Lush gardens, an interesting architecture dressed in bright colours, and pretty squares surrounded by cafes are some of the attractions you’ll find in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, one of the capitals of the Canary Islands.
After spending an entire day exploring the city I created this 1-day itinerary that you can easily do on foot, or from the cruise ship and ferry port. For further reference, check out the map at the bottom of the list.
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These are the best things to do in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in one day
Table of Contents
Visit the Palmetum Botanical Garden
Start the day visiting the Palmetum Botanical Garden, where not only will you walk amongst one of the largest collections of palms from around the world, but also on a beautiful garden created on top of a pile of buried garbage.
This sustainable project transformed a dumpster that looked like a hill of trash into a green hill that is home to a 100% ecological park: they use reclaimed water for irrigation, organic waste to nurture the soil and natural pest control to forego the use pesticides and herbicides.
A winding concrete path takes you through the 12-hectare (30-acre) garden, where plants are grouped by place of origin. We took a self-guided tour, which comes with a map indicating points of interest, including several scenic views, and a description of what you’re seeing.
On the first section you’ll find plants that grow in the warmth of the woodlands of the Canary Islands, including the weird-looking Canary Island dragon tree (also known as Drago) (Dracaena Draco), and the ubiquitous Canary Island date palm tree, found all over the world.
From Madagascar, you’ll see a tree that lasts for centuries and that kept The Little Prince busy on his planet every day: the baobab. Unfortunately, I wasn’t there between June and October so I didn’t see its beautiful flowers.
Next stop was at the lake, where you’ll see mangroves, more palms, and birds such as little egrets, gray herons, and moorhens.
Bromeliads from Brazil and huge agaves flank the path before you encounter two Cuban royal palms, one of the tallest palm trees (it can reach 30 metres (98 feet) high).
A few steps ahead is one of the best viewpoints of the Palmetum Botanical Garden, from where you can see Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Since this is the only nearby hill, it’s your best chance to take a bird’s eye view of the city and its iconic buildings designed by Santiago Calatrava, such as the Adan Martin Auditorium and the Tenerife Exhibition Centre. In the distance stands part of the Anaga mountain range.
There are a couple more lookouts ahead with good sea views.
The Octagon is the last section: a shaded, cooler area sheltering delicate species. It has plants from the “New World”, surrounding the taller waterfall, dotted with ferns where you can see climbing palms. The plants from the “Old World” gather around the lower waterfall. I fell in love with the fruit of the clown fig tree.
The Palmetum Botanical Garden claims to be the best spot for birdwatching in Santa Cruz. Check it out and see how many birds you can see during your visit, including migratory species. Here are a couple more birds I spotted during mine.
Avda. de la Constitucion, 5, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Open every day: 10AM-6PM (last entry at 5PM); General admission: €6 (Guided tours available for an additional cost, must be booked in advance).
Eat at The Market of Our Lady of Africa (Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África)
By the time you leave the Palmetum it may be time to go for a bite and a good spot to eat in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the Market of Our Lady of Africa, where you’ll find eateries with fresh seafood and local specialties.
You’ll be able to try a good selection of cheese with a glass of wine from the Canary Islands in addition to find fresh produce and handicrafts.
Avenida de San Sebastian, 51; Market open Mon. to San.: 7AM-2PM and Sun..: 7AM-2PM; Mall inside the market open Mon. to Sat.: 9AM-9PM and Sun.: 9AM-3PM.
Check Out the Art Exhibits at Tenerife Espacio de las Artes
Right across the market you’ll find the Tenerife Espacio de las Artes, a cultural centre in the heart of Tenerife’s historic centre where you can check out contemporary art exhibits and watch an independent film if you’re staying overnight.
The architecture of the building (designed by the Herzog & De Meuron architectural firm) is a work of art in itself, where lines and planes play an interesting game with reflections on the curtain wall.
The space also has a cafeteria and a shop with unique arts and crafts.
Tenerife Espacio de las Artes
Avenida de San Sebastian, 10; Open Tue. to Sun.: 10AM-8PM
Take your Picture at Plaza de España
Plaza de Espana is the largest square in the Canary Islands, located steps away from the port of Santa Cruz. Up to 1928 you could walk on the remains of a big castle that, centuries ago, defended the city against pirate attacks. The San Cristobal castle was demolished and a year later the government built the square.
You can see a small section of the castle’s walls (along with a cannon and some historical information) when you take the steps down to the free underground museum, on the east side of the square ( the side closer to the ocean).
In the early 2000s the square was remodeled by the Herzog & De Meuron architectural firm.
Here, you can take your picture with the Santa Cruz letters and walk around a huge, reflective man-made pond with a fountain, which unfortunately was empty when I visited.
Plaza de España is a good point to start walking west, towards the historic centre of Tenerife.
Stop at La Candelaria Square
Once part of a 16th century castle that no longer exists, this historic square has a fountain that provided fresh water to the people of Tenerife and the ships that visited the port.
After many transformations, you can still check out a monument from the 18th century by an Italian sculptor, the Triunfo de La Candelaria (Triumph of La Candelaria), dedicated to the Virgin of the Canary Islands.
Gaze at the Local Architecture
From La Candelaria Square I ventured deep into Tenerife’s historic center, wandering around its pedestrian streets, like Calle del Castillo, to gaze at the bright-coloured buildings in a mix of architectural styles including neoclassical and baroque, with a local twist.
As you’ll find in other towns in Tenerife, beautiful balconies are a thing here. My favourites are the wooden ones with Mudejar elements and the wrought-iron ones with intricate details.
And sometimes you find a pastiche (or mega eclectic, if you prefer) that makes you go huh?!?, but that somehow works, such as La Lucha building. This was a former tobacco factory located on the corner of Calle Suárez Guerra and Calle El Pilar.
Every few blocks you can stop at lovely squares to have a drink, like the Santo Domingo Square. It has a fountain from the 19th century and a sculpture titled “Aguadora de Santa Cruz”, by Medin Martin.
Or the well-delimited Principe de Asturias Square, also from the 19th century, which was part of a Franciscan convent and features statues, a gazebo and Indian laurel trees from Cuba.
At El Chicharro Square you’ll also find a good selection of cafes. The main features are a Drago tree, an important symbol of the Canary Islands, and the sculpture of a fish: the chicharro.
This cheap fish was a staple in the diet of the fishermen in Santa Cruz, which is why people from San Cristóbal de La Laguna (former capital of the Canary Islands) started calling them Chicharreros, a derogatory term that people from Santa Cruz embraced and carried with pride, even today.
Stroll Along Garcia Sanabria Park
Visiting this medium-sized beautiful park was one of my favourite things to do in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The place is like a mini botanic park where you can see many local and exotic trees lined up along circular paths.
Walk past statues to enter a promenade made with arches dotted with flowers, see cacti in the desert garden, and spot tons of frogs in the aquatic garden among the water lilies.
The Garcia Sanabria park is also home to several monuments and sculptures as well as fountains, a floral clock, and many birds. Keep your eyes peeled for the rose-ringed parakeets nesting inside the palm trees.
After a walk in the park you can relax at the onsite café.
Enjoy Art Performances at the Tenerife Auditorium
The Tenerife Auditorium Adan Martin, designed by renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, raises its white roof against the blue sea like giant waves. Inside this mammoth you can listen to opera and concerts, see dance performances and plays.
You can check the schedule of events here to see if there’s a function you would like to attend during your visit.
Avenida La Constitucion, 1
Check out the map below with the location of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife attractions I listed and some reference points like the bus station and the cruise ship and ferry port.
Where to Stay in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
If you’re planning to stay overnight in Santa Cruz de Tenerife check out the accommodations options in the city with the map below.
How to Get to Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Since traffic in Santa Cruz is kind of crazy and finding parking is challenging, I don’t recommend you to drive around the city.
You can take the green public buses, called guaguas (pronounced GHOUA-ghouas), to the Santa Cruz intercambiador (main bus station), located just steps away from Auditorium, and walk from there.
From San Cristobal de La Laguna you can take the tram, which also arrives at the intercambiador in Santa Cruz.
If you reach Santa Cruz on a cruise ship or in a ferry, it will be only a 15-minute walk to Plaza de España.
If you rent a car in Tenerife and decide to drive to the city, you can park at the auditorium or at the Palmetum Botanical Garden and walk from there.
Spend a day in Santa Cruz de Tenerife walking the streets of the historic centre from square to square, strolling along gardens, and checking out different artistic manifestations. You’ll find enough things to do to keep you busy and entertained.
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BOOKING FLIGHTS AND ACCOMMODATIONS
Book your flight without losing your shirt
We check Momondo to find great deals to book our flights. Also, check Great Escape: it combines the listings from Expedia, Kiwi, Kayak, (and Skyscanner on the premium service) to find the best airfares.
To find a place to stay for less
Booking.com: you’ll find any type of property you can think of in their massive listing, with one of the most comprehensive filters. We’ve found great deals on boutique hotels, apartments, and private rooms in hostels.
Hotwire: the first site I check when we plan to stay at a hotel for a few nights. You can save anything from 20% to 60%. Use the search filter to find what you want and you’ll end up with three listings that match your criteria. You’ll know which one you’ll get after you book. If you can handle a little bit of uncertainty you can score big savings.
House Sitting: you take care of people’s pets and house for free while staying for free. It’s the closest thing to experiencing a place “like a local”. But it comes with responsibilities… Are you an animal lover? It may become your new way to travel.
To get travel insurance
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Check the full list of travel resources on my Resource Page for more options and savings
