Almost every Canary Islands cruise itinerary will include a stop at Tenerife cruise port, which is in the sunny capital city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. And although most visitors head away from the urban sprawl of Santa Cruz’s streets- either in search of the island’s famous beaches, or up into the beautiful pine-forested mountains of Teide National Park- there are plenty of hidden gems to see within Santa Cruz itself. Here are my favourite places to visit in Tenerife cruise port.
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A very brief introduction to Tenerife
This little Atlantic island was colonised by the Spanish all the way back in the late 1400s; for centuries before that the indigenous Guanches had lived here. (Some people think that the name ‘Tenerife’ might come from Tinerfe the Great, who was king of the island in the years leading up to the Spanish taking over.)
Skip forward to the 1800s, and tourists from Europe began visiting for holidays on ships. That’s right; technically the first cruise passengers arrived a couple of hundred years ago. Obviously the real boom in tourism, for Tenerife and the other Canary Islands, was during the 1960s when overseas travel was far more normal for families on their jolly holidays. High rise hotels sprang up left right and centre, and seemingly at the speed of actual light- a lot of the buildings you can see around the resorts of Tenerife look like they’re from the 60s, 70s and 80s, when English people began arriving in droves and demanding fry-ups on the beach.
This is the biggest of the Canary Islands, with the largest population to boot. But there aren’t just beaches and holiday resorts here: it’s also a great place for hiking, with the snow-capped peak of Mount Teide in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Teide National Park.
And you know what the best thing of all is about the Canary Islands in general? The weather. Although rain (and wind) does happen, the temperature stays warm and sunny basically all year round. It’s bloomin’ glorious I tell you.
Where is the cruise port in Tenerife?
Tenerife cruise port is smack bang in the heart of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and you can easily walk directly from the cruise terminal into the city or along the seafront. Ships either dock right in front of town, or on the pier of Muelle Sur; if you dock at the latter it’ll take about ten minutes to walk along the pier and out of the port into town.
There are always taxi drivers waiting at Tenerife cruise port, and there are also several car hire offices within the port. (It’s best to book a car in advance, however I have been able to hire a car on the day a couple of times.)
How to get to Tenerife cruise port from the airport
If you’re embarking on your cruise at Tenerife cruise port, you’ll probably need to figure out how to get from the airport to the ship. And the confusing thing about Tenerife is that as a surprisingly large island, there are actually two airports.
Tenerife Norte to Santa Cruz de Tenerife
The closest airport to Santa Cruz is Tenerife Norte- Ciudad de Laguna, which is about 7 miles from the city. It’ll take about 10-15 minutes to reach the city in a taxi, which you can pre-book to save some hassle.
You can also travel by public bus in about 17 minutes, for just a few euros. To take a public bus from Tenerife Norte to Santa Cruz, get on Line 20 at the airport; you can pay when you board the bus, in cash or with a card.
Tenerife Sur to Santa Cruz de Tenerife
The bigger airport, with far more international arrivals and departures, is Tenerife Sur. The most affordable way to get from Tenerife Sur airport to Santa Cruz de Tenerife is to take the airport bus (number 711) from outside the terminal building. The journey takes about 50 minutes and costs less than €10 per person, payable when you board the bus with either cash or card.
If there’s a bigger group of you, or you’d just rather the ease of having a car waiting for you, pre-book a taxi from the airport.
How far is the beach from the cruise port in Tenerife?
Shock of horror: there is no beach within walking distance of Tenerife cruise port. But you will find one not too far away, so panic not, pals.
The nearest beach is Playa de Las Teresitas, in the nearby village of San Andrès; and this happens to be one of the most popular tourist beaches on the island. This golden yellow bay stretches for about 1.5km in total, although the sand isn’t actually from Tenerife- it was imported from the Sahara. (This does make sense when you think about it; the Canary Islands are far closer to the coast of Africa than mainland Europe.)
To reach Playa de las Teresitas from the cruise port, you can take a taxi in about ten minutes; however this option is obviously the more expensive one. Currently a taxi will set you back about €25 each way.
The cheaper way to get to Playa de Las Teresitas from the cruise port is to take bus number 910 from Estación Maritíma (which is the stop directly outside the port). The bus takes passengers straight along to the beach in about 15 minutes, and currently runs every 20 minutes.
The best things to do near Tenerife cruise port
Marvel at the Auditorio de Tenerife
A walk along the seafront to the Auditorio de Tenerife is a downright lovely way to soak in some sunshine, with a smattering of culture at the end. You can’t miss the brilliant white arch of the iconic Auditorio de Tenerife; it looks a bit like a cross between the Sydney Opera House and a gladiator’s helmet.
Check the website to see what’s on, or just head inside to grab a coffee and a bite to eat in the open-sided restaurant and bar.
And while you’re walking around, don’t forget to look down towards the sea; the faces of music legends throughout time are painted onto the boulders stacked against the sea wall.
Swim in an architectural gem
There may be a lack of beaches near the cruise port in Tenerife, but it is still possible to swim. A little further along the promenade than the Auditorio de Tenerife, is the Parque Maritimo César Manrique.
If your cruise also docks in Lanzarote, you might have already heard of César Manrique; he was kind of a big deal in the architectural world, but particularly on his home island. Manrique was hugely influential in keeping Lanzarote looking like, well, Lanzarote; he encouraged sustainable tourism and was against the building of high-rise hotels on the island, and he designed some of their most well-known buildings and spaces.
The Parque Maritimo was built after his death, but following his designs, with natural seawater pools and porous volcanic rocks built into the complex. The park can get busy, but it’s a great place to relax near the cruise port and is super-affordable.
You can either buy tickets at the entrance, or purchase in advance to guarantee entry.
Get close to nature at the Palmetum
If you’re a regular reader of this little blog, you’ll know that Tenerife cruise port was the first place I docked after seven straight days at sea. And, desperate to escape the hum of engines and clanking of metal, the very first place that my boyfriend basically sprinted to when we stepped foot on the dry land of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, was the Palmetum.
How glorious it is, that you can feel like you’re in the middle of nature, when you’re really just on the outskirts of a quite modern-looking city?
The Palmetum is past the auditorium, and past the Parque Maritimo, on top of a hill which (believe it or not) was once the site of a landfill. Even if you’re not overly keen on palm trees- there are plenty of palm trees to be found, all arranged into geographical categories- this is just a really lovely, tranquil place to sit or explore.
Go shopping in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a really great destination for shopping, and just a stone’s throw from the port is the main shopping street, Calle de Castillo. There are also several malls to be found nearby. Now don’t get me wrong pals; under normal travelling circumstances a good shopping area isn’t high on my list of priorities for exploring. (At least, not when most of the shops in question are run-of-the-mill high street shops, identical to all other high street shops). But as a crew member, I’ve definitely come to realise that the port of Tenerife is a great place to stock up on the essentials. And a few non-essentials, too.
Head to the Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África for a true Spanish market experience. The market was built in the 1940s and has Moorish-style architecture; it’s filled with fresh local produce and tonnes of delicatessen foods. There are also a handful of restaurants where you can grab a bite to eat.
Get yourself a Canarian coffee
I love trying new and intriguing coffee recipes on my travels, and Canarian coffee is truly brilliant. Either order a leche leche, which is essentially coffee with two milks: condensed milk, normal milk, and a shot of espresso. (It’s also known as a café bonbón.)
Or, for a fancier alcoholic version, get a barraquito; which is condensed milk, coffee, normal milk, Liquor 43, with a hint of cinnamon and sometimes lime on the top. It sounds like an absolutely mental concoction, but it’s actually really tasty and the layers of liquid look like a classy science experiment.
Check out some art at TEA
I stumbled across the Tenerife Espacio de las Artes completely by accident, but I’m so glad I did. This extremely angular concrete building has classic contemporary art gallery vibes even from the outside, and inside are several exhibitions including the collection of the Tenerife Island Photography Centre. (Which is my kind of place, let’s face it.)
If you’re looking for some locally-made, more unique souvenirs than your average fridge market, this gallery’s shop is a great place to look. Artwork, postcards, books and some really awesome clothing and jewellery can be found here; it’s well worth a visit for this alone.
Discover the old town
At first glance, your impression of Santa Cruz de Tenerife might be that it’s mostly packed with contemporary buildings dating from around 1975 onwards. But the old town of Santa Cruz de Tenerife does exist, and it is very very pretty.
(In fact, most places on this list are actually within the old town itself.)
But it’s also worth taking some time to just wonder the colourful streets and plazas to see what you might stumble upon. Away from the main shopping roads are some truly beautiful corners shaded with palm trees or hiding old churches which seem to spring up from nowhere.
Where to stay near Tenerife cruise port
If you’re embarking on a cruise in Santa Cruz, and want to find a hotel near Tenerife cruise port, I can recommend the Hotel Emblemático Hi Suites which is only a few minutes walk from the entrance to the cruise terminal. The boutique apartments are absolutely gorgeous and incredibly spacious, and although they’re equipped with kitchen facilities there’s room service available for breakfast and dinner.
The Hotel Emblemático F24 is a nearby adults-only hotel which has similar boutique vibes and a stunning rooftop pool. As the Hi Suites’ sister hotel the decor is equally as beautiful, and the service downright lovely.
Read my full review of the Hotel Emblemático Hi Suites.
Tenerife may well be a popular spot for holidaymakers, but there’s more to this port than meets the eye, and I love that it still feels like a living breathing city- not just somewhere that caters to visitors alone. For the first year or so that I docked here, I actually barely explored; but on every visit I now discover more and more. Got any hidden gems in Santa Cruz de Tenerife? Send them my way, because I shall certainly be back.