Tenerife – Puerto de la Cruz, …but what do you mean clouds!

The Canaries, sun, beach, high temperatures and cloudless skies…. – these are the first associations. Unfortunately, often mistaken – the weather in the Canary Islands changes like a kaleidoscope.

More than once we have witnessed how in one day we had sun, clouds, rain and sun again, and in the evening clouds again.

There is no rule: before leaving, we were told that it is always sunny in the south, and wind and clouds in the north. However, as it turns out later, this is not the rule. Certainly not in our case! :)

Sightseeing in Puerto de la Cruz

We spent the first day in the city where we stayed overnight, which is Puerto de la Cruz. We took a walk to the center to see some sights. The hotel where we stayed was about 30 minutes drive to the very center – beware, it was all the way down, so you have to climb some stairs on the way back ;)

On the way, we passed a vantage point overlooking the nearest beach (it doesn’t knock you out!) and some interesting streets, stores, cafes and a shopping center.

First, we went to the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Pena Francia, where we ended up at a funeral (we also saw the procession later at the cemetery). Surprisingly, the mourners were not dressed in black, only the immediate family. The church is from the 17th century, and it’s worth a look inside, where the wooden vault is most impressive.

We then walked toward the coast to the Ayuntamiento and Casa de la Aduana – the latter currently houses a tourist information center and exhibition.

Continuing on, we walked down Calle San Juan Street to the Iglesia de San Francisco and Casa Iriarte – both worth seeing. Especially interesting are the houses and street art along them :)

We then headed inland to one of the best-preserved buildings, the Torreon de Ventoso tower, and from there to Plaza Charco with its plethora of restaurants and cafes.

Our goal for the day was to reach the beach – Playa Jardin, and we still passed the Castilo de San Filipe on the way. The beach is definitely nicer and more frequented than the earlier one, with typical dark volcanic sand.

Impressions from Puerto de la Cruz

The city itself, during the day gives the impression of being dormant: not many people, closed stores and restaurants (some look as if they have already finished the season). In fact, it comes to life in the evening, when tourists go into town for dinner or to a bar after a day at the beach or hotel pool.

Then it makes a completely different impression: music, lights, noise, lots of people, small stalls – life like in a real resort :) Also, the promenade itself changes depending on the hour: there are solicitors, people pushing every possible excursion, inviting people to restaurants and typical for European cities – gentlemen with ‘original’ Michael Kors and Luis Vuitton handbags ;)

The area around our hotel (or rather, apartment) is geared towards German retirees (which also has its pluses ;-)). Markets filled with German products, restaurants and travel agencies, where the first place is taken by the offer in the language of our western neighbors. People who come here either spend their days at the hotel pool or go on excursions, for which a bus takes them from under the hotel itself. It also has an impact on the nightlife of the area – quiet, peaceful (although you still have to take into account that we were not in peak season).

However, it has its charms. Being almost in the heart of the holiday resort, we did not feel overwhelmed in any way. Right next door were the usual residential neighborhoods, stores, businesses. One could feel the true climate of the Canary Islands….

That’s it for tours of the area, time to hit the road!

Weather in Tenerife

Two more words about the weather in Tenerife. The fact that clouds can often be found over Teide volcano or covering the top of the volcano. Nevertheless, it rains from them very rarely. They scare more than they cause rainfall. In the lowest parts of the island you can calmly beach and not fear dark clouds.

Besides, it is often enough to drive a few kilometers away and we already have full sun and zero clouds.

And the climate itself, excellent. Tenerife is an island that lives a perpetual spring. Not too warm in summer, not too cold in winter. The climate is probably perfect for most of us, just in time for a quiet retirement ;)

Take a look at all the photos from Puerto de la Cruz:

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Don’t forget our tips, too:

• What is the best way to fly to the Canary Islands?
• A few words about food in the Canary Islands.
• Whether and how to drive in Tenerife and other Canary Islands?
• Which island should you choose for your holiday sojourns and how are they different?
• And our TOP 10 from the Canaries:)