One of the best things to do on holiday in Tenerife is to stroll through the streets of its fabulous towns and cities. To begin with, an excellent way to end the route on the east coast of the island is to visit the fabulous Valle de La Orotava.
The center of the town of Orotava is classified as a historical-artistic and monumental complex. Its narrow streets contain an extraordinary color, which preserves beautiful houses from the time of the first conquerors.
All the tourist attractions to see in La Orotava are located in its historic quarter. So the best thing to do is park your car right on the edge and explore its steep streets on foot.
A tour of La Laguna
To the north, one of the most valuable historical points on the island is the historic city of La Laguna, formerly the capital of the island. It has been completely remodeled after being declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is a beautiful town to walk around and contemplate its monuments and colorful palatial houses.
La Laguna was the cradle of the Renaissance in the following century of the Enlightenment in the Canary Islands. The discovery of America lessened the interest of the colonists who preferred to emigrate to America instead of the Canary Islands, which is why they had to be offered incentives in the form of land. The settlers were Galician, Andalusian and Portuguese experts in the cultivation of sugar cane, the first monoculture in the Canary Islands.
At that time, La Laguna contained most of the island’s population. Little by little, La Laguna began to lose economic importance compared to Santa Cruz, due to the development of the Port of Santa Cruz, after the eruption that destroyed the port of Garachico. Despite this, La Laguna continues to be the intellectual capital of the Canary Islands, housing the University of La Laguna. Due to its extensive Catholic tradition, it was also the seat of the Bishopric of Tenerife. In 1999 the historic center of San Cristóbal de La Laguna was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest.
And a little further to the east, we cannot forget to get to know the capital of Tenerife, Santa Cruz, by taking a walk through its streets: The Church of the Immaculate Conception, Plaza de España, Cuartel de Almeida, the Nuestra Señora de África Market, the Rambla de Santa Cruz, the Museum of Nature and El Hombre and the Tenerife Auditorium.