San Cristóbal de La Laguna

San Cristóbal de La Laguna, known to everyone simply as La Laguna, is Tenerife’s most beautiful historic city. It was founded between 1496 and 1497 by Alonso Fernández de Lugo, the conqueror of the island, and was its first capital for almost three centuries. Its historic centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.

According to UNESCO, it was the first Spanish colonial city built without walls: its lower town, laid out on a grid, became the model for many cities founded in the Americas. The streets of the centre are still straight today, largely pedestrianised and lined with stately houses with wooden balconies and inner courtyards.

La Laguna is also the island’s university city: the University of La Laguna is the oldest institution of higher education in the Canary Islands, and its students keep the centre lively, with bars, bookshops and places to go out.

What to see

• Cathedral: rebuilt between 1904 and 1915, it kept its neoclassical façade from 1820. As well as the church itself, you can visit the tower, with its clock and bells, on a guided tour.
• Iglesia de la Concepción: the first church founded in Tenerife, with three 16th-century naves and a stone bell tower from the late 17th century, the symbol of the city.
• Plaza del Adelantado: the most important square in the centre, overlooked by the Palacio de Nava and the Convent of Santa Catalina.
• Calle Obispo Rey Redondo: the old “La Carrera”, with the Casa del Corregidor, the Alhóndiga and the Casa de los Capitanes, which houses the mayor’s office.
• Calle San Agustín: considered one of the most beautiful streets in Spain, with 17th- and 18th-century houses and the Instituto Cabrera Pinto, a former convent.
• Casa Lercaro: a mansion built in 1593 for a merchant family of Genoese origin, now home to the Museo de Historia y Antropología de Tenerife.
• Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos: an interactive science and astronomy museum with a planetarium.
• Real Santuario del Cristo: home to the Cristo de La Laguna, the most venerated image on the island.

The municipal market, temporarily housed in Plaza del Cristo, is perfect for a morning visit to taste fruit, cheeses and local produce.

Festivals

The best-loved festival is that of the Cristo de La Laguna, in September: the main day is the 14th, with a procession and fireworks. Holy Week, with its Good Friday processions, and Corpus Christi, when the streets fill with carpets of flowers, also draw large crowds.

Getting there

From Santa Cruz, the easiest way to get there is by tram: line 1 links central Santa Cruz (Intercambiador stop) with La Laguna in about 35 minutes; for the historic centre, get off at the Trinidad terminus. There are also direct TITSA buses, and Tenerife North airport is just a few minutes away. See also our guide to getting around Tenerife.

The city lies on the plateau behind Santa Cruz and is cooler and more humid than the south of the island, so bring a light jacket.

La Laguna is also the gateway to Anaga Rural Park: from the Las Mercedes area, the road climbs up to the laurel forests of Cruz del Carmen.