Puerto de la Cruz
Puerto de la Cruz is the most popular tourist resort in the north of Tenerife. Most tourists land in the Reina Sofia airport on the southern part of the island, which is 88 kilometres from Puerto de la Cruz. The trip takes just over an hour by car.
One of the best hotels in town is the 4-star H10 Tenerife Playa, which has a unique location close to the beach, city and lago martiánez water park.
The beach Playa Jardin
Lanzarote-born artist César Manrique is the talent behind Playa Jardín, the picturesque main beach in Puerto de la Cruz.
The beach has recently been completely redeveloped with soft, dark-coloured volcanic sand extracted from the seabed. The result is a fabulous one kilometre long beach lined with beautiful tropical gardens, hence the name ‘garden beach’. The water is clear and the swimming area is protected by breakwaters.
Beach facilities include several sections with sun beds, parasols, showers and toilets. The beach is one of eight beaches in Tenerife awarded with the European Blue Flag.
Playa Martiánez can be found in the north western part of town. The beach is covered in dark lava sand, but there are plenty of stones by the edge of the water. Families with children might prefer Playa Jardin while surfers and others in search of waves will love Playa Martiánez. Note that there isn’t a lifeguard.
Child friendliness
Soft sand and calm water make Playa Jardin a good choice for families with children. Playa Martiánez isn’t particularly child-friendly.
Water sports
Playa Jardin offers pedalo rental while Playa Martiánez is a popular destination for surfers. There’s even a surf school located behind the beach.
Beach restaurants
There are a great selection of restaurants/cafés close to the beach.
The resort Puerto de la Cruz
Year after year, the former fishing village of Puerto de la Cruz is a favorite amongst visitors to Tenerife.
It has retained a great deal of its original architecture and charm. Especially in the narrow streets of the pretty Old Town, which are lined with traditional colonial-style restaurants, cafés and bars.
Puerto de la Cruz is known for its many festivals. The most famous being the annual carnival in February and the Sardine Festival in July.
Popular attractions in Puerto de la Cruz include the animal adventure park Loro Parque and the huge water park Lago Martiánez (photo above). Puerto de la Cruz also has one of the most prestigious casinos in Spain.
Puerto de la Cruz map
