Casco Histórico (Old Town)
Puerto de la Cruz's historic core is one of the best-preserved colonial town centres in the Canary Islands — a compact grid of 17th-century merchant houses, dragon-tree-shaded plazas and fishing-harbour lanes that reward an hour of unhurried wandering.
The streets and squares to seek out
Start at Plaza del Charco, the leafy main square where local retirees play cards under Indian laurel trees and terrace cafés fill with a genuinely mixed crowd of residents and visitors. The name means 'square of the puddle' — a nod to the tidal pool that once sat here.
From the square, duck down Calle Blanco and Calle Quintana to find the ornate wooden balconies (balcones canarios) that are the architectural signature of the islands. The deep-brown carved timber balconies of Casa de la Real Aduana (the old customs house, dating to 1620) are the finest example in town.
The fishing harbour and evening paseo
A short walk south brings you to the Rincón del Puerto, the original fishermen's quarter, where brightly painted boats are still hauled up on the black-sand beach and old men mend nets in the afternoon shade. A handful of no-frills seafood restaurants here serve the catch of the day at prices the tourist-facing restaurants can't match.
Come back at dusk for the paseo — the evening stroll along the seafront promenade and back through the old town is a genuine local ritual, and the warm golden light on the colonial facades is at its most photogenic.
More of Puerto de la Cruz
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Puerto de la Cruz →
