Visiting Tenerife Museums

Tenerife’s museums give an interesting and enjoyable picture of the history, nature and culture of the island and of the world, spending just a few hours visiting some of them will be more than worthwhile. The majority are modern, informative museums aimed at the public in general. Families will especially enjoy the fun, interactive exhibits in the Museum of Science and Cosmos in La Laguna.

There are also some fascinating exhibits dedicated to the ancient inhabitants of the Canary Islands, the “guanches”, in the Museum of Nature and Mankind in Santa Cruz de Tenerife which will interest young and old alike. In general, most museums are closed on Mondays.

The Archaeological Museum of Puerto de la Cruz, in the tourist resort of Puerto de la Cruz, is also dedicated to the life and customs of the “guanches.” There is also a museum which focuses on the long and productive winemaking tradition of Tenerife or another on the exciting history of the island. The former is in the district of El Sauzal where it takes up a large part of the “Casa del Vino” (House of Wine). The other part is used for wine-tasting, sampling Canarian cuisine and a highly-recommended restaurant. The annex to the Visitors’ Centre, “Casa de la Miel” (House of Honey) gives information on the past and present tradition of beekeeping on the island. Then there is the very interesting Museum of the History of Tenerife, located in an old stately home in the historic centre of La Laguna, a city recently declared a World Heritage Site.

Crafts and local customs are the main attractions of various other museums in Tenerife, for example the Museum of Anthropology in Valle de Guerra, in the district of La Laguna or a collection of Latin American craftwork in La Orotava, with artefacts from South America and the Philippines. Art and Military History are other topics covered by Tenerife’s museums. The Arts will soon be greatly improved thanks to the forthcoming inauguration of the Oscar Dominguez Institute of Contemporary Art, located in a magnificent nine-storey building in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, designed by the architects Herzog and De Meuron.

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Tenerife Shopping

Tenerife has always had a great commercial tradition. There are a huge variety of shops in the main shopping areas of the cities and tourist resorts that will ensure you have a great time on any shopping trip. There are famous brand names and competitive prices thanks to the special fiscal system in the Canary Islands that doesn’t include VAT.

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In the tourist resorts shops open every day, including Sundays and Bank Holidays and have long opening hours. In Santa Cruz, La Laguna and non-tourist areas shops are closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays, except in December.

Tenerife’s crafts make the perfect gift or souvenir. In craft shops you can find a whole range of meticulously made items by the artisans of the island. Embroidery, Canarian knives, woodwork, basketwork and pottery are just some examples of the great craftwork available. The “Cabildo de Tenerife,” (Government of Tenerife) has developed a network of craft shops that sell authentic pieces stamped with “Artenerife” to guarantee their origin. However there are also many other shops where you can buy authentic Canarian craftwork.

San Cristobal de La Laguna

It lies inland and is the most important town after Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital. It lies in Aguere valley among magnificent countryside. Picturesque walks take the visitor through silent, straight streets with stately houses. Other places of great interest are the university city, the 16C cathedral with interesting carvings and paintings, La Concepción Church – officially a sight of national importance -, the Institute, the Provincial Library in the University, the Episcopal Palace and La Nava Palace, San Franciscos, where El Santísimo Cristo de La Laguna is worshipped, and the ancient Dragon Tree in El Seminario Garden.

Its township includes the Bajamar area and Punta del Hidalgo, which are practically linked by El Arenal beach and form an important tourist centre with lovely natural pools on the edge of the sea. Near La Laguna, there is Mount Las Mercedes, which has splendid vegetation of laurel and pine trees as well as other Canary species. From the La Cruz del Carmen and Pico del Inglés observation platforms, there are magnificent views of the La Laguna plain and Anaga Sierra.

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TFN Tenerife North Airport (“Los Rodeos”)

The international airport of “Los Rodeos-Tenerife Norte” is located in the north of the island, in the district of La Laguna which is about 10 kilometres from the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife. One of the two airports on Tenerife, it mainly operates flights between islands and to mainland Spain, although there are some international flights. Every year almost four million passengers use this airport, which can be reached via the TF-5 motorway.

Around 50% of all flights to and from Tenerife North are Inter Island flights between Tenerife and Gran Canaria, La Palma, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, El Hierro and La Gomera. The remainder of the flights mostly go to and from Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Bilbao. The main airlines using Tenerife Airport North are: Air Europa, British Airways / Iberia, Britannia, Hapag Lloyd and Spanair.

Distances from Tenerife North airport to:

Candelaria, 23 kilometres
Costa Adeje, 82 kilometres
Garachico, 50 kilometres
La Laguna, 2 kilometres
Playa de los Cristianos, 80 kilometres
Puerto de la Cruz, 26 kilometres
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 10 kilometres

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TFS Tenerife South Airport (“Reina Sofia”)

The “Aeropuerto Tenerife Sur – Reina Sofía” is located in the district of Granadilla de Abona. From this airport over 150 airlines operate international, national and inter-island flights and almost nine million passengers use it every year making it one of the busiest airports in Spain. It is located very close to the tourist resorts in the south of the island and can be reached via the TF-1 motorway.

Distances from the Tenerife South Airport:

Candelaria, 45 kilometres
Costa Adeje, 20 kilometres
Garachico, 115 kilometres
La Laguna, 65 kilometres
Playa de los Cristianos, 18 kilometres
Puerto de la Cruz, 91 kilometres
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 63 kilometres

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