Tenerife is home to the (joint) capital of The Canary Islands – Santa Cruz, which is a great place to educate children and parents alike on the fascinating Canary culture on a family holiday in Tenerife.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the host City to the second most popular and stunningly spectacular Carnival in the world, attracting over a million people every February. The streets of Santa Cruz are filled with brightly colored, loud, raucous dancers and floats making up the spectacular parade which lasts around a week!
If you’re looking for a slice of Canary culture then Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the perfect place to experience the mixture of chilled out and lively vibes. With market stalls selling plenty of good fish, fruit and vegetables which are great value for money.
Here’s something the kids will absolutely love – Loro Parque is the most fantastic park attraction on the island. With regular parrot, dolphin, orca and sea lion shows where you can watch the animals perform marvellous tricks. The cheeky parrots mimic your every word, the gorillas are as family friendly as your next door neighbour and there is an amazing aquarium, where you can watch the most remarkable species of sea life swimming around.
“I’m going to need a break after all that animal entertainment” – Take a stroll through Piramides de Guimar where the family can visit the legendary pyramids on the island. It is educational and fun as you’ll have the option to be shown around by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide or you can have a go at explaining the origins and the theories about the ancient civilisation to the children. Similarly the Museum of Nature and Man provides an insight into Canary history as well as Guanche culture. It is a delightful and surprisingly fun educational experience.
Opened in September 2003 the Tenerife Auditorium has attracted plenty of visitors to Santa Cruz de Tenerife on its own. It is an architectural symbol of the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It gives you a great insight as to how products and events around the world are promoted and catered for accommodating large conventions and conferences. There are a selection of bus tours that take you round the city exploring the main touristy attractions and teaching passengers a little about the culture of Tenerife while you kick back and enjoy the sights.
When you’ve experienced the culture you may want to indulge in a spot of duty free shopping. The Plaza de Espana on the seafront or Plaza de Candelaria in the town will satisfy the need for bargains, especially when you buy a new designer outfit at tax-free prices!
Who would have thought fun and education could be so compatible? Taking a trip to Santa Cruz de Tenerife is essential if you want the family to learn, be occupied, interested and have fun.
Images by gpjt
