This is a guest post about Tenerife by Sam Whiteside, Port Presenter with P&O Cruises. You can find out more about Sam at the end of this article. 

As the largest, most populous and most visited Canary Island, Tenerife is the ultimate holiday destination. If you want beaches, it has them. If you want scenery, it has it. If you want activities, you can find them all. And if you want food, there is plenty to keep your taste buds excited. Around 5 million tourists visit the island every year, making it one of the most important tourist destinations in Spain. It is the economic and cultural heart of the Canary Islands, with several UNESCO World Heritage sites including Teide National Park. The latter is the highest mountain in all of Spain, and is the third largest volcano in the world.

With two airports serving both the south and the north of the island, it is an easy location to get to. For those visiting on a cruise ship, the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the main gateway and is the capital of the Canary Islands, a title shared with Las Palmas on Gran Canaria. It includes the city of La Laguna, which was the first capital of the island before Santa Cruz replaced it.

When docking in Santa Cruz, I would advise first time visitors to head away from the city and explore some element of the island. For example, it is a great destination for families due to the number of attractions it has. These include the world’s best water park (according to TripAdvisor), Siam Park in Los Cristianos, and also the famed parrot and animal park Loro Parque in Puerto de La Cruz.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Home to approximately 200,000 people, Santa Cruz is the commercial heart of the island and the seat of the island council. The heart of the city spreads out from the Plaza Espana which is the first place you come to from the port area. It is where the island council building is located and you will find the main shopping streets, tapas bars and cafés branching off in all directions.

If you take a stroll from Plaza Espana you will discover the Auditorio de Tenerife, possibly the most photographed location in the city. Designed by famed futurist architect Santiago Calatrava, this cultural centre is located next to the sea and was opened in 2003. The majestic profile of the auditorium has become an architectural symbol of the city. It is also regarded as the finest modern building in the Canary Islands and is one of the most emblematic buildings of Spanish architecture. From the port of Santa Cruz it is approximately a 20-minute walk along the new pedestrianised zone next to the harbour of Santa Cruz. This is easily reached by following the painted blue line on the pavement from the cruise area.