Plaza España

Santa Cruz de Tenerife


The majority of Santa Cruz’ sights and museums are within easy walking distance of the revamped waterfront Plaza España, with its huge circular wading pool plus fountain that spouts four times a day (indicating high and low tides). The pool makes for excellent photographs in the early morning or late afternoon, with the architecture reflected in the water.

The city's primary pedestrian shopping area, pedestrianised Calle Castillo, is just west of here.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Santa Cruz de Tenerife attractions

1. Castillo de San Cristóbal

0.07 MILES

Located beneath Plaza España are the still-standing fragments of the former castle that once rose up majestically here. The remains can be accessed by an…

2. Iglesia de San Francisco

0.13 MILES

If churches are your religion then don’t miss this pretty baroque church from the 17th and 18th centuries, with its richly carved ceiling and ornate…

3. Museo de Bellas Artes

0.15 MILES

Founded in 1900 and formerly part of the adjacent church (note the fabulous stained glass), this excellent museum has an eclectic collection of paintings…

4. Teatro Guimerá

0.21 MILES

One of the city’s architectural highlights is the rectangular, 19th-century Teatro Guimerá. The sumptuous interior is reminiscent of Madrid’s Teatro Real,…

6. Centro de Arte La Recova

0.24 MILES

Located in a former market, this gallery houses temporary exhibitions of contemporary Canarian and mainland-Spanish artists.

7. Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre

0.28 MILES

This brain-bending amalgam of natural science and archaeology is an excellent museum, despite a rather confusing layout. Set inside the former civil…