TRAVEL GUIDES DIRECTORY: TENERIFE HOLIDAY PUERTO DE LA CRUZ

PLACES OF INTEREST

Puerto de la Cruz is a pleasant little rustic colonial town. Because of its small area, it is easy to cover the entire town in a leisurely stroll in a day or two.

Puerto de la Cruz 's heart is its plaza major, called Plaza del Charco . The spot has been the town plaza since the 18 th century. Palm trees and Indian laurels line the plaza and provide shade, making the plaza a delightful place to sit or stroll around in. During La Carnaval, the heaviest partying takes place here.

From the town plaza, other places of interest are accessible. To the west, one can find 18 th century buildings showcasing traditional Spanish architecture. To the south, the street called Calle Blanco extends. Tourists frequent this street for the various shops and stalls. To the east, the Calle de Quintana runs from the plaza through the Plaza del Doctor Victor Perez through the Plaza de Iglesia and finally to La Punta del Viento .

Adjacent to the Plaza de Victor Perez lies the impressive Iglesia de San Francisco , one of the two oldest religious and civil buildings in the entire Puerto de la Cruz (the other being the Hermitage of La Paz). The Iglesia de San Francisco was built sometime between 1598 and 1608, a monument dedicated to St. John the Baptist.

A good ways off from Plaza del Charco, following Calle de Quintana, lies the Plaza de la Iglesia. The La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia dominates the entire plaza. Originally a tiny chapel built in 1603, in 1697 it was converted to a church.

The Paseo de San Telmo is the town's promenade. An old convent used to exist on the site which gave the street its name. Before the convent came to be, an old hermitage existed on the site which was handed over to the friars of the Order of Santo Domingo. The friars built the Dominican convent of San Pedro Gonzalez Telmo in 1659. Unfortunately, on the evening of December 19, 1778, a great fire destroyed the convent and a substantial part of the town, including the Franciscan convent in the Parque de San Francisco among other buildings.

At the end of Paseo de San Telmo is the Ermita de San Telmo. This hermitage was founded in 1780 by the Mareantes Guild and was dedicated to San Pedro Gonzalez Telmo. A figurine of the saint, who also happens to be the patron saint of seamen, can be found inside the hermitage's chapel. In the chapel square lie the ruins of sentry houses. Below the ruined battlements can be found the Plaza de Europa, a calm and quiet square.

The Castillo de San Felipe, also known as the Old Port Castle, is a 17 th century fort close to one of the town's beaches, Playa Jardin. It is one of the three fortifications that were constructed to protect the town from pirates and invaders. The castle has been converted to the Cultural Arts Center, and it plays host to small concerts, recitals, and art exhibitions.

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