Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain)
According to cheeroutdoor, Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. It is located on the coast in the northeastern part of the island and is surrounded by the ridges of the Anaga mountain range.
Even during the time of the conquistadors, Santa Cruz de Tenerife became an important port, today it is the third most important port in Spain and connects the most important trade routes between Europe, America and Africa. Every day, many ships from different countries arrive here and stop on cruises. The city was founded at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries on the site where there was a wooden cross, installed by the first Spaniards who arrived on the island. Over time Santa Cruztransformed into a modern Spanish city, with a labyrinth of narrow shopping streets, parks and squares intersected by wide, busy avenues.
The whole city can be explored on foot. The main attractions are concentrated at the Plaza de España. On the square itself there is a memorial dedicated to the soldiers who fell in the Civil War of 1936-39, and in its vicinity – the Baroque church of St. Francis (17-18 centuries), Plaza Candelaria square, the Church of Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción (16th-18th centuries), where the “Cross of the Conqueror” (a symbol of the capture of the Canary Islands by the Spaniards) is kept, Map Palace(17th century), the pedestrian street Calle Castillo departing from Plaza Candelaria with shops, the Mercado de Nuestra Señora de Africa city market and, of course, museums: the Archaeological and Anthropological Museum, which contains a collection of artifacts from the culture of the indigenous the population of the Guanache Islands (mummies from caves, weapons, tools, utensils, jewelry); Military Museum, where you can see armor and weapons from different times, starting with the conquistadors, and a cannon, from which Admiral Nelson’s hand was shot off, whose troops tried to capture Santa Cruz in the 18th century; Museum of Fine Arts and Museum of Nature. From the modern symbols of Santa Cruz the quaint building of the opera Auditorio Tenerife, which was erected in 2003, and the twin towers, reaching a height of 120 m, stand out. Santa Cruz is one of the greenest cities in the archipelago, trees and flowers grow on almost every street. You can stroll through the largest park in the Canary Islands – Garcia-Sanabria with an area of 67,000 sq.m.
Every year, a week before the day of repentance (February-March), Carnival is held in Santa Cruz, which is the most important and most colorful in all of Europe. At this time, many foreigners come to the city to take part in it. Preparing for the carnival takes months. It all starts with the selection of a queen, then a parade of horses is held. On weekends, the city turns into a small Rio de Janeiro, the atmosphere of a cheerful revelry and celebration reigns here.
From the eastern outskirts of Santa Cruz, Las Teresitas beach stretches for 1.5 km. This is one of the few beaches on the island, which is composed of yellow sand, not volcanic. Sand was brought here from the Sahara.
Around Santa Cruz there are several dive sites suitable for divers of all skill levels. In the local waters, the coral reefs Devil’s Reef, Garden, Wall, the underwater caves of Groupers Cave and La Cueva Del Roquete and the sunken 70 -meter vessel Carbonero (Carbonero), chosen by sharks, rays and barracudas.
From Santa Cruz, it is proposed to go on a hiking trip around the Anaga mountains surrounding the city, which occupy the entire northeastern part of the island of Tenerife. From the north, Santa Cruz adjoins the ancient capital of Tenerife – the city of La Laguna. (La Laguna), which to this day is the cultural center of the island. 30 km southwest, it is worth visiting the ancient city of La Orotava with colonial buildings and Puerto de la Cruz, where the famous parrot park Lora Parque is located. Also from Santa Cruz you can go inland to the extinct volcano Teide (3718 m), which is protected by the national park of the same name (Teide national park); to the east coast, where the religious center of Tenerife – the city of Candelaria – and the city of Guimar with the ethnographic park of the Pyramids of Guimar are located; or to the south of Tenerife, where the most popular resort towns of El Medano, Playa de las Americas, Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje are located.
