Beaches
How are the beaches in Puerto de la Cruz? On one side, you will find the largest beach, consisting of the Playa del Castillo, Playa Chica and Playa Grande, a black sand beach. On the other side, you will find the Playa Martianez, closer to town but otherwise pretty similar.
The Playa Martianez has some higher waves and often also some more wind and therefore is pretty popular with surfers. Most often, the one you will go to will be decided by your hotel’s location as they are pretty far from each other.
There are also many different swimming locations in Puerto de la Cruz, but these are pebble beaches or rocky structures to swim from like the Playa del Muelle and Playa San Telmo.
Where to stay in Puerto de la Cruz
There are many great hotels in this area. The only thing you need to watch out for is the location, some are very hard to get to on foot, and it may take a lot of stairs or uphill walking. The most lively area is near the Costa Martianez pools, with the biggest hotels and generally higher prices. The more traditional and relaxed area you will find around the Plaza del Charco, with smaller boutique hotels and lower prices. There are also some great hotels, apartments and nightlife located up the hill behind the Centro Commercial Martianez, but to get anywhere else it takes a lot of walking or a taxi. In a quick summary:
- H10 Tenerife Playa: Excellent location close to the nightlife, restaurants and beach.
- Casablanca apartments: Budget-friendly apartments.
- Puerto Azul: Budget-friendly boutique hotel, with Jacuzzi and rooftop pool, close located in the more authentic Puerto de la Cruz.
- Atypical Capsule hostel: Sleep-pod hostel ideal for solo travellers and couples on a budget.
- Atlantica Mirage Suites & Spa: Adults-only hotel for relaxing holiday by the pool with amazing views over the ocean.
- Hotel Botanico: For a luxurious holiday in a hotel that has been offering them since the seventies with continuous updating and improving and an amazing spa and gardens.
Things to do in Puerto de la Cruz
When staying in Puerto de la Cruz, the main tourist attraction here is the Loro Parque, a great zoo with shows here in the area. There are even little yellow trains going around from the zoo that can take you there for free. This zoo is often visited by people from the other side of the island, about 60 km away, so if you are staying so close by, you should go and look.
If you are looking for something free to do in the resort, Taoro Park is a beautiful park with loads of flowers, waterfalls
There are plenty of shops spread through the resort but not a big shopping centre or shopping street like in some of the other more touristy holiday destinations in Tenerife. One quick word of advice would be to stay away from some of the more tacky electronics stores here. They seem to be selling cheap electronics, but the internet is full of stories from tourists getting ripped off when buying here or ending up with fake brands. If you want to do some intense shopping, the bus can easily take you to Santa Cruz, the capital with many shopping streets and centres.
Restaurants
Puerto de la Cruz has an extensive selection of restaurants. The great thing I find here is that Puerto de la Cruz is also a real town, so not everything is aimed at tourists. Many of the restaurants offer authentic Spanish traditional dishes, tapas and excellent fresh fish. Prices are pretty fair in most places, and all the meals I had were well prepared and served.
Restaurants here you will find all over the area and it seems every street you turn into has more restaurants to discover. Having a little walk around and exploring before sitting down in a restaurant is the best option. Where you hear a lot of Spanish speaking, is where the locals are dining, and this is most often the best place. The streets near the Plaza del Charco, have the best quality and price and the most authentic experience.
Nightlife
Puerto de la Cruz has a pretty active nightlife, especially in the peak season. A lot of it is aimed at an older generation who like to come here to do some dancing and drink cocktails, but there are also some clubs for those younger. Keep in mind that these might only be open on the weekends or be closed for some weeks outside of the school and university holidays. However, the dancing for the older generation is an all year round thing with many live musicians playing to this audience.
Tenerife airport to Puerto de la Cruz
Puerto de la Cruz is 27 km away from the Tenerife North Airport:
- Public transport: 5 euro
- Shuttle bus: Not available if you don’t have a packaged holiday
- Taxi: 35 euro
Puerto de la Cruz is 88 km away from the Tenerife South Airport:
- Public transport: 14 euro
- Shuttle bus: 18 euro
- Taxi: 104 euro
Have a look here for some essential things you need to know about buses, shuttles
