Hotels in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the vibrant capital of Tenerife and co-capital of the Canary Islands, a cosmopolitan port city that stretches along the northeastern coast at the foot of the Anaga mountains. The city's most iconic landmark is the Auditorio de Tenerife, a breathtaking concert hall designed by Santiago Calatrava whose sweeping white wave-like roof has become the architectural symbol of the entire archipelago. The grand Plaza de Espana, the city's central square, has been beautifully redesigned with a large reflective pool surrounded by mature trees, fountains and terraces where locals and visitors gather throughout the day. Santa Cruz is renowned worldwide for its annual Carnival, widely considered the second largest and most spectacular after Rio de Janeiro, when the city erupts in weeks of glittering costumes, elaborate parades, dance competitions and non-stop music each February. The Palmetum, built on a reclaimed former landfill site, houses the largest botanical collection of palm trees in Europe, with over 400 species set within beautifully landscaped gardens overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Parque Garcia Sanabria, one of the finest urban parks in the Canary Islands, combines lush subtropical vegetation with an open-air sculpture museum featuring works by international artists. The historic Mercado de Nuestra Senora de Africa is a bustling market hall where vendors sell fresh tropical fruits, local cheeses, flowers and artisan crafts beneath elegant arched colonnades inspired by North African architecture. Culture thrives in venues such as TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes, a striking contemporary arts centre designed by Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron, and the Iglesia de San Francisco, regarded as the finest example of Baroque architecture in the Canary Islands. The golden-sand beach of Playa de Las Teresitas, created with sand imported from the Sahara Desert, lies just north of the city in the sheltered village of San Andres, offering calm turquoise waters framed by palm trees and the dramatic green ridges of Anaga. Santa Cruz combines the energy of a working Atlantic port city with wide pedestrianised shopping streets, acclaimed restaurants serving both international and Canarian cuisine, and a cultural calendar that makes it one of the most rewarding urban destinations in the entire Canary Islands.