Botanical Garden
Walk beneath a giant fig tree whose aerial roots descend like cathedral columns - it's the most impressive tree you'll see in Tenerife. Around it, 4,000 tropical species from five continents across 20,000 m² of gardens. Look for the sausage tree, the sensitive plant that closes its leaves when touched, and the lily ponds. A haven of peace for just €3.
The Botanical Garden of Puerto de la Cruz hides one of the island's best stories. In 1788 Charles III ordered the creation of a garden to acclimatise tropical plants from the American colonies before shipping them to the royal gardens in Madrid. The driving force: Alonso de Nava y Grimon, 6th Marquis of Villanueva del Prado, who organised concerts and intellectual gatherings among the plants. Architect Diego Nicolas Eduardo designed the geometric plans in 1790, the first 35 species were planted in 1792. The problem: the plants did not survive the journey to the mainland. So they stayed on Tenerife, and the transit station became Spain's second-oldest botanical garden.
The golden age came with Swiss gardener Hermann Wildpret, who managed the garden from 1860 to 1893 and expanded the collection from 220 to nearly 5,000 species. In 1889 he compiled the first public plant catalogue and imported 3,000 exotic species from around the world through his own nursery business. In 19th-century travel guides the garden was listed as Tenerife's second attraction after Teide. Wildpret's great-grandson, Wolfredo Wildpret de la Torre, became the first professor of botany at the University of La Laguna.
The star is the Lord Howe Fig planted by Wildpret in the 1870s: a colossus 30 metres tall whose aerial roots hang down like the columns of a living cathedral. Today the garden holds around 4,000 species from 5 continents across 20,000 m²: from the breadfruit tree (yes, the one from 'Mutiny on the Bounty') to the Mayan rubber tree, a 44-metre araucaria and the largest palo borracho in the Canary Islands. The herbarium stores over 37,000 specimens of Canarian flora. Heritage site since 1994.
C/ Retama, 2 (La Paz area). Well signposted. Easy street parking nearby.
The La Paz residential area has easy street parking, except Sunday mornings. Much easier than the town center.
Navigate to parkingThe giant Lord Howe Fig stands in the centre of the garden: impossible to miss, but step back because you need distance to capture the scale. Also look for the sensitive plant (folds its leaves when touched: children go wild), the sausage tree with its hanging fruit, and two ponds with water lilies and papyrus.
The QR audio guide is free and genuinely good. Early morning the garden is almost yours alone, and the light filtering through the trees is magical.
Right next door is Sitio Litre, the oldest private garden on Tenerife (since 1730), where Agatha Christie and Alexander von Humboldt were guests: €4.75 extra very well spent.
Botanical Garden (9:00, 1-2h) → Sitio Litre (right next door, where Agatha Christie had tea) → walk to Mirador de La Paz → down the Agatha Christie steps → Playa Martiánez → Lago Martiánez.
Great Lord Howe Ficus
The Great Lord Howe Fig in the garden's center. Its aerial roots forming columns create a living cathedral image. Bring a wide-angle if you can - you need distance to capture its scale.
Ponds with water lilies
The two ponds with water lilies, papyrus, and aquatic plants. Perfect reflections early morning when there's no wind.
Black Sea Restaurant
Restaurant - Steaks - Seafood - Gourmet burgers
4.7 - 1582 reviews - 20-30 EUR
12:30-22:00 (closed Tuesdays)
Right across from the Jardin Botanico entrance - perfect for lunch before or after visiting the garden. Run by a Bulgarian family for over 5 years, #16 restaurant in Puerto de la Cruz. Known for the best burgers in Puerto, fresh fish and Bulgarian tapas. Intimate atmosphere, very warm service.