Puerto de la Cruz

Long before Spanish settlement, the territory now occupied by Puerto de la Cruz was home to the Guanche people, subjects of the kingdom of Taoro. They lived in natural caves on the cliffs of Martiánez, and left behind necropolises and ceremonial rock carvings — bowls and channels cut into stone — that have since been designated an archaeological zone.

European interest in the area grew sharply in the 19th century, when the Valle de La Orotava drew a wave of scientists and artists to the islands. Figures such as Sabin Berthelot, Philip Barker Webb, Leopold von Buch, and Elizabeth Murray came with genuine scholarly purpose, and their accounts spread knowledge of the valley's climate, landscapes, and agricultural produce across Europe. The wines of northern Tenerife had already earned a mention centuries earlier — William Shakespeare referenced them through characters in his plays.

Tourism followed from that reputation. By the late 19th century it had become a real economic force, and it was in those years that the Gran Hotel Taoro was built and older family houses — among them Casa Marquesa and Casa Monopol — were converted into the town's first hotels. The real turning point came in the 1950s, when a full-scale tourist boom transformed Puerto de la Cruz into the main resort on the island. Urban development expanded quickly, with significant consequences for the natural coastline and agricultural land.

The town was officially granted city status by ministerial decree on 26 July 1956, recognised for its cultural, economic, demographic, and tourist importance within the Canary Islands. In 1977, the separatist group MPAIAC carried out two bomb attacks in the city — one against the tourist office in September, and one against the Hotel Botánico in December, injuring two tourists.

Puerto de la Cruz holds a substantial collection of listed heritage sites across several categories.

The oldest surviving religious buildings include the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia, first built in 1697 and extended over time, and the Ermita de San Juan Bautista, which dates to an earlier century and is now a side nave of the Iglesia de San Francisco. The latter stands out for its Renaissance and Baroque altarpieces. Other protected religious structures include the Ermita de San Telmo and the Ermita de San Nicolás de Tolentino.

The Castillo de San Felipe was built to defend the town against pirate attacks and today serves as a cultural venue for concerts, poetry readings, and exhibitions. The Casa de la Real Aduana, founded in 1620 as a customs house and administrator's residence, has been restored by the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife and now contains a craft shop on the ground floor and the Eduardo Westerdahl Museum of Contemporary Art above.

La Casa Amarilla has an unusual distinction: between 1913 and 1918 it housed the Anthropoid Research Station of Tenerife, set up by the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin and led by the psychologist Wolfgang Köhler, making it what is considered the first centre for primate studies in history.

The Jardín de Aclimatación de la Orotava, founded in 1788, is a listed historic garden. César Manrique designed two major public spaces: the Lago de la Costa de Martiánez, a leisure complex of pools and lakes opened in 1977, and Playa Jardín, a black-sand beach reworked with gardens, breakwaters, bars, and restaurants. The Jardín Sitio Litre, a historic house with tropical and subtropical gardens, once received Agatha Christie and Alexander von Humboldt as guests and is open to visitors today.

The Plaza del Charco is the town's main public square and commercial hub. The Paseo de San Telmo is a busy seafront walkway. Loro Parque, a zoo of 135,000 m² specialising in parrot conservation, has been open for over 30 years and has received more than 40 million visitors. The Museo Arqueológico holds pre-Hispanic pieces including the Guanche idol of Guatimac. The Hotel Taoro, one of the first hotels in all of the Canary Islands (1890), later became a casino and is currently being considered for restoration to its original use.

Most visitors arrive by package deal. From Tenerife South (Reina Sofía) airport, a taxi costs around €100; from Tenerife North (Los Rodeos), used mainly for flights from mainland Spain, taxis are shorter. The Titsa express bus 343 connects both airports to Puerto de la Cruz but runs only four times a day.

A one-way ticket from Aeropuerto Sur costs €14.60 cash or €9.60 with a prepaid ten-journey card; from Aeropuerto Norte it is €12.40 cash or €8.90 with the card. Cash fares are paid to the driver — exact change not required. The last 343 from Aeropuerto Sur departs at 21:30 Monday–Friday and 19:20 Saturday–Sunday.

For Santa Cruz, Línea 103 takes about 45 minutes via motorway; Línea 102 makes more stops and takes around an hour. Línea 325 runs south to Los Gigantes. The old town has many affordable restaurants; expect to pay €15–20 for grilled fish, Canarian potatoes, water, and possibly a starter.

Several supermarkets serve self-caterers.