Puerto de la Cruz is a tiny municipality of only 8.73 km². However, in this small place it is possible to find an extraordinary natural wealth, and it is possible to say that the hotels in Puerto de la Cruz have nothing to envy to the best hotels in the world. Tourism development is extremely important, being this small town one of the first municipalities to face a sustainable policy of attracting and attracting visitors from all over the world. In fact, tourism is the main sustenance of the local economy.
At the beginning of the seventeenth century the history of this town began, when the square and the local church were built. In 1808 it was constituted as an autonomous municipality, as a natural consequence of the personality and spirit of its inhabitants. At first it was nothing more than a village dedicated to the trade of wines and sugar cane, as well as fishing. At the end of the nineteenth century the first large hotel was built, a moment that will define the local economic future.
There are many things to see in this small expanse of land. The Lago Martiánez complex was inaugurated in 1977, and consists of a casino and a five-star hotel. It also has swimming pools and lakes, and various spaces ideal for leisure and recreation. Another incredible region is the Plaza del Charco, where the axis of local commercial and economic life passes. There are many places, and perhaps it is the most representative site of Puerto la Cruz.
A kind of religious tourist circuit could be done when visiting the different churches and hermitages of the town. A good starting point would be the hermitage of San Telmo, built in 1780, to venerate San Pedro González Telmo. The sculpture of San Telmo that is venerated inside was made by Jerónimo Luis Román in 1783. The most important building in the city is the parish of Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia, whose construction dates back to 1697. The wooden cross of the sacristy was brought around the year 1620, probably from Cuba.
In short, Puerto de la Cruz is a place with a past, but also with a fantastic present, which is expressed in the intense local tourist life.
