Places guide · Old town and valley
A historic centre of colonial mansions and carved wooden balconies, hanging above a valley of banana plantations that opens out to the sea with Teide keeping watch in the background. One of the towns with the most character in the north of Tenerife.
Why it is worth the visit
La Orotava grew in the 16th century on a slope overlooking the valley that bears its name, Tenerife's richest farming district thanks to a humid microclimate that is unusual on the island. That agricultural origin left an old town of stately mansions, built by families who made their fortunes from sugar cane and later wine.
Today the town keeps that stately air almost intact: sloping cobbled streets, carved wooden balconies overlooking the street and gardens hidden behind stone walls. Every June, its residents cover the streets with carpets of flowers and volcanic sand for Corpus Christi, a tradition that draws visitors from all over the island.
What to see
The old town is covered on foot, with gentle slopes and good views of the valley.
The town's most photographed image: a 17th-century mansion with a gallery of hand-carved wooden balconies, now converted into a Canarian crafts shop and museum.
The old town's most stately cobbled street, flanked by colonial façades and wooden balconies, gently climbing towards the square of the Church of the Conception.
The town's main parish church, with a two-towered Baroque façade that dominates the old town's skyline as seen from the valley.
How to organise it
From a short stroll through the old town to an in-depth visit if it coincides with Corpus Christi.
Before you drive
The streets in the centre are narrow and cobbled, with a steep gradient in places.
La Orotava's old town has narrow, cobbled, sloping streets that are awkward to drive or park in. The most practical option is to leave the car in a car park on the edge of the old town and walk around the centre.
Practical information
In the north of the island, next to the valley that gives it its name and minutes from the coast.
About 35 minutes from Santa Cruz along the northern motorway, or 10 minutes from Puerto de la Cruz.
The streets in the centre are narrow; there are public car parks next to the square and at the entrances to the old town.
In the morning there is less traffic and better light for photographing the wooden balconies.
On the outskirts of the town, it offers one of the most photographed views of the valley with Teide in the background — the same one that amazed the German naturalist in 1799.
Enough for the old town; allow more time if you also visit Puerto de la Cruz.
The streets near Plaza de la Constitución have traditional Canarian cooking, many in restored historic mansions.
Just ten minutes away, with Playa Jardín and the seafaring old quarter as a natural continuation of the day.
Less than half an hour away, to continue the route through the north of the island.
Before you set off
Frequently asked questions
The Casa de los Balcones, with its gallery of hand-carved wood, and the carpets of flowers and volcanic sand that cover the streets every Corpus Christi.
Half a day is enough to walk the old town at an easy pace.
The date changes every year according to the liturgical calendar, usually between late May and June. It is worth checking the exact date before you travel if you want to see the carpets.
Puerto de la Cruz and its coast are ten minutes away. Garachico and Icod de los Vinos, along the north, are less than half an hour away.
A viewpoint on the outskirts of the town with one of the most famous views of the La Orotava valley and Teide in the background, the same one described by the naturalist Alexander von Humboldt in 1799.
The streets near Plaza de la Constitución have the greatest concentration of traditional Canarian restaurants, several housed in restored historic mansions.
Next stop
La Orotava sums up the north of Tenerife in a single walk: stately architecture, a fertile valley and the volcano always present on the horizon.
Photo of the Casa de los Balcones: Axel Cotón Gutiérrez, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo of Calle San Francisco: Cayambe, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
