San Cristobal de La Laguna is the second most important and populated city in Tenerife with more than 150,000 inhabitants, following the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife and is approximately 20 minutes from Puerto de la Cruz by car.
Important facts
San Cristobal de La Laguna was a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999 and here is the first University of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna.
The city of San Cristobal de La Laguna is recognized by the people of Tenerife for being a city with a colder climate than we are usually accustomed to Tenerife, where it is not uncommon to have many cloudy days and mild rainfall, which at the same time gives the city a particular charm, whose climate is perfectly complemented by the old town and cobbled streets.
If you were looking forward to see in San Cristobal de La Laguna, then we will review the most emblematic places of this beautiful city.
Places to Visit in San Cristobal de La Laguna
Historic town
The old town of San Cristobal de La Laguna is one of the nicest you’ll find in the Canaries, with beautiful Canarian houses, pedestrian streets where to stroll and enjoy the special atmosphere that envelops the entire city.
Religious buildings
It is not hard to figure out why San Cristobal de La Laguna is known as the Florence of the Canary Islands, since here are many religious buildings to see, as it has a long religious tradition that is also evident especially during the celebrations of Holy Week .
Cathedral of La Laguna– Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios
It is a neo-Gothic cathedral, built in the sixteenth century, located in the heart of the historic center of San Cristobal de La Laguna, with a neoclassical facade and a dome that stands as a representative element of the city.
Iglesia de la Concepción
The Church of the Conception was founded in 1511 and as well as the Cathedral of San Cristobal de La Laguna, is one of the most characteristic elements of the city, especially with the bell tower. Declared of cultural interest in 1948.
Iglesia de Santo Domingo
This landmark church located in La Laguna is a Catholic church built in 1522 that was extended five years later with the church, where the beloved and revered patroness of the Canary Islands is: the Virgin of Candelaria.
Convent of Santa Clara of Asís
This convent built in 1547, arose from the need of the time that the island needed a female convent, nonexistent until the time of its construction. Several centuries later, specifically in 1978, it would be declared of cultural interest.
Cultural buildings
But if religious buildings are not your priority among the things to do in San Cristobal de La Laguna, do not worry, because there is much more. There are also cultural life in the city, often influenced by being a university town.
Teatro Leal
One of the most beloved and representative theaters of the Canaries, whose origin is in 1915, which was when one of the first films was shown here. It has a capacity of just over 600 spectators.
Museum of Science and the Cosmos
In the Canary Islands we are fascinated by the universe, among other things, because from many points of our islands, we are able to clearly make out numerous stars in the night sky. If you also are fascinated by the universe and its history, and do not settle only observing it, you can learn much more about the cosmos in this museum opened in 1993, created to disseminate all the knowledge derived from the study of the Universe. It is one of the most important in Spain in this area. The Museum of Science and the Cosmos of San Cristobal de La Laguna is located a little away from the city center, particularly in the road leading to the University Campus. There is a tram that drops you at the door of the museum.
Museum of the History of Tenerife
This museum opened in 1993, was born with the aim of raising awareness of the history of the island of Tenerife between the fifteenth and twentieth century.
Other important places to see in San Cristobal de La Laguna
Plaza del Adelantado
A beautiful plaza at one end of the old town, where is also situated the City Hall of San Cristobal de La Laguna.
Plaza de la Concepción
One of the most beautiful squares of San Cristobal de La Laguna which is also a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1999 and whose name is due to the Church that is in the square itself. In addition, around the Plaza de la Concepción is a special life, since it is full of restaurants, bars, and shops that makes it a perfect place to meet friends and enjoy a pleasant evening.
Palacios de Nava y Salazar
It is a beautiful canary baroque palace also combines maritime and neoclassical characteristic elements, and that reflect a perfect picture of what is the most representative architecture of the Canary Islands.
Plaza del Cristo
The Plaza del Cristo is one of the places to see in San Cristobal de La Laguna, probably less beautiful. It marks the boundary between the old town and agricultural area of the city, and is the location where it currently stands, and in theory provisionally, the municipal market. At the end of the Plaza del Cristo you can find the Sanctuary of Christ of La Laguna.
Celebrations of San Cristobal de La Laguna
Celebrations of the Cristo de la Laguna
Possibly the most representative celebration of La Laguna, which take place during the month of September, at which Christ is moved between the Cathedral and the Church of Christ. But the highlight of the festival is when the fireworks or pyrotechnic fireworks show takes place. Hundreds of people congregate in the Plaza del Cristo, families and friends to enjoy the famous Christ fires.
Romería de San Benito Abad
This procession held in the historic center of San Cristobal de La Laguna takes place during the month of July, and it can be enjoyed, as in all pilgrimages, a festive atmosphere in which the people of La Laguna and visitors from other places are dressed in typical Canarian clothing, spending a holiday with family and friends, acclimated with canary folklore music and the cuisine of the islands.
Holy Week in La Laguna
In La Laguna, Holy Week processions are lived with a special devotion and solemnity, hardly comparable to other places in the islands. In addition, the environment of the historic center of San Cristobal de La Laguna also plays an important role in creating a magical atmosphere during these celebrations, in which over 8 days, processions of fraternities sojourn by the various religious buildings of the city.
Corpus Christi de La Laguna
Laguna takes a special beauty during this celebration, one of the oldest on the island, since at this time the streets are decorated with floral tapestries of great beauty, as a way to honor the passage of the Blessed Sacrament. This celebration is also found in other municipalities of the islands and in La Orotava.
A lot to see in northern Tenerife
Now that you’ve checked what to see in San Cristobal de La Laguna, you may have noticed that the island of Tenerife keeps many stories and things to visit, from the largest cities such as San Cristobal de La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz Tenerife, to the smallest towns and municipalities.
The good news is that everything is just a few minutes away if planning your trip well, you have no problem knowing everything that you want. The Apartments Ambassador, which as you know are located in Puerto de la Cruz, are within a 25 minute drive from San Cristobal de La Laguna, but you can also find bus lines to get to this iconic city in three quarters of an hour.
If apart from enjoying all that offers Puerto de la Cruz, you also want to know other beautiful places on the island in the north of Tenerife, Puerto de la Cruz and Apartments Ambassador are a perfect place to stay and have close multiple municipalities, beaches, viewpoints and endless possibilities. Book now and see northern Tenerife and our newly renovated apartments Ambassador. See you there!
