|
La Laguna – a Tenerife city of the north |
|
Written by Steve Andrews
|
 La Laguna is second to Santa Cruz as the largest city in Tenerife and is also located in the north of the island. La Laguna is correctly known as San Cristóbal de la Laguna and is the home of Tenerife’s prestigious university and campus.
Many parts of La Laguna have cobble-stoned streets and squares and many of the old buildings have ornate balconies and colonial style Canarian architecture. Whilst La Laguna is in no way dependent on tourism for its income, and has countless local businesses employing local people, it is nevertheless a place that visitors to Tenerife would enjoy spending time in to see its magnificent buildings and enjoy its wide range of shops, bars and restaurants.
 Catering as it does for the student community from the university, La Laguna has some of the best bookshops on Tenerife. There are also shops selling all manner of novelty items, ornaments and bric-a-brac. If you are looking for something a bit different, the shops in La Laguna are where you may well find it.
 La Laguna means “the lagoon” in Spanish, and indeed there once was a large expanse of water, which was drained in the early 19th century for farming. However, today due to its location near the mountains of the north of Tenerife, La Laguna is still one of the places where it rains more frequently on the island and this has allowed the trees, flowers and gardens to really flourish.
There are some exceedingly tall palms, some mighty Dragon trees (Dracaena draco) and in many places the walls and roofs of buildings have touches of greenery showing from Tenerife plants such as the Canary Island sowthistles (Sonchus spp) and Houseleeks (Aeonium holochrysum) that grow on them. The palms too sprout epiphytic plants that grow in the cracks made by the old leaf scars on the higher parts of their trunks.
 Some of the most magnificent palms are to be found in the Camino Largo walkway by the Sanctuary of El Cristo. The trees on either side make an impressive shaded avenue. Parque de la Constitución is another area of trees and shrubs where people can go to stroll or relax.
 Of the sights to see, La Laguna cathedral should definitely be on the list with its commanding presence and bell-tower. In the same area you will find other historic Tenerife buildings including the Bishop’s Palace or Casa Salazar, the Hospital of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, and the Cabrera Pinto Institute.
In this old quarter of La Laguna you will also find the Church of La Concepción and its square. The marketplace and even a duck pond with several types of these endearing birds can all be found in this area of the city too.
 For people interested in religious buildings and artwork, La Laguna is one of the best places in Tenerife because besides the buildings already mentioned there are a range of churches, convents and monasteries, including the Convent of Santa Catalina, the Convent of San Miguel, the Convent of Santa Clara, the Church of Santo Domingo and the Hermitage of San Benito.
La Laguna is in easy reach of Santa Cruz, which is just some 9 km away, and the Los Rodeos airport for the north of Tenerife is much nearer still. La Laguna has the motorway cutting through it in parts, which connects with Santa Cruz on the coastal side in one direction and with Tacoronte and Puerto de la Cruz on the other.
 This doesn’t spoil the charm of La Laguna but means that it is a very easy place to get to and away from and it is served by a large bus station too, with both local services to suburbs as well as longer journeys to other parts of the island of Tenerife.
In the area known as El Coromoto in Calle Marcelino Perdomo Reyes, can be found the Canarian pensión Hostal Berlin, which is a good place to stay overnight or longer and it offers both single and double rooms. Hostal Berlin is within a few minutes walk from the bus station.
La Laguna is one of the places in the north of Tenerife that visitors should spend some time in for a taste of the island’s past mixed in with the modern ways of life. La Laguna has a unique atmosphere and feel to it unlike anywhere else in Tenerife.
|
Tenerife Island