10 Things to do in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

By Luke Durden in gastronomic hotels

The island of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is renown for its climate, beaches and warm seas tourist, making it one of the most popular destinations in Europe. However, its historical and cultural heritage is in many cases forgotten by the tourists visiting the island.

Here is our list of the 10 most interesting things to do in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

1. Visit the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

The port of Santa Cruz shelters some unique and magical places, from which to contemplate the city of Santa Cruz.

2. Auditorium in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

The Auditorium of Santa Cruz has been designed by renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and was inaugurated in 2003. It has two independent spaces that houses the symphony orchestra and chamber orchestra.

3. Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Known as one of the most important carnivals in the world, the Carnival of Santa Cruz lasts two weeks and begins with the election of the Carnival Queen.

4. García Sanabria Park

This park is located in the city centre of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and is a true oasis for both locals and tourists. Take a walk through the park and disconnect from the chaos of the city.

5. Visit the old town of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

The city of Santa Cruz was founded in 1499 and to this date, some historical monuments have been preserved. It does not cover a very large area, making it a comfortable walk from Plaza de España. There are organized tours that will guide you through all the secrets of the old town.

6. Walking route to Mount Teide

The ascent to Mount Teide is not too complicated, but the route takes about 5 hours at a medium slow pace. But, you will definitely enjoy the unique views while walking to the top of the mountain.

7. Tenerife Espacio de las Artes (TEA)

This building, located in the renovated old town area, has over 20,000 m2 distributed among a library, exhibition centre and Tenerife’s Photographic Centre. The TEA will not leave you indifferent.

8. Visit the Castle of San Cristobal

For many locals, it was a surprise to discover that under the Plaza de España lay the ruins of the ancient Castle of San Cristobal. In 2006, the local council decided to conserve and exhibit the castle’s remains in an unApartmaederground museum.

9. IBEROSTAR Grand Hotel Mencey

This iconic luxury hotel in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a reference on the island, where many personalities from the fields of art, film, politics and culture have stayed and enjoyed the comforts of this unique hotel. The hotel has 3 gourmet restaurants and a cocktail bar.

10. Cooking classes at the Mencey’s Cookery Classroom

Mencey’s Cookery Classroom is a space designed to taste and enjoy the best cuisine in a unique atmosphere. Enjoy the perfect cooking class in Tenerife.

 

 

You can find more information at the tourist office in the Plaza de España.

October’s latest news from IBEROSTAR’s Grand Mencey hotel

By Luke Durden in gastronomic hotels

This month of October is packed with news from the Mencey’s Cookery Classroom. Summer has come to an end, making way to an always melancholic autumn. However, there is no reason not to enjoy this time of year and the Iberostar Grand Mencey hotel and its Cookery Classroom, are the perfect place for it.

Begoña Rodrigo, the winner of the famous TV contest TOP CHEF 2013, will visit Mencey’s Cookery Clasroom to offer an exclusive cooking course. The event will take place on Friday the 10th of October, priced at 60€ per person. The chef and owner of the restaurant La Salita in Valencia, will delight attendees with a “gastroshow” where she will present exclusively some of the delicious dishes served at her restaurant.

IBEROSTAR Grand Mencey Cookery Classroom

IBEROSTAR Grand Mencey Cookery Classroom

Some of the popular dishes of this course, include rice plankton with octopus carpaccio and Mary aioli sauce, or the paratana with pigs trotters juice and sweet and sour vegetables. The wine pairing will include the wines from the Bodegas Masaveu, including wines such as the Fillaboa 2013 or the Murua gran Reserva.

However, the cooking courses of this iconic gourmet hotel in Santa Cruz de Tenerife don’t end here. On Thursday the 9th of October, led by Chef Richard Andrade, you’ll discover all the secrets of Japanese cuisine. The class includes how to cook the perfect rice for sushi, as well as learning to make makis, shushi, niguiris and the sauces that go with it. You can book here your cooking class in Tenerife.

One of the most demanded courses among those attending the previous courses of the Mencey’s Cookery Classroom was a whiskey tasting. The time has come, and all thanks to Mencey’s bartender Chema Vicente. The course will be held on Wednesday the 15th of October, from 17.00 to 20.30, and it is priced at

The new cooking courses at the Mencey’s Cookery Classroom

By Luke Durden in gastronomic hotels, Uncategorized

September begins with in full glory at Mencey’s Cookery Classroom, after a summer filled with news and special nights in this idyllic setting. The IBEROSTAR Grand Mencey Hotel is one of the most prestigious gastronomic hotels, with a long gastronomic tradition in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Her cooking classes, many of which are gourmet courses in Tenerife with internationally renowned chefs offer you the chance to become a real chef for a few hours.

On Thursday the 18th of September, the first cooking course of the season was held, and was centred around the “hot and cold around Appetizers served around the table“. This cooking course is designed to surprise family and friends in our homes, with some extremely creative appetitive and appetizers, very easy to prepare, and will definitely delight our guests. Some of the recipes that will be prepared include a Smith ham roll, Caesar salad snack, cauliflower pure with a crispy prawns and red fruits sauce.

Cooking lessons at Mencey's Cookery Classroom

The Cocktail Bar Iballa will continue to offer during the month of September the emblematic nights of the Mencey Lounge. The Mencey Lounge combines the best culinary proposals and the best live music, in a unique and incomparable space. Come and enjoy a perfect night at the Mencey!
On the Friday the 19th of September, the Mencey Lounge will offer a selection of gourmet tapas and pintxos, including mini Spanish avocado omelettes and tuna, fried morcillas with caramelized onions…

NOCHES MENCEY LOUNGE A IBALLA COCKTAIL BAR

On Friday 26th of September, the nights of the Mencey Lounge will surprise you with a delicious sushi and a wide selection of hot and cold snacks. The selection of tapas will be paired with local and national wines, and of course, the delicious and exotic cocktails from our bar.

One final announcement to make, the following month of October there will be a special guest, Begoña Rodriguez, the winner of the TV show Top Chef 2013. Guests will be able to enjoy a degustation menu with many surprises…

San Miguel de Abona, a town of contrasts

By Luke Durden in Resorts

San Miguel de Abona is one of the places of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife which keeps intact its traditional spirit, full of contrasts and natural charm, which offers visitors a passage in time and an invitation to dive into the local environment with only simple stroll through the narrow streets of the old town.

Located in the south of Tenerife, with an exceptional climate that only the Canary Islands can offer, San Miguel also has a quality tourism infrastructure, with a notable offer for golf holidays and luxury resorts in San Blas, Los Abrigos, Guincho the Oasis del Sur and all the coast of Amarilla Golf.

Hotel San Blas in San Miguel de Abona

Hotel San Blas in San Miguel de Abona

To enjoy a nice image of this charming town there are two viewpoints nearby, El Fronton and La Centinela, from where you can also see some of the neighbouring villas and towns such as Granadilla de Abona, where the Airport Tenerife South is located.

But the best way to discover it, is to go into the old town and spend a night from guaniche to guaniche, small typical taverns where to try some of the best products that are produced in this town with farming and agricultural roots.

Restaurant with views to the ocean

Restaurant with views to the ocean

The walk through the heart of San Miguel is a must. Although this is a small town of simple architecture, with Canarian roots and beautiful whitewashed Canarian houses on the foot of the hill, it has been declared a historic-artistic town, of a high value and in it you can find little gems of everyday Canarian life and samples of its people’s character.

The big celebration is the Pilgrimage of San Miguel, which is held in the second half of September, coinciding with the end of summer and the beginning of the so called summer of San Miguel. The celebration is very attractive, with varied gastronomic products, dances and folk music, and it involves not only the locals but also tourists and residents from all over the island of Tenerife.