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Best restaurants in Puerto de la Cruz: where to eat in the north of Tenerife
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Culinary experiences
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Culture
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By Mar Bauza
Digital marketing specialist with a passion for travel, writing, and discovering what makes every destination unique.
The metropolitan area of Tenerife brings together the most vibrant festive calendar in the Canary Islands. Its great benchmark is the Carnival, declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest in 1980. Added to this event are the Holy Week of La Laguna, famous for its incalculable historical value, and an annual cycle of traditions that includes the May Crosses, San Juan, the Virgen del Carmen and the Three Wise Men.
This guide brings together the complete annual calendar, with approximate dates, what to expect from each festival, which area to arrive from, and practical tips. If you are planning a broader trip, combine it with the guide on what to see and do in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the one on what to see and do in La Laguna, which share many of the celebrations on this list.
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| Festival | Approximate dates | Duration | Where | Highlight |
| Three Wise Men / Parade | January 5 | 1 day | Santa Cruz + La Laguna | Parade through the centre |
| Santa Cruz Carnival | February - March | 3 weeks | Santa Cruz (centre + Plaza de España) | Coso Apoteosis, Queen Gala, Burial of the Sardine |
| La Laguna Carnival | February - March | Parallel to Santa Cruz | La Laguna | Less crowded option |
| Holy Week of La Laguna | March - April | 8 days | La Laguna historic centre | Holy Thursday Magna Procession |
| Foundation of Santa Cruz | May 3 | 1 day | Plaza de España | Institutional acts |
| May Crosses | May 3 | 1 day | Santa Cruz and La Laguna neighbourhoods | Decorated crosses |
| San Juan | Night of June 23 - 24 | 1 night | Beaches (Teresitas) and ports | Bonfires on the beach |
| Virgen del Carmen | July 15 - 16 | 2 days | Santa Cruz (San Andrés neighbourhood and Port) | Sea celebration |
| San Benito Abad Pilgrimage | July (Sunday) | 1 day | La Laguna | Carts, livestock, traditional costumes |
| Christmas and monumental Nativity scene | December - January | 1 month | Plaza del Cristo, La Laguna | Giant Nativity scene |
The exact dates for Carnival and Holy Week change every year. Check carnavaldetenerife.com and the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council website before planning your trip.
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival is, along with that of Rio de Janeiro, one of the great carnival benchmarks in the world, and the most important festive event in the Canary Islands. It is celebrated between the end of February and the beginning of March, lasts three weeks and includes televised galas, murgas, comparsas and rondallas competitions, street parties, and massive parades. The Coso Apoteosis on Carnival Tuesday can gather more than 200,000 people along the maritime avenue and the city centre.
For the Queen's Gala and the competitions at the Fairgrounds, advance tickets are sold on the Carnival website (with prices starting from 15€). The Carnival in the street and the Coso Apoteosis are free; no tickets are needed, but the preferred areas fill up hours before.
Hotel bookings in Santa Cruz and La Laguna for the Carnival dates should be finalised 3-6 months in advance. If you stay at the INNSiDE Santa Cruz, you are about a 20-minute walk from the Fairgrounds and Plaza de España, the heart of the Carnival.
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The Holy Week of San Cristóbal de La Laguna (a city declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999) is, together with the Carnival, the greatest cultural and devotional event on the island of Tenerife. It is celebrated in the historic centre between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday (March-April), standing out for the silence of its streets and the incalculable wealth of its imagery. Its great symbol of devotion is the Holy Christ of La Laguna.
This festival stands out for the artistic heritage of the carvings (several by the Canarian sculptor Fernando Estévez, 19th century) and the setting of the historic centre, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999.
On May 3, two anniversaries that fill the city are celebrated at the same time: the Foundation of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1494) and the May Crosses, a popular tradition in which the neighbourhoods decorate wooden crosses with flowers, shawls, and lights. It is one of the most heartfelt and least touristy festivals, the most local side of the festive calendar.
The tradition connects with that of Los Realejos and La Laguna, two nearby municipalities where the celebration of the crosses has centuries of history. If you want to discover the best towns in Tenerife in their most authentic atmosphere, May 3 is a perfect date to visit them.
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On the night of June 23 to 24, the beaches and ports of Tenerife are filled with bonfires in the celebration of San Juan, the most pagan and popular festival of the summer. In Santa Cruz, the focus is on Las Teresitas Beach, where camping and lighting bonfires in enabled areas is allowed from the early afternoon. In La Laguna, the meeting moves to the surroundings of Jover, Punta del Hidalgo, and Bajamar.
Tradition dictates jumping over the embers an odd number of times to attract luck and bathing in the sea at midnight to renew energy. In Tenerife, this night stands out for its family and multi-generational atmosphere, making it an ideal date to discover the island with children.
July 16 is the feast of the Virgen del Carmen, patron saint of sailors and fishermen, and is celebrated with maritime processions in the island's fishing ports. In the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz, the celebrations are concentrated in Valleseco and San Andrés, fishing villages on the northeast coast.
The most photogenic procession on the island, however, is that of Puerto de la Cruz, which is celebrated on the second Tuesday of July, when the image of the Virgin travels the sea by boat accompanied by the fishing fleet.
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The San Benito Abad Pilgrimage, in La Laguna, is the largest in the Canary Islands and one of the most important in southern Europe. It is celebrated on the second Sunday of July and travels through the streets of the historic centre with more than 50 carts, pulled by oxen, loaded with wine, wrinkled potatoes, cheese, and pork rinds that are offered to the public.
It is one of the best occasions to try authentic Canarian produce and see thousands of people proudly wearing the traditional 'mago' costume from each of the islands.
Between December and the beginning of January, La Laguna installs a monumental Nativity scene in the Plaza del Cristo with more than 400 figures that recreate the city of Bethlehem and the arrival of the Three Wise Men. Access is free and it opens with extended hours.
January 5 with the Three Wise Men parades provides the finishing touch. The schedules of Santa Cruz and La Laguna allow you to enjoy both: the one in La Laguna starts in the mid-afternoon, standing out for its enormous historical rigour and traditional atmosphere, while the one in Santa Cruz de Tenerife takes over at nightfall with a display of floats, lights, and music that is much more massive.
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Santa Cruz de Tenerife and La Laguna form the metropolitan area, connected by the tram. From other tourist areas, you have to rely on a car or bus.
The ideal option for Carnival, Holy Week, and the May Crosses. From the INNSiDE Santa Cruz you are about a 20-minute walk from Plaza de España, the Fairgrounds, and the main promenade. For La Laguna, the tram connects in 35 minutes (line 1, frequency every 10 min).
Santa Cruz is 1h 10min – 1h 30min by car via the TF-1 (south) or TF-5 (north). On Carnival dates, it is more practical to stay in the metropolitan area than to return to the south at night (traffic returning at 4-5am is dense). If you go to the Carnival from the south, consider booking a night in Santa Cruz.
The Virgen del Carmen on July 15-16 in Puerto de la Cruz can be experienced comfortably from the north: the Sol Puerto de la Cruz and the Meliá Costa Atlantis are minutes from the fishing port.
This city represents the perfect base for lovers of the most solemn and deep-rooted celebrations on the island. Staying here will place you in the front row for the processions of Holy Week, the iconic and massive San Benito Abad Pilgrimage (July), or the display of the Monumental Nativity scene during the Christmas holidays. All this with the advantage of being able to return to your hotel on foot through its pedestrian streets when the celebrations end.
| Trip objective | Best time | Bookings |
| Full Carnival (galas + street) | February – March (3 weeks) | 3-6 months before |
| Coso Apoteosis | Carnival Tuesday | 1-2 months before |
| Holy Week La Laguna | March – April (8 days) | 2-3 months before |
| May Crosses and Foundation | May 3 | 1-2 weeks before |
| San Juan on the beach | June 23-24 | 2-4 weeks before |
| Virgen del Carmen | Second Tuesday of July | 2-3 weeks before |
| San Benito Pilgrimage | Second Sunday of July | 1 month before |
| Christmas and Nativity scene | December – January | 1-2 months before |
While the daytime Carnival and the afternoon of the Three Wise Men are ideal events to enjoy with children, the Gala nights or the Coso Apoteosis can be too long for the little ones. If you are looking for specific ideas adapted to each age, don't miss our complete guide on Tenerife with children: family plans.
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The festive calendar in Santa Cruz is massive. These are the points that save the most trouble:
To extend your trip to the south of the city or combine it with nature, rely on the guide on what to see and do in the north of Tenerife, especially useful for dates such as San Juan and Virgen del Carmen, which are more linked to the northern coast.
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