Tenerife’s botanical garden is another island attraction. Today it’s back to the beautiful Spanish island of Tenerife. We flew to Tenerife from Barcelona with Ryanair, where if you buy in advance you can snatch up tickets at a very good price.
Stayed in the north of the island in Puerto de la Cruz.
Some background information. Puerto de la Cruz is one of the most famous cities in Tenerife with a unique climate (temperature year round – 15-22°C), where Michael Jackson, Agatha Christie, the Beatles and other legendary celebrities have spent their holidays. Puerto de la Cruz has been the national tourist centre of Spain since 1955. The city is famous for its festivals and celebrations. The International Street Arts Festival, Bavarian week dedicated to German music and gastronomy, Bach Festival, etc. are held here.
The town of Puerto de la Cruz is small, green and very cosy. In the centre there is a building, the figures on the wall of which you can “learn the geography” of the Canary Islands 🙂 By the way, the archipelago of the Canary Islands comprises 13 volcanic islands, 7 big inhabited ones and a few small ones in the Atlantic Ocean.
During our visit to the island (January) it was chestnut season. You can buy roasted chestnuts on the street. They are very tasty. Chestnuts, along with the volcano Teide, are the national pride of Tenerife, so I will tell you a little about them.
Tenerife chestnuts
I will start by saying that chestnuts have been eaten by peasants in Tenerife since the beginning of the 16th century. Chestnuts are nowadays a staple in many recipes. Chestnuts are used to make cakes, liqueurs, jams and even jellies.
A total of over 24 hectares of chestnut trees of about 15 varieties grow on Tenerife. The most well-known chestnuts on the island are Castaña de Sala, Castañas mulatas (often used in stews), Castañas Araferas, Castaña Castagrande, Castaña Polegre (often used in pastries) and Castaña Redonda.
The locals love chestnuts so much they hold fiestas in their honour. Every November 29th, Puerto de la Cruz has a boisterous (and quite literally) festival known as “La fiesta del cacharro y la castaña” (the festival of the clay pot and chestnut). After sunset people drag old copper and clay pots and unwanted items onto the ground in the main square, tying them together with wires and making as much noise as possible. In the square there is a tasting of a variety of chestnut and other Canarian delicacies and local wine.
And the small town of La Matanza de Acentejo in the province of Santa Cruz has its own chestnut festival every November, which lasts for almost a whole month (!). During this time, there are cooking duels, master classes, tastings, etc.
But back to the notable places in Tenerife.
Tenerife Botanical Garden
On the first day we flew to La Orotava, one of the oldest towns on the island, to visit the Botanical Garden of Tenerife in Puerto de la Cruz Jardín de Aclimatación, the second largest after the Royal Botanical Gardens in Madrid.
The project of the botanical garden in Tenerife was born with the idea of bringing exotic plants from the New World, the Americas. The island was to serve as an acclimatisation centre before transferring them to the Iberian Peninsula; hence the official name: Jardín de Aclimatación.
In 1788, in spite of the fact that the project was not a success, given the great differences in the climatic conditions between the Canary Islands and the Peninsula, the botanical gardens of Tenerife in Puerto de la Cruz were used by decree of King Carlos III for the cultivation of tropical plants in Spain.
Two years later, the architect Nicolás Eduardo designed and started work on the Tenerife Botanical Garden. The Jardín de Aclimatación became known during the 20th century thanks to the work of the explorer Sventenius, who since 1943, dedicates more than 30 years to the botanical study of the flora of the Canary archipelago, Madera, Selvagens and Cabo Verde.
Today, the Botanical Garden of Tenerife in Puerto de la Cruz occupies an area of more than 20,000 m2, displaying native plants and a large collection of tropical and subtropical species that are well-adapted to the island’s climate.
A visit to the Botanical Garden of Tenerife in Puerto de la Cruz should ideally take at least 3 hours. We, as plant lovers, walked there for almost a whole day. For the first time in our lives we saw Carludovica palmata, the leaves of which are used to make Panama’s famous panama hats. The Latin American plant got such an unusual name, named after King Charles IV and his wife Marie-Louise.
We liked the Ceiba speciosa tree from Brazil and Argentina, popularly called the ‘drunkard’s tree’ or ‘bottle tree’ because of its shape, and the lake with water lilies in the centre of the botanical garden of Tenerife, which is stunningly beautiful. Lots of flowers, butterflies… Time flies by without you noticing.
Botanical Garden of Puerto de la Cruz – Information
Opening hours of the Botanical Garden of Tenerife: Open daily from 9:00 to 18:00.
Admission: 3 EUR.
Getting there: Take bus 348 (stop El Botánico) from Puerta de la Cruz. Check the timetable on the official website www.titsa.com.
What else can you see in Tenerife
The highest peak (3,718m) in the Kingdom of Spain is Mount Teide.
Beaches with black sand. The beautiful, Blue Flag-winning Playa Jardín and the Loro Parque theme park are highly recommended.
One of the best water parks in Europe is Siam Park.
And that’s it! Have a great holiday!
