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Many people will arrive on a package deal.[http://www.enjoycanaryislands.com/tenerife.html] Some by taxi from the southern airport (very expensive) and some by bus via Santa Cruz bus station (easy to do if you do not have too much luggage). Some airlines now fly in by the nearer northern airport, but on the whole only from mainland Spain. It may well be cheaper and pleasanter to pre-book a return taxi from Tenerife South and to hire a car locally, than to hire a car from the airport at about twice the daily rate.
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Once you get away from the main shopping centre it´s uphill all the way, and a fairly steep climb in places. Tenerife has a good bus service and there is a bus station in the centre of town. A number of travel agencies if you need them too for tours around the island or to other islands. Note. If you travel to Santa Cruz, the direct bus goes by motorway and is quick. The other bus takes maybe three times as long, visiting everywhere on the way. Going south you can take a direct bus (only a few times a day)or change at Santa Cruz bus station. Buy a Bono card (you only need one for a number of people) which can save 30-50% on fares as well as save on museum entries. An oddity is that you can get a direct flight to [wiki=e95294b730f61c8175550ec244bfcb50]Venezuela[/wiki] from Tenerife which accounts for a fair number of Venezuelans on the island.
Hiring a car locally is cheap and easy. Roads are fast (if not good by northern European standards!) as far as Icod (to the West) and Santa Cruz, then on by motorway to the southern tourist areas. Driving over the mountain to Los Gigantes however will take you over an hour the first time, even if you're brave; if you are nervous, just don't do it as the road winds scarily over high mountains. If you're driving to the Costa Adeje area, it's much quicker to go via Santa Cruz on the motorway, which takes about an hour.
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The Lago Martianez is a fantastic, post-modern swimming and sunbathing complex designed by the famous Lanzaroteno architect Cesar Manrique. It's a bit concretey by modern standards but is still an awesome paradise which costs hardly anything to enter for the day (entry price includes sunbeds and parasols.)
The old port area (Puerto de la Cruz came into being as a port serving the hillside town of La Oratava) is bustling and has surprisingly good and interesting shops tucked away among many pleasant bars and bistros. While there are lots of tourists in this area, they are mostly Spanish, and the area is pleasantly free of German and British junk food outlets. Real fisherman still go out from here. As there is so little water space in the harbour, boats are lifted in and out of the water by electric cranes; it's very pleasant to sit with a coffee and watch them. You will still see fisherman gutting squid and scaling fish on the harbour steps. The end of the sea wall by the harbour is a good spot to sunbathe and plunge into the sea, if scarily close to the boats powering in and out of the harbour.
Between here and the Lago is a fairly tack strip of neon-lighted shops selling two-year-old technology at today's market rates, etc, but overall it's a pleasant walk with some nice churches, houses and gardens in amongst them all.
About half a kilometre to the west of the harbour are the town's lovely natural beaches. The sand is fairly coarse and black, and getting into the sea isn't always easy because of the coarser shingle at the water's edge. The surf is substantial, but not scary and there are lifeguards, along with good facilities in terms of sunbeds, changing, showers, toilets, cafes etc.
The Botanic Gardens are spectacular and demand a visit. Originally established to nurture specimens brought back from the New World, on their way to mainland Spain, they have a huge selection of fascinating and spectacular established trees and shrubs. Even if you're not interested, it's a beautiful place to wander around and relax.
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Loro Parque
A large zoo with shows from many of the inhabitants. Named after the parrots who the park started with there are now also penguins, dolphins, whales, sea lions and plenty other animals.
Beware of queues on entering where they insist on taking your photo with a parrot which you can buy at large expense later, or you can just turn left at the entrance and avoid this.
€34 for adults or €22 for children {6-11}, you can also buy inclusive coach trips from Costa Adeje/Las Americanos which will take you there for the day and back (about 90 minutes travelling each way).
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The usual Spanish knick-knacks and tourist tat. British newspapers. Steer clear of cameras, binoculars, etc from Asian dealers which are not a bargain like they may first seem. You can almost certainly buy them cheaper back home and take them back if they are faulty. Many shops shut for a few hours from midday.
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There are lots of good, affordable restaurants offering typical Canarian and Spanish food in Puerto de la Cruz, especially in the old part of the town. Expect to pay between 15-20 EUR for a meal consisting of grilled fish, Canarian potatoes, mineral water and maybe even a starter such as a bowl of Gazpacho soup. Of course most international kitchens are represented too. Food hygiene standards are good, so it's generally safe to eat just about anything.
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Whatever you like is here though you´ll normally have to go down south for "happy hours" and the disco scene.
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Better to book before arrival as a tour or on the internet.[http://www.enjoycanaryislands.com/tenerife.html] Some agencies do long lets. Remember that it can be a long way up a steep hill back to your hotel/apartment if you are at La Paz, the back of town or "German Town" as some call it because of the number of Germans who have bought apartments there. However taxi service in town is very cheap.
The Hotel Tigaiga, info@tigaiga.com, situated in the Taoro Park, is a great place to relax. It is surrounded by an extensive subtropical garden and from the heated swimming pool you can enjoy panoramic views which reach from Teide vulcano over the Atlantic.
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The Hotel Puerto de la Cruz of 4 stars is located in the residential area of La Paz of Puerto de la Cruz, with fantastic views towards the sea or towards Mount Teide. The hotel has been recently refurbished and is surrounded by a splendid subtropical garden with a large variety of regional plants.
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Puerto de la Cruz is often hazy, especially in the afternoon. The temperature drops with the haze, but the UV penetration doesn't; it's very easy to get badly sunburnt here on a hazy day if you don't realise this.
Some people who have hired cars here have been told to leave nothing in them overnight and to even leave them unlocked as that way they do not get their windows broken by people looking to steal from them.
[[WikiPedia:Puerto de la Cruz, Santa Cruz de Tenerife]]
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