San Cristóbal de La Laguna Spain commonly known as La Laguna is one of the most unique and interesting places to visit on the island of Tenerife. Here, I’ll show you the best things to do in La Laguna in one day and some useful tips to help you plan your trip. I hope you enjoy La Laguna as much as I did.
I visited La Laguna during a solo trip to Tenerife and it turned out to be a lovely place to spend a few hours. I recommend you add La Laguna to your list of things to do, especially if you plan on exploring North Tenerife.
Firstly, useful things about San Cristóbal de La Laguna Spain, Canary Islands Tenerife.
Where is Tenerife La Laguna?
La Laguna is located in Tenerife’s northern region in a valley at the bottom of the famous, Anaga Rural Park and quite close to the island’s capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. La Laguna and Santa Cruz are the two largest cities in Tenerife by population and area, they are very close to each other and are well connected with public transport.
Getting to La Laguna
I travelled to Tenerife La Laguna with a rental car booked via Rentalcars.com which costs about €155/week. This is the easiest and most convenient way to get around, especially if you are planning on exploring Tenerife in great detail.
Public transport is also a great option worth considering. For instance, you can easily get to La Laguna from Santa Cruz by taking the tram (line 1) or taking the local bus (line 15) all for less than €2.
A taxi ride should cost you less than €10 to get to La Laguna from Tenerife North Airport, while a half an hour’s journey by the local bus costs about €3 from the popular north Tenerife resort, Puerto de la Cruz.
The History of La Laguna Tenerife
Why La Laguna is worth visiting,
- La Laguna was once the island’s capital city until the early 18th century when Santa Cruz took the title.
- The first university in Tenerife was founded in La Laguna, this has brought the city the privilege of being considered the intellectual and cultural capital of the Canary Islands.
- La Laguna’s well-preserved Old Town or Centro Historico is one of Tenerife’s two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the other one being the impressive Teide National Park. The Old Town of La Laguna is said to be the first well-planned 15th-century Spanish colonial city which was used as a model for subsequent colonial cities built especially in the Americas or the New World such as Havana Old Town, Cuba.
- La Laguna is renowned for its spectacular fiesta held in honour of San Benito Abad, a patron saint for the farmers and peasants of las Islas Canarias. The festival is held on the 2nd Sunday of July, so this would be one the most fascinating experiences not to miss if you’re on the island during this time.
Let’s get started, here are the best things to do in San Cristóbal De La Laguna
1. Explore Conception Square
A good starting point in La Laguna Old Town is to head to Conception Square, one of the city’s important squares and explore the exciting things within its vicinity. Here, you will find colourful buildings, pretty cottages and an array of coffee shops, restaurants and bars.
One of the first churches on the island, the Church of Immaculate Conception (Iglesia de la Concepcion) and its bell tower provide the perfect backdrop for the square.
The Church of Immaculate Conception is worth checking out if you have time. Although it appears modest from the outside, its interior is quite impressive and a climb to the top of its bell tower is rewarded with wonderful views of the city.
Even though Conception Square is not La Laguna’s main square, it does feel more like the heart of the city, as the atmosphere around it is always lively. This is also the centre for nightlife in La Laguna where some of the best bars in the city can be found like the popular El Rincon de Tintin.
2. Wander La Laguna Old Town Streets
Visiting La Laguna means finding joy in taking strolls in the Old Town’s cobbled streets and admiring its grand mansions which are home to chic cafes, museums, art galleries and boutiques which are great for Canarian product shopping.
The most popular street in La Laguna, Obispo Rey Redondo Street will lead you to an array of historical buildings which are worth taking a quick look at. Look out for the stylish Teatro Leal (Leal Theatre) and House of the Marquises of Torrehermossa, currently Aguyere Hotel.
3. Admire the House of the Captains General
Further along, you will find the city’s popular 17th century mansion, the House of the Captains General or Casa de Los Capaitanes which was built especially for Captain generals who once helped to govern the old city.
Like a lot of the historical buildings in La Laguna, the House of the Captains General’s courtyard and its ground floor are open for public viewing so feel free to pop in to get a glimpse of a traditional Canarian Island mansion.
The House of the Captains General is a fascinating building with typical Canarian Island home designs such as a courtyard decorated with wooden balconies, timber columns and a lovely garden with a fountain in the middle.
Currently, the House of the Captains General is used for various civic purposes and is also home to the Tourist Office.
4. Stop by Cayetano Gomez Felipe House Museum
Price: €4.50
Cayetano House Museum is a real hidden gem tucked away in a quiet corner of Conception Square. I was thrilled to discover it and I highly recommend a visit here to experience an elegant traditional Canary Island home.
Built in 1703, the house was owned by a famous Canarian collector Cayetano Gomez Felipe and the objects on show in the house belonged to him and his family.
The house is beautifully designed with a fantastic courtyard and a modern cafe and the atmosphere is peaceful which is lovely after being in La Laguna’s bustling streets.
You can visit the courtyard, the coffee shop and the souvenir shop at no cost and still have a lovely time.
Good to Know!
La Laguna is full to the brim with historical buildings built with typical architectural styles found in the region such as the use of wood to decorate exteriors and courtyards. Most of the buildings, especially the courtyards can be viewed at no cost by the public.
Personally, the Museum of Cayetano is a winner but there are many others. The 16th century Casa Salazar is another highly-reviewed building including the House of the Captains General mentioned above. However, look out for many others whilst strolling through La Laguna Old Town’s streets.
Information explaining the background of all the historical buildings in La Laguna Old Town is placed outside each building which is useful.
5. Tour La Laguna Cathedral
La Laguna Cathedral was stunningly built in the early 1900s, various architectural styles which include Neoclassical, Neo-Gothic and Baroque furnish this cathedral. You will be interested to know that this cathedral is one of few which are considered to be Spanish Cathedrals of Art.
Unsurprising as the cathedral’s interior houses a wide range of religious heritage. This includes a huge collection of beautiful original religious paintings from the 15th century to more recent times, stunning stained glass artwork, lovely side chapels with striking ornaments and a magnificent altarpiece.
The remains of Alonso Fernández de Lugo, the Governor who founded the city are laid out in this cathedral.
A distinguishing feature of this cathedral is its Neoclassical exterior inspired by the Cathedral of Pamplona in mainland Spain and the dome dominating the city’s skyline.
As you will discover during your visit to La Laguna, the city has a lot of churches, however, I believe this cathedral offers a much more fascinating experience even if you aren’t religious.
Related: Best Things to Do in La Orotava
6. Take a coffee break
La Cafeina, a small and trendy speciality coffee shop, located directly across from La Laguna Cathedral, is the perfect place to enjoy really good coffee while Makika & Co, is famous for offering the most delicious pastries in town. The two places are attractively decorated and are comfortably cosy making them ideal for a lovely break from sightseeing.
7. Relax at Adelantado Square
Every trip to La Laguna should include a visit to the city’s main square, Adelantado Square. The square itself is not as vibrant as other squares in the city, however, most of the city’s historical buildings are found here such as the Town Hall, grand palaces, old churches and convents such as the 17th century Santa Catalina Monastery, Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzmán and Ermita de San Miguel which are now converted into art galleries and used for other cultural purposes.
An observation I made during my visits here is that the square seemed to be used mostly by locals as a meeting point or as a quiet space to relax away from the bustle of the city.
If you are lucky during your visit you might meet bridal parties at the civil court posing for photographs beside the mighty trees and huge marble fountain on the square.
8. Explore the Museum of History and Anthropology of Tenerife
To learn a bit of Tenerife’s history, head to the Museum of History and Anthropology of Tenerife housed in “Tenerife’s most haunted mansion”, Lercaro House on St Augustine Street.
According to legend, Lercaro’s daughter Catalina threw herself in the family’s well and died dreading her marriage to an older wealthy man. A Christian burial would not have been allowed at that time so Catalina was buried in the mansion. It’s said, the ghost of Catalina is often seen by the museum’s caretakers walking around the mansion.
Well, I hope this doesn’t scare you away from visiting the museum because my visit there was quite delightful.
At this museum, the history and heritage of Tenerife are brought to life with exhibits about the island’s history from the 15th century to more recent times.
The mansion in which the museum is housed is beautiful, especially its courtyard.
A small negative thing about the museum is that all the descriptions of objects in the museum are in Spanish, however, an audio guide is available in a wide range of languages including English just remember to bring along a pair of earphones.
Good to Know
If you’re in La Laguna with kids or just curious about all things science, the Museum of Science and the Cosmos is worth a quick stop. The museum collection stretches out to cosmic science, human sciences and technological innovations, all told in various engaging and exciting ways. Plan your visit here.
9. Stop by La Laguna Market
If you are someone like me who gets excited about food markets, then head to La Laguna Market and I bet you will like it too. The market is mostly indoors except for flower stalls, it’s neat and the stalls are well arranged.
Stalls are filled with all sorts of colourful spices, exotic fresh fruits and vegetables, rounds of local cheeses, stacks of dried fish, all sorts of cured meats, bakeries with tempting pastries and small cafes popular with locals which are tucked in the market corners.
The locals are quite friendly here and the atmosphere is nice, a great place for food lovers.
10. Tour the Church and Former Convent of St Augustine
If you still have time, give this 16th century former convent and church, Church and Former Convent of St Augustine, a visit on San Agustín Street which was for many years the only secondary school on the island.
Although part of the building is in ruins following fire damage, it still houses a secondary school, Canarias Cabrera Pinto and its courtyard is one of the most beautiful in the city.
Part of the Church and Former Convent of St Augustine is used as a museum with permanent displays of important collections of paintings, clothes, statues and tapestries all from the 15th-16th century which is quite interesting.
☆☆☆☆☆
I hope you enjoy La Laguna San Cristobal!
La Laguna Tips
La Laguna Tenerife Parking
Be aware that parking is quite difficult to find around La Laguna Historical Center. The Old Town is mostly car-free with one-way streets which are a little bit confusing. I found it easier just to park far away from the Old Town.
La Laguna Tenerife Hotels
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to stay in any of the hotels in La Laguna hotels since I visited the city on a day trip. However, Booking.com is a great resource to find La Laguna Tenerife Hotels. Hotel Laguna Nivaria and La Laguna Gran Hotel are two hotels with great reviews on the site and are worth checking out.
Private and Group Tours in La Laguna
La Laguna Tenerife – Map
Refer to this map of La Laguna Tenerife map to see all the points of interest shown in this guide.
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Hi, I sent this message also on Instagram. I am trying to find the area in San Cristóbal de La Laguna where the artists have their booths selling jewelry and crafts. Would you happen to know the street or name of where the artists’ are selling their jewelry there? I unfortunately lost precious earrings on my last trip to Corfu that I had bought in Tenerife in San Cristóbal de La Laguna on a street where artists were selling their crafts. I have a photo of the earrings and want to find the artists who I bought them from. Kinda like trying to find a needle in a haystack, I know! But I really want to find the jewelrist, who I bought the earrings from. Would you happen to know the street name where artists sell their crafts in San Cristóbal de La Laguna?
Hi Carolyn, the market I know of is the big Municipal Market. I don’t think you’ll get spectacular jewellery there. Why don’t you try the Tourist Office in Casa de Los Capaitanes or any of the jewellery shops in town? I’d say they would know of all the jewellery markets in town. I hope you get sorted.
Thank you Adelaide,
The artists’ booths were on a strip of a street and not in the big Municipal Market.
Thank you so much for suggesting to contact the Tourist Office in Casa de Los Capitanes!
I messaged them and hope to hear back from them.
Kind regards,
Carolyn
Thanks Carolyn for the information. Hopefully you get sorted. Enjoy your holidays!
We loved visiting San Cristóbal de La Laguna – done it on two different trips to Tenerife. Looks like there’s a few spots we didn’t explore… more reason to for another visit to the wonderful town.
Thanks guys, La laguna is lovely anytime!