Open the left menu of santa cruz de tenerife. Santa Cruz de Tenerife - the capital of the island of eternal spring City squares and main streets of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
And the province of the same name in Spain, one of the two capitals of the Canary Islands, where their parliament is located. Surrounded by the steep cliffs of the Anaga mountain range, the city lies on the gentle slope of one of the mountains, descending to the harbor of the same name in the northeastern part of the island.
The city got its name from the silver Holy Cross of the Conquistadors (Spanish: Holy Cross - Santa Cruz), which Alonso Fernandez de Lugo erected after landing on the coast of Añaso in 1494. In common parlance, the city is called Santa Cruz, despite the fact that there are many cities with this name in the world. The official prefix to the name "de Tenerife" not only distinguishes it from others, but also symbolizes the status of the capital of the island.
But this is redundant
Tours to Spain Early booking, discounts up to 35%. Family, youth holidays in the best hotels in Barcelona, Mallorca. Interesting excursions: Dali Theatre-Museum, Flamenco Show, PortAventura and others from the Pegas Touristik travel agency WTC LLC. Save with Pegas Touristik. Installment at 0%.
How to get there
Tenerife is the only island in the Canary archipelago that can be reached by direct flight from Moscow. There are two airports on the island: Reina Sofia in the south, near Los Cristianos, and Los Rodeos in the north, near the city of La Laguna. The island can also be reached by the Transmediterrania ferry. The ferry leaves from the city of Cadiz and takes 2 days.
From Tenerife, by plane or by ferry, you can get to any of the islands of the archipelago. The most convenient and fairly economical option for traveling around the island is to rent a car.
Search for flights to Tenerife (nearest airport to Santa Cruz de Tenerife)
The beaches of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
In close proximity to the city there are two magnificent beaches: Taganana with volcanic black sand, common for these places, and the only yellow sand beach in Tenerife - Las Teresitas, one of the most popular beaches in the archipelago. This is a one and a half kilometer artificial beach, to which yellow sand from the African Sahara was brought by barges in the 1970s to replace the local black volcanic origin. The strip of beaches stretches to the very mountain of La Esperanza, whose slopes are covered with plantations of Canarian pines.
Las Teresitas is the only yellow sand beach in Tenerife and one of the most popular in the archipelago.
There are several diving centers around Santa Cruz de Tenerife suitable for divers of all skill levels. In addition to classic diving, scuba diving is popular here. Also in Tenerife you can go surfing, windsurfing and other water sports.
In the local waters, the coral reefs Devils Reef, Garden, Stena, the underwater caves of Groupers Cave and La Cueva del Roquete, as well as the sunken 70-meter Carbonero ship, chosen by sharks, rays and barracudas, are of interest.
Maps of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Popular hotels in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
shopping
Many tourists come to Santa Cruz de Tenerife for shopping - the capital of the Canary Islands is firmly entrenched in the fame of a "shopping paradise". There are especially many shops, shops and boutiques on Plaza La Candelaria and the pedestrian street Calle de Castillo, perpendicular to the square.
In the Mercado de Nuestra Señora de Africa city market, located on San Sebastian Street, you can buy fruits, vegetables, flowers and, mainly, spices. The covered market, which looks like a spacious courtyard decorated with arches, is not at all like a European one and attracts tourists with its exoticism.
Restaurants in Santa Cruz de Tenerife offer primarily Canarian cuisine. In the bars, when it's tapas time, you can find an endless variety of Canarian dishes, as well as dishes from all over Spain.
Entertainment and attractions of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Facades of houses in a certain color scheme, decorated with wooden balconies - this is the so-called Canarian style. There is a lot of greenery here, the old part of the city, immersed in gardens, can be walked around, enjoying historical sights. Any sightseeing tour of Santa Cruz de Tenerife starts from the traditional Plaza de España. In the very center of the square is the monument to the Fallen in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39.
Close to the center, in Plaza La Candelaria, are the Tenerife government building Cabildo Insular, the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, as well as a curious example of Spanish architecture of the 17th century - the Carta Palace. Of particular note are two baroque churches in the city center: St. Francis (17-18 centuries) and Iglesia La Concepción (16-18 centuries), where the Holy Cross of the Conquistadors, which gave the city its name, is kept.
The name of one of the central squares of the city comes from the name of the patroness of the island - the Black Virgin of Candelaria (Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, popularly called La Morenita). In fact, we are talking about the appearance of the Virgin Mary to the locals, but since Africa is nearby, the Madonna introduced herself to the local blacks.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
The Museum of Natural History holds evidence of the transformation of the Canary Islands into a modern center of tourism - from their formation from the explosion of a volcano at the bottom of the ocean and the history of the island's indigenous population - the Guanaches, to the glorious military history, evidence of which are the banners captured from Admiral Nelson after his unsuccessful attacks on the city. In addition, the island has a Museum of Military History, located on the shore of the bay next to the Royal Tenerife Yacht Club and the Nautical School.
Tenerife and the Canaries themselves, due to their location along the largest trade routes, have experienced many attacks by pirates, conquistadors and warlike fleets of European maritime powers throughout their history. In memory of the largest victories of the Spaniards over the fleets of the English admirals Blake, Jennings and Nelson, in addition to the Holy Cross of Conquest, three leopards are depicted on the coat of arms of Tenerife.
On El Principle Square is the Municipal Museum of Painting and Sculpture, which exhibits paintings by Ribera, Brueghel, Madrazzo, Van Lu, as well as local artists. Of the modern symbols of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the quaint building of the Opera Auditorio Tenerife, erected in 2003, and the twin towers of Torres de Santa Cruz, skyscrapers that reach a height of 120 m, stand out.
There are also Russian pages in the history of Tenerife: the route of the first Russian circumnavigation of the world passed through this city in 1803–1806, and in 1866 Miklouho-Maclay visited it.
Excursions around Tenerife
In addition to the capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, tourists can go on tours of the ancient capital of the island - the city of La Laguna, now considered the cultural center of the island.
30 km southwest is the ancient colonial town of Orotava, as well as Puerto de la Cruz, where the famous parrot park Laura Parque is located. Nearby is a large botanical garden - Garcia-Sanabria with an area of 67 thousand square meters. m, famous for its huge artificial iceberg with penguins and the largest dolphinarium in Europe.
Also from Santa Cruz de Tenerife you can go to the foothills of Anaga in the northeastern part of the island or inland to the extinct volcano Teide (3718 m), which is located in the national park of the same name.
Walk in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
On the east coast of Tenerife is the religious center of the region, the city of Candelaria, and the city of Guimard, famous for its ethnographic park of the Pyramids of Guimar. Here are six stepped pyramids erected by the aborigines of the Canary Islands by the Guanaches, oriented strictly to the cardinal points like the Egyptian ones.
Excursions are organized from Tenerife to the island of Gomera: unlike other islands of the Canary archipelago, there is no volcanic activity on it, which preserves the magnificent tropical forests in their original form. In the center of the island is the evergreen Garajonay Natural Park, declared an international conservation area by UNESCO.
It is believed that it was on the island of La Gomera that Christopher Columbus made his last stop on his way to the New World.
The noisiest and most popular resort towns in Tenerife are located in the south: El Medano, Playa de las Americas, Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje.
Perhaps the brightest event of the year in Tenerife is the February carnival, the second largest and most colorful after the famous carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Carnival processions stretch all over the island, but the brightest and most exciting action always takes place in the capital.
Weather in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Tenerife is located at the latitude of the Sahara desert - it is not surprising that it is warm here all year round. The average temperature in winter is +21 °C, in summer - +27 °C. The water temperature is +20 °C all year round.
As for the capital status of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Canarians have not been able to resolve this issue for centuries. The dispute is between Gran Canaria and Tenerife, the two largest islands in the archipelago. Santa Cruz de Tenerife was founded in 1494, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria a little earlier, in 1478. As a result of the dispute, the two cities are the capitals of their islands, and the capital of the entire archipelago is transferred every two years from one to another, can you imagine? In 2016, Santa Cruz rules the ball, and in the next - already La Palma.
Residents of big cities, accustomed to comfortable apartments, car noise, boulevards and sidewalks, will be pleased to settle in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The population of the city is about 220 thousand people, by Russian standards it is not a very large city, but here it is the largest. In Tenerife, it is easy to get tired of the provinciality of numerous villages, so if you are looking for a holiday in a mild climate, but with a familiar urban landscape, the presence of museums and shopping centers, cinemas and a large selection of cafes and restaurants, stay in Santa Cruz. Tenerife is famous for its natural attractions, such as the active volcano Teide, creepy but beautiful Masca and Inferno gorges, it is easy to get there from the capital. Today we will tell you more about how to fill your vacation without leaving Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
History of the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Landing in Tenerife, you find yourself on one of the oldest islands in the world and immediately feel: this place is special. It is believed that the Canary Islands "grew" from the depths of the ocean during the sinking of Atlantis. When this happened and whether Atlantis really existed, no one knows for sure, but it is known for certain that 2000 years ago, the Guanches, the legendary pioneers of these lands, settled on the site of Santa Cruz. The Silver Holy Cross (Santa Cruz) was erected here by the Spanish conquistadors in 1494, which is considered the year the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was founded. This cross can now be seen in the Museum of Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción. The capital of the island was originally the port city of Garachico in the northwest, which was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Teide in 1706. No residents of Garachico were hurt, but the administrative center had to be moved to Santa Cruz, and this changed the pace of development on the eastern tip of the island.
After the Spanish colonization, Tenerife was repeatedly attacked by the British, Danes and other Europeans. Many battles took place in Santa Cruz, but the city was never taken by the enemy.
Peaceful today, Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a city of military glory, on the coat of arms of which you will see three leopards, meaning three victories over the British invaders in the local port - in 1657, 1706 and 1797.
- a landmark of all Spain. It is the second largest in the world after the famous carnival in Rio. This tradition was brought here by the Spaniards from the continent, or rather, from Cadiz. Annual festivities take place all over the island, but it is in the capital that the costume show is organized at the highest level. All events that take place in the first week of February are completely free. Election of the queen of the carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife from local beauties, the first procession of the queen, the main procession along the promenade (Gran Coso Apoteosis) and the comic “burial of the sardine” in the final - the main theme of the carnival. All residents and tourists take to the streets, in costumes and without, walk and dance until the morning, watch competitions of street musicians and dancers, orchestra performances, concerts and performances throughout the city.
As part of the carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, a children's costume procession, a parade of vintage cars, and a temporary amusement park are installed on the waterfront. At this time, cafes and restaurants have a special menu at very attractive prices.
Shops in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
What to do in Santa Cruz for the rest of the year, with the exception of Easter week? There are two more important dates to know! The periods of seasonal sales, when discounts reach 70% on everything, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife are the same as on the continent: from January 6 to February 30 and from July 1 to August 30, prices will pleasantly surprise you. Not far from the city center is a large commercial center El Corte Ingles. This Spanish chain of stores is distinguished by a high-quality selection of goods and manufacturers. There is convenient parking, bars and restaurants, a grocery store, souvenirs and 7 floors of clothing and footwear stores, perfumes, sportswear and equipment, in general, shopping for every taste.
Going shopping in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in Court Inglés, you will find Spanish clothing brands of excellent quality, but not too expensive, not very popular in Russia: Adolfo Domingues, Carolina Hererra, Roberto Verino, Purficacion Garcia. There is also a huge selection of basic brands Zara, Mango, Desigual, Jack&Jones, Pimkie, Guess, several floors are occupied by luxury items Armani, Dolce&Gabbana, Escada, Gucci, Chanel, Hermes, Fendi and others at prices slightly below continental.
Santa Cruz de la Sierra(Spanish: Santa Cruz de la Sierra) or simply Santa Cruz- the largest city, the center of the eastern part of the country and the administrative center of the same name (Spanish: Departamento de Santa Cruz).
In terms of population (approximately 1.6 million people), the city is far ahead of the constitutional and actual capitals of Bolivia - (Spanish Sucre) and (Spanish La Paz).
Photo gallery not open? Go to site version.
A bit of history
The city was founded on February 26, 1561. Initially, the Spanish conquistador Nuflo Chavez (Spanish: Ñuflo de Chávez) gave the settlement, located on the Pira River 220 km east of its current location, a new name, meaning "Holy Cross on the Hill", in honor of his hometown in Spain. After often erupting conflicts with local residents, the city was first moved closer to the banks of the Rio Grande, and at the end of the 16th century, in 1592, to its current place - on the banks of the Pirarin River. As in all their colonies, the Spaniards made great efforts to convert the native Indian population to the Catholic faith.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz prospered until the end of the 18th century, supplying the country with cotton, sugar, rice and vegetables, until cheap products from the country flooded into the country.
The middle of the 20th century was marked by the fact that Santa Cruz was connected by a network of roads and railways with other cities in the country and with. This gave a stimulus to economic and demographic growth and a powerful impetus to the development of agriculture. The city began a period of economic growth that continues to this day. The construction of the airport, the improvement of communications, the inexhaustible influx of emigrants - all this turned the city into an important industrial and commercial center of the country. And thanks to the mild foothill climate, many artifacts of the colonial era and the status of "Gateway to Brazil", today the metropolis is a major tourist center.
Economy
For a long time the city was associated with the center of the drug business, but gradually the situation changed. Today there is an agricultural boom. Over the past 40 years, a small town (25 thousand inhabitants) has grown to the second largest metropolis in Bolivia.
To date, the department of Santa Cruz is considered the largest economic and commercial center of the country, generating about 35% of Bolivia's GDP, with the attraction of 40% of all foreign investment entering the country.
The main sectors of the department's economy are as follows:
- oil refining industry and gas production;
- processing of agricultural products;
- construction;
- woodworking;
- leather industry.
- Health care, education and tourism are developing vigorously.
Population, religion
The population of the Santa Cruz agglomeration is about 2.1 million people, which makes it the second largest in the country after La Paz.
The vast majority of the population (about ¾ of the townspeople) are mestizos - the descendants of mixed marriages of immigrants from the Iberian Peninsula and native Indians. The rest consists of the descendants of the Spaniards, Flemings, Germans and Italians, who form the political and business urban elite.
The majority of the population professes Catholicism (95%), the remaining 5% are representatives of Protestant trends (Methodists, Lutherans, etc.)
Santa Cruz: Climate
Santa Cruz closes the top three most popular cities in Bolivia, after Sucre and La Paz. It attracts tourists with its comfortable climate. Especially travel agencies recommend a calm and warm city for pensioners.
The local climate can be classified as semi-tropical, with an average annual temperature of +26°C to +30°C. Although the weather here is warm all year round, cold winds called "Surazos" blowing from Argentina (June-August) can significantly reduce the air temperature during the day (up to +12°C).
The rainiest months of the year are January and February.
Best time to visit
The best time of the year to visit the city is September. Why? Firstly, on September 24, the day of its foundation is celebrated. Secondly, in the middle of the month, the world-famous fair Feria Exposición begins, which is accompanied by numerous entertainments for adults and children, free concerts, a variety of food, etc. Thirdly, in September the city is incredibly beautiful, because delicious tabebuias bloom ( lat. Tabebuia) - mighty trees covered with red, pink, purple, bright yellow and white flowers.
Attractions
Santa Cruz is very different from other famous Bolivian cities. Located on the hot plains, it is not very rich in interesting architectural sights. One or two days will be enough to wander around the historical center, taste dishes and visit local museums.
One of the city attractions is the central 24 September Square(Spanish: Plaza 24 de Septiembre). Car traffic near the square is prohibited, so compared to the rest of the bustling city, it is an oasis of calm.
The main decoration of the square is the main Catholic church (Spanish: Basílica Menor de San Lorenzo). Visitors are allowed to climb the beautiful belfries with old mechanical clocks to admire the panorama of the metropolis. Inside the Basilica is located Church Art Museum(Museo de Arte Sagrado), which presents interesting collections of icons, medallions and church chasubles. The most impressive exhibits are the unique relics of the Jesuit missions (Guarayo) made of gold and silver. The museum boasts one of the smallest books on the planet (the size of a fingernail) with the Lord's Prayer printed in several languages.
In a popular holiday destination among local residents, (Spanish: Parque El Arenal), there is Ethno-Folklore Museum(Spanish Museo Etnofolklórico), which exhibits small collections of musical instruments, baskets and other interesting artistic handicrafts belonging to the cultures of the Indian peoples of the lowland Bolivian territories.
Travelers whose path lies through Santa Cruz should definitely visit (Spanish: Biocentro Guembe), which covers an area of 24 hectares, located in one of the most beautiful places in the tropical part of Bolivia, famous for the world's largest butterfly nursery. Guembe has a giant mesh butterfly dome. The park is famous for its richest collection of orchids (Bolivia has the largest number of varieties of orchids in the world) and an extensive aviary where scarlet macaws, colorful toucans, parrots, majestic peacocks and other bright representatives of tropical birds live.
For the convenience of visitors, there is a hotel, several bungalows, a tented campsite, picnic areas, as well as many restaurants and bars, there is even a conference room! There are several large bays where you can kayak or fish, 16 natural lakes, an extensive playground for children with shallow water. Here you can go mountain biking, horseback riding or hiking along the hiking trails, as well as visit the gift shop.
In the heat, there is no better place in the city than a water park. This is the ultra-modern, largest water park in Bolivia, which is designed for 5 thousand people. The park has 6 water slides, a wave pool, a playground with a pool and water slides, and several fast food cafes. The water park is open annually from September to May.
suburban attractions
Tourists come to Santa Cruz de la Sierra primarily to visit the ancient sites around the city and unique parks.
Amboro National Park(Spanish: Parque National de Amboro) stretches on the territory of untouched nature. Located 150 km west of the city, occupying a vast territory (more than 600 thousand hectares), the park includes 4 natural zones: a basin, a temperate forest, a subtropical forest and a mountainous area of the Andes. The area is home to over 700 bird species and has one of the largest concentrations of birds per km² in the world. Amboro is home to jaguars, very rare spectacled bears and many species of Amazonian mammals, many valuable tree species, orchids and gigantic ferns grow here.
Amboro National Park
About 400 km northeast of Santa Cruz de la Sierra is located Noel-Kempff-Mercado National Park(Spanish: Parque National de Noel Kempff Mercado) is one of the largest parks
Noel-Kempff-Mercado National Park
(1.5 million ha) in the Amazon. The park has up to 4 thousand plant species, a large number of rare animals, more than 600 species of birds. The way there, of course, is not the closest, but the trip, for sure, will not disappoint anyone.
120 km south of the city, in the eastern foothills, is the small town of Samaipata (Spanish: Samaipata). Of interest to tourists is not even the city itself, but the nearby ruins of the fortress (Spanish: El Fuerte de Samaipata). However, this is not even a fortress, but a cult ceremonial center carved on a giant rock. One of the most famous archaeological sites in Bolivia, in 1998 the building was included in the UNESCO list as a World Heritage Site of the Chane culture, the predecessor of the mighty.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife on the map
Santa Cruz de Tenerife(Spanish) Santa Cruz de Tenerife listen)) is the capital of the island of Tenerife, and one of the two capitals of the Canary Islands. It has such a long name because there are quite a lot of cities with the name Santa Cruz (Holy Cross), especially in Spanish-speaking countries. But, the locals call it simply - Santa Cruz. In Russian translation, it is often called Santa Cruz.
It was in this place in 1493 that the Spanish conquistadors, after landing on the coast, erected a wooden cross on the east coast of Tenerife, hence the name of the city.
Santa Cruz is home to the Parliament of the Canary Islands, half of the ministries and boards of the government of the Canary Islands, and the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands. Santa Cruz is the residence of the President of the Canary Islands.
As already mentioned, Santa Cruz is one of the two capitals of the Canary Islands, the other is in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, on the island of Gran Canaria, and these two capitals periodically replace each other in this role, and every four years the presidential residence changes its location.
Modern Santa Cruz is the largest city on the entire island of Tenerife, its population is about 200 thousand people. The city is not particularly attractive for tourists, due to the small number of historical monuments and poor tourist infrastructure. In fact, this is an industrial city with a cargo-passenger port and roads crowded with cars, which does not really attract vacationers. In addition, within the city there are no beaches that Tenerife is so famous for.
However, if you have already got here, do not be upset - here, too, there is something to look at and there is where to take a walk. This is of great beauty Plaza of Spain and Auditorio de Tenerife huge concert hall, fantastically shaped and Obelisk de la Candelaria, which is one of the main sculptural monuments of the city and the "Church of the Immaculate Conception" and much more. Very nice city market Mercado Nuestra Senora de Africa where flowers, fruits, vegetables and spices are sold. Must visit Garcia Sanabria Park, the largest urban park in the Canary Islands, in many ways reminiscent of a botanical garden.
And for lovers of the exotic - two monuments to the fascist dictatorship of General Franco, where else can you find this. It's famous Monument to the Fallen and a monument to General Franco himself.
And of course, it should be mentioned that in the Canary Islands, due to their remoteness, the sales tax has been reduced, and, accordingly, lower prices for certain types of goods (alcohol, tobacco, perfumes, jewelry) compared to mainland Europe. Since we did not use these benefits, I will quote a tourist guide: "The sophisticated "shopaholic" should go to the north of the island to the capital of Santa Cruz." Most of the shops and boutiques are concentrated in the area of the central square of Spain.
