One of Tenerife’s gems: Puerto de la Cruz

The historic quarter of the district of Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife combines a long history with a nautical flavour, as up to the 18th Century it was the port of the town of La Orotava. It is now a lively tourist resort and has been since the 19th Century, when it was one of the pioneering tourist resorts in Spain and Europe. From the central Plaza del Charco, the pedestrian streets lead passers-by to buildings of great historical value, such as the Chapel of San Telmo, the Casa Miranda, the old Hotel Marquesa, the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia and the Casa de la Aduana. Next to the harbour is the equally charming fishing neighbourhood of La Ranilla. A little further away are the Botanical Gardens founded in the 17th Century to acclimatise plant species brought from South America, Africa and Asia.