Puerto de la Cruz lies in the north of Tenerife in the Orotava valley. The north of the island has much more precipitation than the south and this is reflected in its greener landscape with its many flowering bushes and trees. With year round warm sunshine Puerto de la Cruz is the perfect place to escape from our dark dreary winters.
A Puerto de la Cruz holiday offers warm sunshine in both summer and winter. It is an historic town with some buildings surviving from the seventeenth century. The beaches here are made of fairly fine grey sand. While bathing is considered safe care must be taken as there can sometimes be strong under currents. Puerto de la Cruz is said by some to provide the best food on the island and there are very many small family restaurants that do their best to prove this is so. There is an abundance of lively evening entertainment.
Puerto de la Cruz has widespread appeal. It is the ideal holiday for sun lovers, water sport enthusiasts, families with children, and couples of all ages. The lively nightlife also attracts many young people.
Puerto de la Cruz is a year round holiday destination having pleasantly hot summers and warm winters. Although there is occasional rain there is no specific rainy season and showers are short.
Puerto de la Cruz lies in the fertile north of the island. It was a popular holiday destination decades before the package holiday boom. Wealthy Europeans would travel here in the winter in the hope that it would be beneficial to their health.
In the centre of the old town is the rather grand Charco Square, bordered by palms and laurel trees with a fountain in the middle. Pavement cafes and small restaurants are shaded by the trees and it is an ideal spot to sit and relax watching the world go about its business.The old buildings are illuminated at night adding to the atmosphere.
Playa Jardin, a grey sandy beach, has many colourful blossoming bushes and flowers along its length. Although the beach shelves gently into the sea, it must be remembered that this is the Atlantic Ocean and there can be strong under currents. Water sports include jet skiing, wind surfing, banana boating, sailing and diving. Tenerife is one of the best places for deep sea safaris and trips can be taken from the harbour.
The port area is very busy with cruise ships regularly docking and fishing boats returning with their catch.
To the east is the new town with many expensive boutiques and jewellers. The most popular bars and discos are found here.
Among the many attractions on the island is Siam Park, a recently opened themed water park with animals as well as water rides. The children’s jungle area is also very popular. Loro Park has some very beautiful birds as well as a host of other animals. Animals are kept in habitats that closely resemble their natural surroundings. The penguins enjoy their own Antarctic island in minus two degrees, perhaps a better option than being huddled together, backs to the wind, in minus forty.
A Puerto de la Cruz holiday offers sunshine, sand and sea in a town with an authentic Canary Island atmosphere.
The area around Avenida de Colon is most popular with the young and those looking for a lively night scene. Here bars with dance floors and discos remain open until the early hours of the morning. There are many quiet restaurants where couples can enjoy a relaxed meal in pleasant surroundings.
One of the attractions of shopping in Tenerife is that it is tax free. Perfume, alcohol, cigarettes, cameras and electronic goods are all considerably cheaper. Puerto de la Cruz has many fine boutiques and specialist shops. There has been a problem with counterfeit goods so be on your guard for such scams. The Saturday market sells many hand crafted items ideal for gifts and holiday mementoes.
The high quality of restaurants in Puerto de la Cruz can not be denied. Although there are English pubs serving the usual pub fare, and there is one fast food outlet, the vast majority of eating places are small family run restaurants serving excellent food. If you eat where the locals eat you will not be disappointed. There is a rather exotic restaurant called ‘El Sultan’ where you can be entertained by belly dancers while dining.
