Charming gardens

The Botanical Garden

It is situated at the entrance of the city on Carretera del Botanical, in the ​​La Paz area and is one of the city´s historical and cultural jewels, product of the Spanish Enlightenment.  La Orotava Acclimatisation Garden was created by Royal Order of King Carlos III in 1788, as a consequence of the need to cultivate species from the tropics in Spanish territory.

The Botanic garden is the second oldest among the botanical gardens of Spain, after Madrid´s. It has an interesting collection of 1,500 subtropical species and receives more than 300,000 visitors each year. In the nineteenth century it was a touristic hotspot for all travellers or hikers from abroad who came to the island on board the fruit ships.

In addition, it has a specialised library, a herbarium with 30,000 specimens, a germplasm bank, a nursery and other facilities that make it an important scientific research centre. The Government of the Canary Islands plans to carry out an expansion project in the near future which will double its size.

Location: C/ Retama, 2

Telephone: 922 92 29 81

Web: https://www.icia.es/icia/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2220

Email: jao@icia.es

Opening hours:

Garden: Monday to Friday 9am-6pm.

Library and Herbarium: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (booking essential)

Closed: January 1st, Good Friday and December 25th

Consult price of the visit

Sitio Litre Gardens

More than 220 years old, this is the oldest garden in Tenerife, and includes a private mansion which dates back to 1730. Its owners decided to open this enchanting garden to the public, letting you see unusual plant species such as the largest collection of orchids on the island, the oldest and biggest drago tree in Puerto de la Cruz. Important visitors such as the famous botanist, explorer and discoverer German Alexander von Humboldt, actor Richard Burton and the writer Agatha Christie have walked through this garden.

It was given its name by its first owner Archibald Little, who bought the estate in 1774, Little’s Place or el Sitio Little, which over the years has adopted the name Sitio Liter.

Inside there is a café and a boutique specialising in local products and an exhibition of different paintings donated by the Royal Botanic Gardens of London in Kew.

Opening hours:

Summer (May 1 – October 31): 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Winter (November 1st – April 30th), 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Consult price of the visit

Taoro park

From this stunning green space, you will have the best views of the city. It is the place to go for a stroll, to do some sport, to see the sunset or to have a bite to eat.

Its name comes from the Gran Hotel Taoro, a pioneering hotel in Spain´s tourism industry, which was built on Mount Miseria and opened in 1890; frequently visited by the European upper class at the beginning of the 20th century.

Once the beautiful gardens of the hotel, they are now a public park, almost one hundred thousand metres squared, divided into three sections: Jardines de La Atalaya, Jardines del Casino and Camino de la Sortija. The later was given its name because the British colony organised ring races on horseback. It is also the place where the neo-gothic style Anglican Church stands. La Atalaya is the section with the most vegetation, with beautiful paths and steps that lead to fountains and waterfalls.

Within the park you can find running tracks and apparatus to keep fit.  Why not recover your strength after a fitness session in one of its cafes or simply catch your breath with the city at your feet. Ask the locals to point out the most charming spots as they are sure to know and share their knowledge with you.