Santa Cruz de Tenerife - the Proud Capital of the Canary Islands

Santa Cruz is the biggest town on Tenerife, hanging below the glaucous Anaga mountains right on the waterfront. With its population of about 200 thousand people, Santa Cruz is one of the two capital towns of the self-governed region of the Canary Islands. The second capital town is Las Palmas. There are a number of representative government buildings in Santa Cruz making it look like a metropolis. Between the buildings and town houses, there are surprisingly many green park areas and plazas with beautiful fountains. In the centre you will find a great pedestrian area with numerous boutiques and amazing small shops as well as a huge variety of cafes, bars and restaurants of all kinds. With a little bit of luck, charter guests can enjoy beautiful nights of the open air festival on the Plaza de Espana. The town is well known for its cultural events. The symphony orchestra of Santa Cruz is one of the best in Europe. Walking along the port boulevard, you will pass by the building of the island government “Cabilo Insular” with its impressive watch tower. By the way, this building also houses the international tourist office. One of the best places to relax after a long walk through the town is the southern side of the Plaza del Principe de Asturias. Once this place was a monastery yard. Its huge Indian laurel trees give shadow to this side of plaza, making it to a real oasis in hot summer days. On the south-eastern side of the same square, the museum of the town is situated, where you can observe interesting treasures from the past. In the beautiful town park of Santa Cruz you can find the most plants of the Canarian biodiversity. There are also some architectural hotspots such as the church of Nuestra Senora de la Conception, which shows some style characteristics of the Canarian architecture, for instance, the balkony above the main portal belongs to the typical elements of the Canarian architectural style. The most famous Canarian composer Teobaldo Power was buried in one of the side chapels of the church. In the souht-western part of the town, one of the most uncommon art galeries is situated: El Tanque. As the name “The Tank” says, different art exhibitions, workshops and seminars regularly take place inside of an old oil tank with a radius of 50 metres. The Museo de Naturaleza y Homre (Museum of Nature and Humen), which has become different prices, is situated in the old hospital building. Its archaeological department shows impressive exhibits like mummies, idols and ceramics from the ancient Canarian life and is really worth seeing. If you are interested in arts, you should visit the Museo de Bellas Artes, where you can get an impression of some Canarian artists. Apart of it, the museum also shows works of some European artists. It is situated in the Calle Jose Murphy 12, opening on working days from 10 am till 7:30 pm. You will get a good overview of all sightseeings and activities in the main tourist office at Plaza de Espana 1.

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