Puerto de la Cruz is the smallest municipality on the island, 8.7 km², and it was the first tourist destination in the Canaries: it was declared a Place of National Tourist Interest in 1955. Today it keeps more than 140 listed buildings in its old town and has a town life of its own all year round, not just a hotel one.
My verdict: it's the best base if you want to see the north, get up Teide by bus and wander round a genuine old town. It isn't if you're after golden sand and a calm sea, because the sea here hits hard, the beaches are black sand and there's more cloud than in the south.
Our picks
1
Your Loro Parque ticket, with flexibility
€44, the same as at the gate, with free cancellation up to 24 h before and pay later.
2
Teide and Masca, starting from here
A full 8-hour day with pick-up in Puerto de la Cruz; from the north, the route reaches Masca before the coaches from the south.
GetYourGuide8 hours
From Puerto de la Cruz: Teide and Masca VIP Tour
4.7 (759 reviews)
from €86Check availability
3
Quad biking in the hills, without going south
A 2.5 to 3-hour trip from Puerto de la Cruz, rated 4.9: you skip the transfer to a base in the south.
GetYourGuide2.5 - 3 hours
Puerto de la Cruz: Quad Tour to Teide or Off-Road Adventure
4.9 (607 reviews)
from €80Check availability
4
An evening out
Flamenco at Casa Ábaco, 1.5 h with a drink included.
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Puerto de la Cruz: Flamenco Show at Casa Ábaco with a Drink
4.7 (655 reviews)
from €30Check availability
Who Puerto de la Cruz suits
It suits you if you like walking out to dinner, seeing squares full of locals and getting around by bus. Direct lines run from here to La Orotava, Icod, Garachico, Santa Cruz and Teide, and the north airport is half an hour away.
It suits you less if your plan is a sunbed and a swim every day. The north is cloudier: on the La Laguna plateau it rains 64 days a year against 15 at the south airport. Sea temperature, on the other hand, is almost identical on both coasts: what changes is the swell.
Things to do in Puerto de la Cruz
Loro Parque
The island's big zoo is next to Playa Jardín, on Avenida Loro Parque. It's open every day from 09:30 to 17:30 and a ticket costs €44 (€32 for ages 3 to 11). There are orca presentations at 11:55 and 15:15, and that's what divides opinion: several British tour operators stopped selling it because it keeps orcas, and the park argues that its audits and certifications vouch for the animals' welfare. We cover it in full in our Loro Parque guide.
The practical side: a free train leaves from Plaza de los Reyes Católicos every 20 minutes (the last one to the park at 16:30), and bus 381 costs €1.45. The park's car park costs €7 a day and can't be booked. You can take your own food in.
| Platform | Product | Rating | Price | Where to book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GetYourGuide | Tenerife: Loro Parque Entry Ticket | 4.8 (14,786) | €44 | See on GetYourGuide |
| Tiqets | Loro Parque: Entry Ticket | 4.7 (5,603) | €44 | See on Tiqets |
| Headout | Loro Parque Entry Tickets | 4.7 (352) | €44 | See on Headout |
| Official site | Loro Parque official online shop | — | €44 | Official website ↗ |
Adult prices checked on 2 October 2026. They can change with the date; each platform confirms the final price.
The price is identical on all three platforms and on the official website. What changes is cancellation: GetYourGuide allows it free up to 24 h before and Headout up to 48 h, while on Tiqets the ticket can't be refunded or moved to another date. Bought on the official website, it never expires.
Lago Martiánez
The complex of seawater pools designed by César Manrique opposite Avenida de Colón: an artificial lake with islands, four adult pools and three children's pools. It's open, though with some works going on: the council has cordoned off part of the lake because of sea erosion and has been restoring the hydromassage pool, and the big lake usually closes for a few weeks a year for maintenance. If you're going for a particular pool, check the news on puertodelacruz.es or ask at the ticket office.
You pay at the ticket office only, on the day: €7 for adults and €4 for children aged 4 to 10, sunbed included; a parasol is €3 extra. You can't leave and come back in, or bring in food from outside. Usual hours: 10:00–19:00 from July to September and 10:00–18:00 the rest of the year. All the detail on our Lago Martiánez page.
The old town and La Ranilla
The old town has more than 140 listed buildings and can be seen in a morning. The essentials:
- Plaza del Charco, the heart of town life.
- Casa de la Real Aduana (1620), the old customs house, now home to the tourist office (C/ Las Lonjas s/n, 922 38 60 00, Monday to Friday 09:00 to 16:00).
- The fishing harbour and Plaza de Europa, with six 18th and 19th-century cannons.
- Iglesia de San Francisco (1599), the oldest building in the municipality, and the church of Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia (1684).
- Ermita de San Telmo and its promenade, from 1780.
The fishermen's quarter of La Ranilla has 13 murals from the Puerto Street Art project and the Archaeological Museum. If you dive, the town's best-known dive site is La Rapadura; more on our scuba diving page.
Jardín Botánico
The botanical garden was founded by a Royal Order of Carlos III on 17 August 1788. Check the price and opening hours on the garden's website before you go.
Puerto de la Cruz beaches and their current state
- Playa Jardín (Playa Grande, Playa Chica and Punta Brava): designed by César Manrique next to Loro Parque, 240 m of black sand protected by breakwaters, with toilets, showers, a children's area and more than 100 parking spaces. Beyond the breakwaters the sea is strong.
- Playa de Martiánez: 350 m of black sand and pebbles, a surf spot and a sea that's "usually quite rough", according to the official listing. For watching and for surfers, not for children.
- El Bollullo: a black-sand cove just over the line in the municipality of La Orotava, about 45 minutes' walk away. The restaurant car park has fewer than 50 spaces and then there are steps; the sea is strong all year round. Better to walk.
Given all this, the town's reliable swim is Lago Martiánez. If you want a calm black-sand beach, head to San Marcos, in Icod, which is on the latest Blue Flag list. More options in Tenerife beaches.
Excursions from Puerto de la Cruz
- Teide by bus: line 348 leaves Puerto de la Cruz at 09:30 (09:45 from La Orotava) and comes back from the cable car at 16:05. It costs €6.20, cheaper than the equivalent line from the south (€8.05). There's only one a day each way: if you miss it, you come down by taxi. Everything about the visit on our Teide page.
- Round-the-island tours: the full-day tours that pick up here do the route the other way round from the southern ones and reach Masca sooner. See island tours.
- Quads and buggies: some companies are based in the north; one in the south charges €75 to come and pick you up here. Compared on our quad and buggy page.
- Paragliding: from La Corona (Los Realejos), landing on El Socorro beach. The historic take-off at Izaña, inside the national park, is closed; be wary of any advert promising a flight over Teide. More on our paragliding page.
Getting there from the airports
From Tenerife North (TFN), 31 km and about 27 minutes away:
- Bus 30, direct, 30 minutes, €4.75 in cash or by card (€3.40 with the Ten+ card). On weekdays it leaves the airport from 07:30 until 23:20.
- The 343 also stops here, four times a day.
- Taxi: about €46 by day and €52 at night, on Sundays and on public holidays.
From Tenerife South (TFS), 95 km and just over an hour away:
- Bus 343, the only direct one: €13.55 (€9.55 with Ten+), just four a day. On weekdays it leaves TFS at 09:35, 13:05, 17:50 and 21:50.
- If you miss it, take the 10 to Santa Cruz (55 minutes, €9.35) and change to the 102.
- Taxi: about €132 by day and €151 at night, on the official inter-town fare. Hoppa advertises shared transfers from £18 per person and private ones from £78.
With luggage and a flight that doesn't fit the 343, a pre-booked transfer pays off. Compare options in our airport transfers guide.
Getting around and parking
| Destination | Line | Cash | Ten+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loro Parque | 381 (or the free train) | €1.45 | €1.15 |
| La Orotava | 345 / 352 | €1.45 | €1.15 |
| Icod de los Vinos | 363 | €3.50 | €2.25 |
| Garachico | 363 | €3.75 | €2.40 |
| Santa Cruz | 102 | €5.25 | €3.45 |
| La Laguna | 103 | €4.10 | €2.70 |
| Los Gigantes | 325 | €7.10 | €4.65 |
The Ten+ card costs €2, can be topped up and can be used by the whole group, so for a couple making two or three journeys a day it works out better than two €10 tourist passes. Timetables at titsa.com.
To park near Martiánez, the car park at the Pirámides de Martiánez shopping centre is 7 minutes' walk away (€1.49 an hour) and there's a free open car park by the harbour, about 15 minutes away. Taxis in town: 922 378 999. Cicar has an office in Puerto de la Cruz if you want to hire a car for a day.
For a farmers' market, the nearest is in La Orotava, on Saturdays from 08:00 to 13:30. What to see there is on our other towns page.
More activities from Puerto de la Cruz
GetYourGuide8 hours
From Puerto de la Cruz: Teide and Masca VIP Tour
4.7 (759 reviews)
from €86Check availability
GetYourGuide7 hours
Puerto Cruz: VIP Teide Sunset & Stars, Guachinche Lunch+Cava
4.7 (101 reviews)
from €95Check availability
GetYourGuide2.5 - 3 hours
Puerto de la Cruz: Quad Tour to Teide or Off-Road Adventure
4.9 (607 reviews)
from €80Check availability
GetYourGuide3 hours
Puerto de la Cruz: Teide National Park Buggy Tour
4.7 (103 reviews)
from €134.10Check availability
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Puerto de la Cruz: Flamenco Show at Casa Ábaco with a Drink
4.7 (655 reviews)
from €30Check availability
See all options on GetYourGuide →
| Platform | Product | Rating | Price | Where to book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GetYourGuide | Puerto de la Cruz: Flamenco Show at Casa Ábaco with a Drink | 4.7 (655) | €30 | See on GetYourGuide |
| Tiqets | Puerto de la Cruz: Flamenco Pasión Show | 4.5 (28) | €30 | See on Tiqets |
Adult prices checked on 2 October 2026. They can change with the date; each platform confirms the final price.
The flamenco at Casa Ábaco costs €30 on GetYourGuide and on Tiqets. On GetYourGuide it has far more reviews (655 against 28).
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do in Puerto de la Cruz?
Loro Parque, the Lago Martiánez seawater pools, the old town between Plaza del Charco and La Ranilla, and the Jardín Botánico. The north's only daily bus to Teide, the 09:30 348, also leaves from here.
Can you swim at Playa Jardín?
It depends on the day. Right now the Playa Grande section is closed to swimming after an unfavourable test, until new samples confirm an improvement; check the council's website before you go. Lago Martiánez is the reliable alternative.
How do I get from Tenerife South to Puerto de la Cruz?
Bus 343 is direct, costs €13.55 and there are only four a day. The alternative is the 10 to Santa Cruz and then the 102. By taxi it's about €132 by day.
How do I get from Tenerife North to Puerto de la Cruz?
On bus 30, direct, in 30 minutes for €4.75. By taxi it's about €46 by day.
Is it better to stay in Puerto de la Cruz or in the south?
Puerto de la Cruz is better for seeing the north, Teide and towns with history. The south has more sun, calmer sea and most of the boat trips.
How much does Lago Martiánez cost?
€7 for adults and €4 for children aged 4 to 10, sunbed included; a parasol is €3 extra. You can only pay at the ticket office, on the day.
