 Santa Cruz, the bustling capital of Tenerife is situated on the coast of the island in the north and has plenty to offer with places to visit and things to do as well as boasting an excellent shopping centre. Santa Cruz is in an ideal location with the sea in front and the Anaga mountains sheltering it from above.
One of the landmarks of Santa Cruz is the Tenerife Auditorium (Auditorio de Tenerife), which stands shining in the sun like a gigantic helmet, and is easily visible from the main bus station. The Tenerife Auditorium was designed by Santiago Calatrava, and is the main performing arts venue on the island, staging big concerts by internationally famous names from all genres of music, from rock and pop through to chamber music and classical. Van Morrison, Jethro Tull and Paul Young are examples of acts that have performed there.
 Another important Tenerife venue for the performing arts in Santa Cruz is the Teatro Guimerá, which stages many large and elaborate theatrical productions, and in 2006, We Will Rock You, the musical written by Ben Elton and featuring the music of legendary rock group Queen was one of the events held there. Guitarist Brian May, of the band Queen, and a regular visitor to Tenerife, was in charge of supervising the music.
 Another side of entertainment in Tenerife every year is carnival, and carnival in Santa Cruz is a big attraction to visitors when in February the city is transformed by the non-stop party atmosphere, and features a grand parade, carnival floats, incredible costumes, music, funfairs, contests and all manner of festivities. The Tenerife carnival in Santa Cruz is said to rival the world famous one in Rio.
Santa Cruz has docks and a harbour and its sea-faring past and present lends a certain maritime charm to the character of this Tenerife city. The César Manrique Maritime Park consists of artificial lakes, fountains and gardens in front of the sea. There are many impressive squares in Santa Cruz and Plaza de España is in the old part of the city near the seafront.
If it’s museums that you enjoy then Santa Cruz offers the Archaeological and Natural Science museums. This is where to go on Tenerife if you want to find  out a lot more about the Guanches, the mysterious people who lived on the islands before the Spanish conquest.
On Sundays, Santa Cruz plays host to a huge open-air market with stalls selling clothes, records, bric-a-brac, second-hand items, arts and crafts, jewellery, and many more items. The market is so popular that many people travel to it from neighbouring towns and villages in the north of Tenerife.
If you fancy relaxing in a tranquil park in the heart of the city’s bustle, then head for Parque García Sanabria, which is a veritable oasis among the streets, buildings, shops and traffic of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Parque García Sanabria is said to be the biggest park in the Canary Islands and is full of tall exotic trees, beautiful flowerbeds, lawns, ornamental pools, a herb garden, a rose garden and many mysterious sculptures, including one that looks like a collection of monoliths from an ancient stone circle.
Santa Cruz is within easy reach of the university city of La Laguna and the Los Rodeos airport for the north of Tenerife. The Santa Cruz bus station, which has recently been revamped, provides regular services to the south of the island, with buses to the Reina Sofía airport for Tenerife South, as well as the resorts of Los Cristianos and Las Americas.
Services run to many other parts of Tenerife island from Santa Cruz, and it is possible to get buses to Candelaria, Güimar, Arico, Arona, Granadilla, La Sombrera, Fasnia, Las  Galletas and other towns and villages on the eastern side and in the south, as well as to La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz, Icod de los Vinos and Buenavista in the north and west of Tenerife.
If you like beaches Playa de las Teresitas is just a short ride away from Santa Cruz and the 910 or the 245 buses will take you there. Las Teresitas is a white sand beach and very popular with residents and tourists.
Santa Cruz is a city that offers everything you would expect of one but with plenty of unique sights, and with easy access to other parts of the island. Santa Cruz is a city well worth visiting but is also ideal for planning your travels to other parts of Tenerife from.
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Tenerife Island