Teatro Leal
One of the most beautiful interiors in Tenerife. Walk in and see oil-painted ceilings, theatrical masks, and a floor that changes from sloped to flat. The facade outside is an attraction in itself -look for the masks holding up the balconies. Only accessible during shows or open days in September.
Teatro Leal is the stage jewel of La Laguna. Built in 1915 for philanthropist Antonio Leal Martín (a lagunero of Cuban origin living in Seville) to plans by architect Antonio Pintor Ocete, it replaced the older Teatro Viana. The Renaissance-eclectic façade features theatrical masks as consoles, plant and animal motifs, and medallions of Lope de Vega and Calderón de la Barca (added in 1931-32).
The interior takes your breath away: marouflage paintings (oil on canvas glued to the ceiling) by Manuel López Ruiz, with romantic seascapes on the walls and a heavenly scene on the ceiling. Twelve landscapes by Benjamín de Sosa y Lugo and eight muses of the performing arts by Manuel Verdugo Barletta complete the ensemble. The horseshoe-shaped auditorium provides excellent acoustics.
The theatre was La Laguna's cultural and social hub: it hosted musical comedies, great operas, flower festivals, masked balls, political rallies and charity events. The first major film screenings in La Laguna were held here (from around 1915), organised by businessmen brothers Juan and Antonio de la Cruz. Their cinema activities continued into the 1960s. On 6 September 1926 'El ladrón de los guantes blancos' premiered: the first feature film shot in the Canary Islands, filmed entirely on Tenerife.
The stalls floor has a mechanism allowing it to switch from inclined to flat. After decades of closure (around 1990), the restoration was commissioned in 2001 to architect Ladislao Díaz Márquez. The theatre reopened on 18 September 2008. Capacity: 512 seats upholstered in crimson velvet.
C. Obispo Rey Redondo, 50 (La Carrera), pedestrian center. Parking San Juan or PARKIA La Trinidad, 3-5 min walk.
Tram Line 1, stop La Trinidad, 5 min walk along the pedestrian street.
Get here by busSame parking for the entire old town: PARKIA La Trinidad is the most reliable option.
Navigate to parkingThe interior is accessible only during performances or the annual open days (anniversary in September). But the façade alone is worth stopping for: look for the theatrical masks as consoles, plant and animal motifs, and the medallions of Lope de Vega and Calderón from 1931-32. Inside, note the marouflage ceiling and the auditorium shape: a horseshoe that delivers exceptional acoustics.
Ask about the Sala de Cámara on the roof. The stalls floor has a flattening mechanism: a legacy of masked balls and political rallies of the 19th-20th centuries. The theatre was the centre of all public life in La Laguna, not just cultural.
Capacity: 512 seats. Tickets via teatroleal.es. Programme: theatre, music, dance.
Commissioned by Antonio Leal Martín (philanthropist of Cuban origin from La Laguna, living in Seville). Plans: Antonio Pintor Ocete (1912). Inauguration 25 September 1915. Style: Renaissance-eclectic. Façade sculptures: Manuel López Ruiz. Marouflage paintings: López Ruiz (seascapes, heavenly scene), Benjamín de Sosa y Lugo (12 landscapes), Manuel Verdugo Barletta (8 muses). Medallions of Lope de Vega and Calderón added 1931-32. First major film screenings in La Laguna (from c.1915, de la Cruz brothers). 6 September 1926: premiere of 'El ladrón de los guantes blancos' (first feature film in the Canary Islands). Purchased by the town hall 1982, closed c.1990. Restoration: architect Ladislao Díaz Márquez (from 2001). Reopened 18 September 2008. Capacity: 512 seats.
PARKIA La Trinidad → Plaza del Adelantado → La Carrera (pedestrian) → Teatro Leal (facade) → continue on La Carrera → Church of La Concepción → back via C. San Agustín → Casa Lercaro → Cathedral → tapas.
Art Nouveau façade
The full facade from across La Carrera street. Look for theatrical masks, floral motifs, and medallions. Best in afternoon light.
Painted interior (during performances)
If you get inside (show or open day), the marouflage ceiling is spectacular. No-flash photos.