Port Buzz: Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain via Silversea

Sunise in Tenerife — View from my verandah of the sunrise in Tenerife, Canary Islands.

Silversea’s Silver Spirit arrived in port under clear skies and calm seas. Despite a forecast that had locals on high-alert for rains, cruise passengers headed out with little worry about potential blustery weather. Unlike other ports we have visited on this 9-day Silversea Cruises voyage, today we opted to go it alone to discover the hidden gems to be found in Santa Cruz, the islands main port on Tenerife island.

Welcome to Tenerife, view from walking path from ship to city center.

Silversea offered a complimentary shuttle from the ship to the city center. Although it did not look like a far walk, it was. So if you want to save your walking feet for shopping and strolling around consider not walking from the dock to the city center. With that said, the path is very well marked and cruise visitors can choose from three different color-coded walks to take them to the sights.

tour bus — Tenerife, Canary Islands hop-on/hop-off bus.

Upon leaving the secured port area, we purchased tickets for the hop-on/hop-off bus. This double-decker transport cost 15 Euro each, which was a good deal for people looking to get a quick overview of city highlights. Did I mention that red ballcap-style hats are given to guests, which come in very handy if you sit in the seats on the top.

City Highlights

Tapas event sponsored by Dorada and Tasting Spain, Hop-on/Hop-Off bus, sightseeing.

One of the icons in the city is the Auditorio de Tenerife, which some say resembles the Sydney Opera House. Nearby the auditorium is Castillo San Juan and the Parque Maritimo Cesar Manrique (the city’s water park).

We disembarked the bus at the Mercado de Nuestra Senora de Africa (market of our lady of Africa) to meet a friends who was kind enough to show us around for the remainder of the day.

She took us to the library houses at the TEA Modern Art Gallery complex (library has free wifi and amazing architecture), by the Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre (Museum of Nature and Man) showing objects from the Pre-Hispanic Canary Islands, and outside of the Church of the Conception before treating us to a special Tapas event going on through November.

Tapas Event – Ruta del Chicharro

Tapas event sponsored by Dorada and Tasting Spain

If you happen to be on the next Silversea voyage calling on Tenerefe, ask for the 2012 map showing the 31 restaurants participating in the Ruta del Chicharro. I promise you that for 2,50 Euro per tapa and a bottle of local Dorado Especial beer, you will not be disappointed.

Tapas restaurants — La Noria tapas restaurants

We concentrated our efforts in the La Noria area off Calle Antonio d. Alfonso street sampling fare from Mojos y Mojitos, El Lagar, La Suite, and one other establishment that was not participating in the month long tapas event but they had great food and service as well.

I am looking forward to visiting this island again to explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site at La Laguna (only 12 Euro per taxi for a 5 minute drive from City Center), spend the day at the national park learning about Spain’s highest mountain peak called Mt. Tede, and sunbathing at Tenerife’s world-famous beaches located on the southern portion of the island. For now, I am content to have spent a day in port exploring this bustling port town.

For further information about Tenerife visit their Facebook fan page or visit their website at webtenerife.co.uk. or www.webtenerife.com.

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