Puerto de la Cruz, “Puerto”, as it is popularly known, is a tourist town quite different from any other. Modern and cosmopolitan, in its heart of hearts it cossets the soul of a cosy little village. Next to the old mansions with their wooden balconies and tiled roofs, new buildings have arisen which nevertheless retain the characteristics of the traditional Canary architecture. Its pedestrian streets and quiet plazas evoke images and the essence of its recent past. Today, the modern and the traditional coexist in harmony, presenting to the world a varied yet tasteful urban countenance, inviting and attractive.

Close on a million visitors a year enjoy every sort of luxury, restaurants offering typical local dishes and international cuisine , as well as all kinds of entertainment and leisure activities. The tourist brochures sum it all up in a slogan with just three adjectives: cosmopolitan, welcoming , and fun.

But above all, it has been given a privileged position by Mother Nature – rooted in the fertile and invigorating Orotava Valley, at the foot of the ever-present Mount Teide. This is the secret of the prestige it has attained and maintains: its Spring-like climate, its homely atmosphere, its tranquil streets, its liberal, hospitable inhabitants.

In contrast to the majority of tourist destinations, any time of year is a good time to come and see this unrivalled little patch of Tenerife, the island appropriately known as the “Island of Eternal Spring”. Hundreds of Europeans who return year upon year, showing an impressive loyalty kept up over decades, feel that enjoying Puerto’s air and sunshine is a comforting , unforgettable experience that they simply have to repeat.

Puerto de la Cruz is situated on the coast of the Orotava Valley, on the north-facing slopes of the Island of Tenerife, the largest island in the Canaries. This Atlantic archipelago, lying 100 kms from Africa and 1,500 kms from the Iberian Peninsula, was known in Antiquity as the “Garden of the Hesperides” or “the Fortunate Isles”. Geologically speaking, they were formed in the Tertiary, emerging from the sea-bed as a result of a series of volcanic eruptions.

The Orotava Valley is a large depression of some 150 sq kilometres which descends as a steeply sloping ramp from the Island’s mountain ridge to the Atlantic. In the course of history there have been a number of explanations suggested for the origin of the Valley. The currently most widely accepted is that which considers the Valley to be an intercolline valley formed by eruptions along its margins, whilst the centre portion remained unaffected.

The "Fiestas" are another of the town’s great attractions, besides being an unmistakeable expression of popular culture and feeling. Firstly, we must make mention of the Carnival – held in February - which , like that of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is the most famous fiesta and of most interest to tourists. As a result of the international fame achieved by this annual celebration, Puerto de la Cruz and the German city of Düsseldorf have a Carnival exchange which has been going on for 25 years.

One of the local holidays with the longest tradition is the Exaltación de la Cruz [Glorification of the Cross] on the 3rd May which coincides with the commemoration of the town’s founding. On this date it is customary to adorn the Crosses and Chapels with flowers. In June, on San Juan [Saint John’s Day], bonfires are lit and, in the harbour, flocks of goats are washed, a reminder of ancestral customs harking back to the Island’s aboriginal inhabitants.

In July is when the Patron Saint’s Day is celebrated in honour of the Gran Poder de Dios and Nuestra Señora de la Virgen del Carmen [the Might of God and Our Lady of Carmen]. These are the town’s major festivities. A highlight of the programme of traditional ceremonies is the Embarking of the Madonna. Worthy of mention is the International Model Aircraft show.

But the most curious and original is the “Tin Can” Fiesta in honour of San Andrés [Saint Andrew] on 29th November when the opening of the wine cellars and the sampling of the new vintage is celebrated by dragging all kinds of metal pots and cans through the streets.

Another important event, more cultural than festive, is the Canary International Ecology and Nature Film Festival, going on for its 14th anniversary.