If you fancy a trip to a place full of history, then don't miss a visit to the well-preserved historic town of La Orotava, one of the Canary Islands' most charming towns. It boasts narrow, steep streets paved with cat heads, town houses dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, several churches and beautiful gardens.

Houses with wooden balconies

The biggest attraction of La Orotava, however, are the typical colourful houses with ornate wooden balconies, mostly dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. They are scattered all over the town, but the most important one, which has become the symbol of La Orotava, can be found on the western edge of the town on Calle San Francisco. It's called Casa de Los Balcones, was built in 1670 and has 5 wooden balconies in addition to its beautiful facade. Inside, visit the folk crafts museum.

Gardens and views

One of the most beautiful places in La Orotava are the gardens of the Marquis de la Quinta Roja, near the Plaza de la Constitución. Terraced up a steep hill, they offer a beautiful view of the whole town and deep towards the coast and the Atlantic Ocean.

High above the town, you can relax in the beautiful surroundings of the mountain coniferous forests in an area called La Caldera, where you will find several easy hiking trails for resting places.

Accommodation in La Orotava

La Orotava is a busy tourist town, so rather than staying for long periods of time, it's worth staying here for a night or two during a road-trip around Tenerife. Prices here are higher than other places on the island, with 2-bed rooms in apartments going for around 55 eur per night, while you won't find the usual big hotels here at all.

Click for a list of all accommodation - La Orotava

How to get there

Like most Canarian towns, La Orotava has plenty of free parking spaces and small car parks, however, due to the tight space it can sometimes be difficult to find a place to park.

However, there are many bus routes from several towns directly into the centre of La Orotava: