Tenerife is, without doubt, one of the top destinations for all year round visitors, and many of them end up in the capital, Santa Cruz. The year round sunshine and a city filled with cosmopolitan shopping, museums, beaches and attractions are too much for most to resist. In this post, we try to give you a feel of what you can expect when you visit Santa Cruz.
How best to spend a typical 24 hours in the capital? All packed? Then let’s go!
A good breakfast typical of the Canary Islands should see you through the morning. Want to try something local? Go Bananas of course, they’re grown here and shipped worldwide. Perhaps some freshly squeezed orange juice too.
A morning on the beach sounds good – take advantage of the year round climate of pure sunshine, and head for one of the best beaches – Las Teresitas is palm lined and just 10 minutes Northeast of the capital. Lie back and think of England – or perhaps not!
Feeling peckish? Then just behind those swaying beach palms you’ll find more fish restaurants than you can shake a rod at. Try the swordfish, grilled and tasty with just a squeeze of local lemon. Perhaps served with a little of the Canarian specialty – Mojo. A sauce or dip that comes in green or red, green with coriander and parsley is the one for your plate of fish.
After all that good food, you’ll feel the need for some exercise, so take a hike! Tenerife is known worldwide for great walking, Mount Teide must be conquered, especially if you’re a climber or hiker of the serious sort. If you want to stay close to Santa Cruz, then just head to San Andrés, a quaint fishing village with walks and mountains right on the doorstep. Marked trails and maps are widely available, get close to nature on Tenerife!
As evening falls, awaken from your post walk siesta and head out to experience some of the Santa Cruz nightlife. All you’ll need to pack is an open mind, a hedonistic evening awaits! Things start late here, sometimes as late as midnight, enjoy an evening dinner of Old Clothes – Ropa Vieja – actually a stew type of dish made with a medley of meat and chickpeas. Perhaps some Papas Arrugadas – little wrinkled potatoes cooked in salt water and their own jackets.
After dinner, the nightlife of Santa Cruz is your oyster, casino’s and clubs, drag shows and bars by the bucket load – you won’t be bored in Santa Cruz. Don’t bother bringing a watch, they keep going until the sun rises yet again, on another day of fun filled sunshine on the island of Tenerife.
John works for Spain Holiday, the place to look for holiday rentals in Tenerife