site parquedeldrago.sacatuentrada.es. 2026 rates according to Taquilla.com: adult 5 €, over-65s and students 3 €, under-8s 2,50 €, Icod residents free (verified October 2026). Seeing the tree from the square is free |
| Casa de los Balcones (La Orotava) | From 6 € with audio guide and parking (source: Musement, reseller, verified October 2026). Buy at casa-balcones.com or at the house |
| Teleférico del Teide (excursión desde el norte) | Return trip non-residents 42 € adult and 21 € child aged 3 to 13; Canary Islands residents 10,50 € (source: Taquilla.com and lamaletainquieta.com, citing volcanoteide.com, verified October 2026). Buy at volcanoteide.com; the permit for the summit is separate |
| Castillo de San Miguel (Garachico) | 2 € according to a travel blog (source: viajeroscallejeros.com, blog, verified October 2026). We found no official rate; check on site |
| Playas (Playa Jardín, Bollullo), casco histórico, muelle y Centro de Visitantes de Cruz del Carmen | Free. At El Bollullo you only pay for the private car park, about 5 € according to traveller reviews (source: Mapstr, verified October 2026) |
🔄 updated monthlyOfficial / reference values · double-check when buying
Activities and tours
Teide, Icod, Masca and Garachico tour from the north
Teide tour with cable car ticket from the north
Tour of Santa Cruz, La Laguna and the Parque Rural de Anaga
Tour of Masca, Garachico and Icod de los Vinos
Teide stargazing tour from the north
Tandem paragliding flight over the north (take-off at La Corona or above Puerto de la Cruz)
PriceFrom 79 € up to about 120 € depending on duration and video; long flights from Izaña or the Teide from 169 € (source: Yumping and Manawa, booking platforms, verified October 2026)
Quad tour around La Orotava and the north
Free tour of Puerto de la Cruz
🔄 updated monthlyOfficial / reference values · double-check when buying
🚌 How to get there and distances
Getting around
TITSA buses: 1-day tourist card
Price10 € per day, plus 2 € for the ten+ card (source: titsa.com, verified October 2026)
NotesUnlimited travel on all bus lines and the tram. Top it up at machines in the airports, bus stations, kiosks and tram stops, or in the ten+ móvil app. Worth it on long day-trip days: Garachico and Icod (line 363), La Laguna (103) or the Teide (348).
TITSA buses: 7-day tourist card
Price50 € for 7 days, plus 2 € for the ten+ card (source: titsa.com, verified October 2026)
NotesIt's personal. It pays off if you'll be getting around the island almost every day, including the transfer from the South airport on line 343. If you're staying in Puerto de la Cruz and making few trips, a single ticket or the stored-value card will probably do.
TITSA buses: single ticket, return or stored-value card
PriceDistance-based fare; returns from 4,25 € with a 10% discount on journeys of 20 km or more; top-up stored-value card from 2 to 100 € (source: titsa.com, verified October 2026)
NotesTITSA doesn't accept cash on board for now: pay by bank card, ten+ or the app. The exact price of each journey is given by the fare calculator on titsa.com. Useful lines: 381 to Loro Parque, 351 and 385 to the Botánico, 345, 352 and 353 to La Orotava, 363 to Icod and Garachico, 103 to La Laguna, 348 to the Teide.
PriceRate 1 (Monday to Saturday, 6 to 22): flag fall 3,15 € and 0,55 € per km; rate 2 (nights, Sundays and public holidays): 3,45 € and 0,63 € per km; airport supplement 1,70 € (source: montransport.com, aggregator, verified October 2026)
NotesRegulated meter. There are ranks in the centre and at the bus station. For El Bollullo, or for getting back late from a guachinche, it's the practical option if you don't have a car.
NotesThe old town, the harbour, Lago Martiánez, the Castillo de San Felipe and Playa Jardín are linked by the seafront promenade. The Botánico and Sitio Litre are uphill: walk up the slope or take the bus.
🔄 updated monthlyOfficial / reference values · double-check when buying
How to get there
Tenerife North Airport (TFN) → Puerto de la Cruz by bus
Airlines / operatorsTITSA line 30 (Puerto de la Cruz - Aeropuerto Norte); line 343 also stops there
Avg. price4,75 € a ticket according to an unofficial guide (source: cestee.es, aggregator, verified October 2026); or TITSA tourist card 10 € per day + 2 € for the card (source: titsa.com, verified October 2026)
DurationAbout 30 minutes according to the same guide, which gives a frequency of every 45 to 60 minutes
Tenerife North Airport (TFN) → Puerto de la Cruz by taxi or transfer
Avg. priceMetered taxi: flag fall 3,15 € and 0,55 € per km plus a 1,70 € airport supplement (source: montransport.com, aggregator, verified October 2026). Private minivan for up to 4 passengers 67,10 € (source: mytransfers.com, verified October 2026)
Tenerife South Airport (TFS) → Puerto de la Cruz by express bus
Airlines / operatorsTITSA line 343 (Puerto de la Cruz - Costa Adeje, via the North and South airports)
Avg. priceTITSA tourist card 10 € per day + 2 € for the card, or distance-based fare (source: titsa.com, verified October 2026)
DurationAround 1 h 30 according to a hotel guide; other sources give longer, because of the stops. Check the timetable on titsa.com
Santa Cruz de Tenerife or La Laguna → Puerto de la Cruz
Airlines / operatorsTITSA line 102 (Santa Cruz - Puerto de la Cruz via Las Arenas), 103 (La Laguna - Puerto de la Cruz direct, via El Botánico) and the 104 night bus
Avg. priceDistance-based fare according to the calculator on titsa.com, or tourist card 10 € per day + 2 € for the card (source: titsa.com, verified October 2026)
🔄 updated monthlyOfficial / reference values · double-check when buying
🏨 Where to stay
No exact prices: a scale from $ (budget) to $$$$$ (luxury), with 2-3 options per category.
Hostels and budget options
Recommended optionsHostels in town: Atypicap Capsule Hostel and Canary Campus Hostel from 46 €, Puerto Nest Hostel from 52 € a night; simple hotels such as Hotel Tejuma (31 €) or Don Cándido (42 €) (source: Kayak, search for 10-11 October 2026, verified October 2026). Prices are per room or per bed depending on the place; they go up at Christmas and Carnival
Mid-range and aparthotels
Recommended options3-star options and apartments with a kitchen such as La Carabela (30 €), Aparthotel Tropical (33 €), Apartamentos Teneguia (34 €) or 4Dreams Hotel (42 €) a night, according to Kayak's listing (verified October 2026). Apartments let you cook and save money. Kayak flags December as the most expensive month
Recommended optionsLarge seafront hotels or ones near Lago Martiánez such as H10 Tenerife Playa (105 €), Hotel Puerto Palace (97 €) or Checkin Concordia Playa (63 €) a night (source: Kayak, verified October 2026); Hotel Tigaiga, in the upper part of town, from 214 € (source: Skyscanner, verified October 2026). Average price of a hotel with a pool in the city: 152 € according to Kayak
Recommended optionsHotel Botánico & The Oriental Spa Garden, 5-star grand luxury according to Booking: from 268 € a night (source: Skyscanner, verified October 2026). At Christmas and Easter rates go up, so it's worth booking months ahead
🍴 Where to eat
Guachinches (casas de comida con vino de cosecha propia)
Options / signature dishThe most Canarian and cheapest experience: carne fiesta (fried marinated pork), rabbit, escaldón de gofio, potatoes and local wine. Guachinche El Molinero, in La Orotava, comes to around 10 € a head according to a January 2026 review; at Guachinche El Cubano a couple paid 26 € with wine and bread (source: reviews on
gastroranking.es, aggregator, verified October 2026). Many only take cash and open seasonally
Tascas y papas arrugadas con mojo
Options / signature dishPapas arrugadas (small potatoes boiled in very salty water) with red and green mojo cost 4 to 6 € a portion in the north and up to 9 € in the south (source:
lamaletainquieta.com, blog, verified October 2026). At Tapas Arcón, on Plaza Concejil, green mojo is 2,50 € and red mojo 3 € (source: Teneriffa News, verified October 2026). Finish with a barraquito, the layered coffee with condensed milk
Pescado y marisco en el muelle
Options / signature dishCatch of the day, fish stew and rice dishes facing the harbour. At La Cofradía (El Pescador), a January 2026 review mentions 40 € per person with dessert and Canarian wine; at Rincón del Mar the typical spend is around 20 € per person (source:
gastroranking.es, aggregator, verified October 2026). Ask the price of fish sold by weight before ordering
Options / signature dishEl Taller Seve Díaz, at Calle San Felipe 32, has a Michelin star and offers two tasting menus (Sorpresa and Largo) with seasonal Canarian produce (source:
guide.michelin.com, verified October 2026). An OKDiario article listed it among the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain, with a menu of about 68 € (verified October 2026; check the current price). You need to book months ahead
❓ Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to go to Tenerife?+
No, if you hold a passport from Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, Colombia or Peru and travel as a tourist for up to 90 days within any 180-day period in the Schengen area. The Canary Islands are Spain. Since 10 April 2026 the EES has been fully operational: at your first Schengen border check they record your fingerprints and photo instead of stamping your passport. If you arrive with a connection in Madrid or another Schengen city, that check happens there. ETIAS, the prior online authorisation, is not required yet: the EU's official website removed the planned date of late 2026 and says it will announce the start months in advance. Carry a return ticket, your booking and travel insurance in case you're asked for them.
Is it better to stay in the north (Puerto de la Cruz) or in the south?+
It depends on what you're after. The south (Costa Adeje, Los Cristianos) has more sun, calmer sea and resorts. Puerto de la Cruz has a milder and sometimes cloudy climate, rougher sea and black-sand beaches, but in return it's a town with a life of its own all year round, cheaper and much better placed for exploring the north: La Orotava, La Laguna, Garachico, Icod, Anaga and the Teide are all within easy reach by bus. If your trip is about beach and pool, choose the south. If you want to see the island, the north works better. With a week, you can split your nights between the two.
How many days do I need?+
With four or five days you can cover the essentials. One day for the town: old quarter, harbour, Lago Martiánez and Playa Jardín. One day for Loro Parque. A morning for the Jardín Botánico and Sitio Litre, and the afternoon in La Orotava. One day for Icod and Garachico on route 363. Another for La Laguna and Anaga. If you add the Teide, add one more day: route 348 goes up from Puerto de la Cruz, or you can join an organised tour. With a week you'll have time for El Bollullo, a guachinche and a rest day or two.
Should I rent a car or get around by bus?+
You don't need a car in town: everything is walkable and there are local buses. To explore the north, the TITSA bus is enough: the tourist card costs 10 € per day or 50 € per week, plus 2 € for the card itself, and it's valid on all routes and the tram. Note that cash isn't accepted on board. A car helps if you want to go to El Bollullo (no bus gets there), to the hamlets of Anaga or to get around at night. If you drive, bring your licence and an International Driving Permit, and be patient on the mountain roads, which are narrow and winding.
Is Puerto de la Cruz safe?+
It's a quiet tourist town with local life all year round. The most real risks are natural ones. The sea on the north coast is strong: follow the flags at Playa Jardín and El Bollullo, don't walk on wet rocks near the breakers and, when the sea is rough, watch the waves from a distance. In Garachico, don't go into the El Caletón pools if there's a swell. In the mountains, such as Anaga or the Teide, bring warm clothes, water and sturdy footwear. In town, the usual: don't leave things visible in the car or belongings unattended on the beach. In an emergency, call 112.
How can I keep costs down?+
Puerto de la Cruz is cheaper than the south. Stay in a hostel or an apartment with a kitchen: Kayak shows beds from about 46 € and simple apartments from 30 to 40 € a night in mid-season. Eat at guachinches, where you can have a meal for 10 to 15 € with wine. Use the TITSA tourist card only on excursion days. Much of the best stuff is free: the old quarter, the harbour, Playa Jardín, the Castillo de San Felipe from the outside, the Drago seen from the square, the streets of La Orotava and La Laguna and the trails of Anaga. At Lago Martiánez you pay 7 € for the whole afternoon.
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