Tenerife North – Santa Cruz, La Laguna and Puerto de la Cruz

This article is about the landscapes, towns and villages of northern Tenerife.
If you have only been to the south of Tenerife, for example Los Cristianos, you may be surprised by how big the difference between north and south really is.

If you’re interested in hiking, you can read more about that in this article: Tenerife North– Hiking
If you’re not planning to hike, this article can just as well be used as a guide for road trips or sightseeing by public bus.

Southern Tenerife is dry. High up you’ll find arid cactus landscapes before pine forests take over. From La Laguna / Santa Cruz and further north, a mountain range rises with peaks exceeding 1,000 metres. This area receives a fair amount of rain, and the cloud cover releases moisture, making everything very green. At the top you’ll find laurisilva (laurel forest), the same type found on La Gomera. See La Gomera

But it’s green much further down as well, with coniferous trees, scrubland and cultivated fields. Only below about 200 metres above sea level does it become drier and cacti start to dominate. In the lowlands, steep and deep valleys cut into the island, creating dramatic scenery.

There are plenty of hiking trails here, and it’s easy to get around by car and bus. If you rent a car, be prepared for narrow, winding and tiring mountain roads. Bus connections are surprisingly good, and it’s actually unnecessary to rent a car.

Read about southern Tenerife here: Tenerife South

La Laguna

The capital and largest city on Tenerife is Santa Cruz de Tenerife, located by the sea. It has grown together with La Laguna, which lies higher up and further inland. Together, the two cities and surrounding areas have around 500,000 inhabitants.

La Laguna, the original capital, has a large historic centre listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the oldest buildings dating back to the 16th century. There are plenty of small restaurants and shops, and a moderate number of tourists.

It’s a pleasant city to wander around and soak up the historic atmosphere. Perhaps stop for a refreshment at an outdoor café, or get a bit cultural with a visit to the Museo de Historia y Antropología de Tenerife. The museum provides an overview of the island’s history. Not overwhelmingly fascinating, but the building itself is definitely worth seeing.

If you plan to stay for a few days to hike in the mountains, La Laguna is a good choice, with many buses heading to the northern mountain areas. All depart from the bus terminal, La Laguna Intercambiador.

The two cities are connected by a very efficient tram line, making it easy to travel back and forth. The tram passes the intercambiador in both La Laguna and Santa Cruz, and terminates in La Laguna’s old town. A good tip is to find accommodation near the tram line for quick and easy transport.

Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz has only a small old town, but the rest of the city centre is very pleasant to walk around. The entire centre is a network of pedestrian streets with restaurants and shops. Two wide pedestrian streets with outdoor dining dominate, but feel free to explore the side streets, where you’ll find more intimate restaurants. The large park Parque García Sanabria is a great place to relax or wander around and study the various palm trees and plants.

For dining, Santa Cruz is a better choice than La Laguna. In La Laguna’s old town, it sometimes feels as if restaurants are obliged to serve only salads, tapas and pizza. In Santa Cruz, the selection is much better, with many places offering a reasonably priced daily menu, comida del día. Although La Laguna’s old town is charming, I personally prefer Santa Cruz, which feels much more varied.

There’s plenty to do, even on a rainy day. Concerts are held regularly, and there are many museums.
TEA – Tenerife Espacio de las Artes is located in an architecturally striking building right by the city centre and mainly features modern Spanish art. When we last visited in January 2026, there was a large and fascinating exhibition of paintings by Néstor, a Canarian artist. The library on the ground floor is also worth a visit.

If you prefer classical art, Museo de Bellas Artes is located on a side street off Bethencourt Alfonso, the main pedestrian street. Both museums have free admission.

Museum of Illusions Tenerife is a 700 m² interactive exhibition in Santa Cruz de Tenerife that blends science, art and perception through optical illusions. It’s housed in a historic tobacco factory from 1928 and is a great place to visit with children.

If you’re lucky enough to be here in early February, you can experience the carnival, the second largest in the world. The dates vary from year to year, so check before booking your trip.

San Andrés og Playa de Las Teresitas

If you feel like going to the beach, there’s a large one just north of Santa Cruz near San Andrés: Playa de Las Teresitas. Unlike most other beaches in the area, it has light-coloured sand. San Andrés is a small village with cosy little restaurants where you’re unlikely to encounter many tourists.Vil du på stranden en tur er det en stor strand litt nord for Santa Cruz ved San Andrés, Playa de Las Teresitas. Ulikt de andre strendene i området har denne lys sand. San Andrés er et lite tettsted med trivelige små restauranter hvor du ikke møter andre turister.

Puerto de la Cruz

There’s nothing wrong with booking a package holiday to Tenerife. The most typical destinations are in the south of the island, Los Cristianos and Playa de las Américas, which you can read about here: Tenerife South

In the north, Puerto de la Cruz is the main destination, about an hour by bus from La Laguna. Unlike the southern resorts mentioned above, this is a real town, not just a collection of huge hotels with little local life. There are indeed many large hotels in Puerto de la Cruz as well, but they don’t dominate to the same extent as in Playa de las Américas.

The town has a clearly defined centre with an old town full of restaurants — and even more tourists. The old town is pleasant to stroll through, but it can’t compare to La Laguna, which has the largest and most authentic historic centre of all the Canary Islands.

From Puerto de la Cruz, hiking up the slopes towards Teide is the main attraction, with bus 348 taking you up there. La Laguna is also just an hour away

Taganana

There are many hidden gems slightly off the beaten path on Tenerife. If you don’t want to hike up from Benijo, it’s well worth taking bus 947 to Taganana on the northeastern tip of the island.

The bus ride itself is an experience, with a road winding through countless hairpin bends, first climbing to the top and then descending on the other side — all the while offering magnificent views of the valley and the ocean below. In the distance, Gran Canaria rises from the sea.

After passing through the tunnel at the summit, you catch the first glimpses of the whitewashed houses of Taganana.

Taganana lies within the Anaga Rural Park, named after the surrounding mountains. Despite its difficult access, the village was among the first to be established after the conquest of the island at the end of the 15th century, with trade in wine and sugar playing a central role.

Whitewashed houses cling to steep mountainsides along narrow, twisting roads where two cars can barely pass. Many tiny, multi-storey houses with steep staircases make life challenging for those with limited mobility. The centre, with its small church, stretches along a ridge towards the sea, with sheer cliffs towering above everything. Down in a sharp bend lies the excellent restaurant Guachinche Bibi y Mana, very popular with both locals and visitors.

If you want more nature, you can walk along the rugged coastline where powerful waves crash against Benijo beach and the cliffs, and return by bus from the terminus in Almáciga.

Taborno

Whether you’re hiking or not, I highly recommend a visit to Taborno. There are good bus connections. Taborno is a long, narrow village located on a ridge between two deep valleys with steep mountainsides, rising from a small plateau at the top. The views are spectacular in every direction.

A walk down to the striking rock formation Roque de Taborno, about one kilometre further along the ridge, is highly recommended. The views are phenomenal — but definitely not for those with a fear of heights.

If you want a slightly longer walk without too much elevation gain, you can do a small loop of just over 2 km by following PR-TF9 and PR-TF2 behind Taborno.

Taborno has a couple of restaurants, including Historias Para No Dormir (“Stories Not to Sleep”), and a small bar where you can enjoy a well-earned refreshment after the effort — especially if you’ve climbed up from Punta del Hidalgo. Nearby Las Carboneras also has a restaurant, but it’s only open on weekends.

Iguesta

Igueste is the northernmost village on Tenerife’s southeast coast, and the bus ride there on line 945 is spectacular. You pass Playa de Las Teresitas just north of Santa Cruz — the finest beach in the north — before climbing upwards with stunning ocean views.

Igueste itself lies on both sides of a barranco and has a narrow beach.

Food

One of the joys of travelling is encountering other cultures, including local food. Most people have probably tried papas arrugadas — wrinkled potatoes, small potatoes boiled in heavily salted water.

But Tenerife has other exquisite potato varieties as well, such as papas bonita colorada. These are direct descendants of potatoes brought from the high Andes, shipped across the ocean and planted in Tenerife’s volcanic soil. They have since become a cultural institution on the island.

Tenerife lies far out in the Atlantic, so fresh fish is abundant. Most restaurants offer a variety of fish dishes. My favourite is fish with red sauce, pescado canario (or similar): grilled or boiled fish served with a lightly spiced red mojo sauce.

Buses – getting around

Tenerife has a very well-developed bus network. Buses run surprisingly frequently, even to the most remote corners. The bus terminals, intercambiadores, are easy to navigate and well signposted.

On buses, you can pay with a travel card, app, cash or card. On the tram, you need to buy a combined bus-and-tram card from machines available at all stops. The card can be topped up as needed. There’s also an app, ten+móvil, which gives you a discount when travelling. Ticket prices are low — around €1–1.50 per journey.

The bus is an excellent alternative to renting a car, both for hiking and sightseeing. Besides being much cheaper, you avoid narrow, winding mountain roads that can be challenging to drive. The driver gets to enjoy the view, you avoid parking problems at popular spots — and you don’t have to return to your starting point.

See https://titsa.com/ for more information. They have a very clear and user-friendly website..

From the intercambiador in Santa Cruz, buses run to the southern parts of the Anaga mountains, such as Almáciga and Chamorga, which are starting points for many hikes. See Tenerife North– Hiking for more details.

Tip: To find timetables for a specific route, Google: Titsa + (route number)

Some relevant bus routes:

From Intercambiador La Laguna
076 – Afur
077 – El Bailadero
274 – El Batán.
275 – Caboneras og Taborno, Cruz del Carmen
050 – Punta del Hidalgo.
041 – La Esperanza
348 – Teide

From Intercambiador Santa Cruz
945 – Igueste
946 – Almáciga
947 – Chamorga- Punta de Anaga
102 – Puerto de la Cruz
910 – San Andrés
105 – Punta del Hidalgo.

I have also hitchhiked a few times with great success. It can be convenient if there is a long wait for the bus.

Read all about Tenerife here: Tenerife
All about the Canary Islands: Canary Islands