60 mins by car
Santa Cruz
Warm, compact, energetic, and full of interesting corners if you wander a little deeper.
Santa Cruz is not a classic “must-see” city — but we really love its relaxed, oceanfront vibe, its parks, cafés, culture, and the feeling that here the island lives like a real city.
Great for a full-day visit.
Art & architecture, Parks & green oases
- TEA - Tenerife Espacio de las Artes - A beautifully designed modern-art museum — small, but consistently excellent.
Don’t miss the museum shop: one of the best on the island, full of design objects, books, ceramics, prints, accessories and gifts made by local artists.
- Auditorio de Tenerife - Iconic, instantly recognisable, and genuinely beautiful inside and out. Tickets are surprisingly cheap — worth going inside even if you’re not attending a concert. At the entrance there’s a sunny terrace café where you can enjoy a coffee or a glass of cava with ocean views and Palmetum Park.
- MUNA - Museo de la Naturaleza y Arqueología - Not for everyone, but perfect if you truly want to understand the island, its origins and the Guanche people. A beautifully curated deep dive into Tenerife’s history.
- Parque García Sanabria - A lush, historic city park full of exotic trees, sculptures, fountains and quiet corners. The walk to the park through the surrounding streets is already part of the experience.
- Plaza del Príncipe de Asturias - A tiny old park in the heart of the city — perfect for a coffee under huge tropical trees.
Cafés, food & local wine
- La Escala — our favourite café - Minimalist, local, excellent coffee, great pastries — the kind of place where you can sit for an hour without noticing the time.
- Calle Antonio Domínguez Alfonso - A lively pedestrian street lined with bars, restaurants and wine spots — perfect for lunch or a glass of something cold.
- Calle de San Francisco - A pretty, historic small square under huge exotic trees with several nice resto-bars — great for a relaxed lunch, coffee or evening wine.
- Mercado Nuestra Señora de África - Iconic market hall — not only for shopping, but also for the lively bars and eateries around it, great for a casual drink, tapas and people-watching.
- Plaza Ireneo González – love this square for very local, authentic vibe, quite a few very good eateries!
Rooftops & nightlife & shopping
Views, sunsets, cocktails - Santa Cruz has several great rooftop bars — ideal at sunset:
- Urban 180 Anaga Rooftop — younger vibe
- Azotea del 31 — stylish cocktails, sweeping city views
- El Ático NH — a classic rooftop with great light at golden hour
- 13 Cielos Skybar — elegant, modern, beautiful at night
- Bulan Social Club - energetic party spot with a mixed, friendly crowd — one of the best places to go out in Santa Cruz
- Shopping streets - The main pedestrian zone around Calle del Castillo has plenty of cafés, shops and little streets worth wandering
- Lovely residential corners If you walk slightly away from the centre (towards Rambla de Santa Cruz), you’ll find beautiful old mansions, wide boulevards and surprisingly elegant neighbourhoods.
Why go?
Because Santa Cruz is warm, walkable, full of cafés and culture, with great parks, excellent museums, and an energetic vibe. A place to wander, sit, drink, look around and enjoy urban island life.