Location: Puerto de la Cruz
Top Things to do in Puerto de la Cruz
Top Restaurants in Puerto de la Cruz
Top 10 Nature & Parks in Puerto de la Cruz, Canary Islands
One of Tenerife's top resorts, Puerto de la Cruz is on the north coast of the island. Both Spanish and island traditions are evident in the former fishing village. Its Sardine Festival and annual Carnaval are two highlights of life on the island. Busy, narrow streets of the Old Town, packed with colonial architecture, make walking a safer bet than driving. Popular attractions include Lago Martianez, the casino, Parrot Pool, the Banana Plantation and the Botanical Gardens, which date back to 1788.
Restaurants in Puerto de la Cruz
1. Loro Parque
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 30,048 reviews
Loro Parque is the world-famous and adored by all animal adventure park in the Canaries. Get ready for excitement and fun at this "must see" attraction..
Reviewed By broganmumby
We went on a transfer from Playa de las Americas, which doesn't take as long as they say! Fantastic park with so much to see! Highly recommend the tour that they offer you when you go in as you get to see everything behind the scenes as well such as the vets, penguins and go underneath the orca whale tank to see them! They tell you everything about the place as well and will help you to find out which order to do the shows in! Whale and dolphin shows are a must!! Food is above average but fine for snacks and drinks!
2. Botanical Gardens (Jardin Botanico)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,663 reviews
Reviewed By lunafly4 - Southampton, United Kingdom
One of the attractions of the beautiful Puerto de la Cruz. It is worth going there just to see what a great wealth of plants can be seen in this area. It's such a small nature lesson for everyone, beautiful flowers and amazing trees. Just beautiful !
3. Orotava Valley
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,233 reviews
Reviewed By PaulaH37 - Horsham, United Kingdom
My husband and I visited this charming restaurant which had been recommended in the Tenerife scenic drive book we were following. A charming courtyard, soon filled up with locals. The owner was charming and brought out a lovely bottle of wine, then a delicious grilled cheese and a dish of scrambled eggs, mushrooms and prawns. Definitely recommend.
4. Playa El Bollullo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 958 reviews
Reviewed By GHarr49768 - Market Harborough, United Kingdom
Well worth a walk to admire the views - wear sensible shoes and make sure you take water . Very pleasant walk.
5. Plaza Victor Perez
6. Plaza Benito Perez Galdos
7. Parque Taoro
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 789 reviews
Reviewed By hargrave
We never saw this park area last time we came and glad we did as we had come up to the Lily gardens which we found were closed down. The is a great open space for locals and visitors alike to walk around and generally wind down from the bustle below in the town. Lots of paths and seats flowers and trees have been planted over the years and now looks well established. There is a cafe just below which did very good hot chocolate.
8. Jardin Aquatico
9. Playa Jardin
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 2,699 reviews
Reviewed By Juzzastanton
When and if the red flags are out, this is usually the place to be as you can normally still get a swim in the sea. The guards are out and are super! Just listen to them for your own safety. There are changing rooms and restaurants nearby and sunbeds. You can also just take a towel and relax in the black sand. Fun for all and then afterwards you can walk back along the beachfront taking in the magnificent views of Puerto de la Cruz.
10. Jardin de Orquideas de Sitio Litre
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 808 reviews
The mansion was built in 1730 and it seems was originally the headquarters and wine cellars of a Dutch wine exporting company. In 1774 it was purchased by a Mr.Archibald Little a British merchant whose family owned the house until 1854 (thereby the name Little's Place, in Spanish SITIO LITRE) In 1856 the property was bought by a Mr.Charles Smith whose family have owned the house right up until 1996, a period of 140 years. The historic English garden was first planned by the Little family, and added to by the Smith family. Many famous personalities have spent time in SITIO LITRE either as house guests or simply as guests at the numerous garden parties given in the magic garden. Amongst the most famous house guests were William Wilde, the father of Oscar Wilde, but possibly the most famous of all was Marianne North, the well known botanical painter, who lived in this house for two months in 1875, she is remembered in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London, where all her 832 paintings are on view. Many of her Tenerife works were painted in this garden (and we have placed copies of these around the garden, so you can see that even after 130 years, the garden is practically the same) Party guests were numerous, but to name only three, we can mention Sir Richard Burton, who passed through Tenerife on two occasions between 1860 and 1863, Sir Richard was the first European to enter the holy city of Mecca (dressed as a Muslim), he also discovered lake Tanganika, but he is best known for having translated the three erotic works of the east into English, these being "The Kamasutra", "The perfumed garden" and "The Arabian Nights". Many years later Agatha Christie and her daughter Rosalyn were on holiday in Puerto de la Cruz, the year was 1927 and she had just divorced her first husband, she was so inspired by the gardens that she wrote one of her novels, basing the plot in Puerto de la Cruz "The mysterious Mr.Quin". The first of all these guests should not be forgotten, he was one of the world's most famous discoverers and botanist. The famous German explorer Alexander Von Humboldt, he was the guest of honour at a party given for him on June 23rd 1799 by Mr Archibald Little. The house is still a private residence but the owners have decided to open the gardens to visitors, so they can savour this "Vision of Eden" and view the lovely collection of orchids, possibly the best in the Canary Islands. The SITIO LITRE garden is the oldest surviving garden in Tenerife, now 235 years old. It has been owned continuously by British families since 1774.
Reviewed By elizwelch - London, United Kingdom
This garden is laid out in several sections, each featuring a different range of plants and trees. It includes a pool with many fish swimming in it. There's a 600 year old dragon tree, which was a good backdrop for photographing my husband! We enjoyed the coffee shop in the grounds.
