Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África

The Mercado Nuestra Señora de África - known as La Recova - is the gastronomic heart of Santa Cruz and one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. Opened on January 4, 1944, its neocolonial style with arches, open courtyards and a central tower make it unmistakable. The architect was José Enrique Marrero Regalado (the same one who designed the Cabildo building and the García Sanabria monument). It was made possible by 1,500,000 pesetas from the Economic Command of General Ricardo Serrador Santés, on the condition it be finished in six months (it took 18). The name honors the saint's day of the general's wife. In 2004 it was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural. In 2019, The Guardian ranked it among the world's 10 best markets, alongside Pike Place (Seattle), Mahane Yehuda (Jerusalem) and Lau Pa Sat (Singapore).

Two floors: the ground floor houses the fishmongers with the freshest catch of the day (tuna, wrasse, grouper, octopus, limpets - whatever the sea yields each morning), 16 varied shops and parking. The upper floor has the bulk of the stalls: tropical fruit (papaya, mango, Canarian banana, avocado, guava), vegetables, butchers, cheese shops with Canarian DOP cheeses, honey, gofio, mojos, wines, spices, flowers. Over 200 traders.

At the entrance: two emblematic sculptures - La Lechera (by Guzmán Compañ Zamorano) and Tribute to the Chicharrero (by Javier Murcia Trujillo, two fishermen hauling their boat). Sundays there's a flea market on the adjacent Rambla Azul: books, crafts, bazaar, antiques.

Since 1995 it's been managed as a cooperative - a model recognized with the Gold Medal of the Canary Islands and the Gold Medal of Santa Cruz (2018, 75th anniversary).