What is the capital of Tenerife

Asks hugo

A. Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of the island, and is home to 200,000 inhabitants.

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Q. Is Santa Cruz de Tenerife a good place to visit

A. It is a beautiful city full of tree-lined avenues, lots of greenery, ancient and modern architecture and a maritime park. If you visit, some of its best sites include one of its best squares Plaza del Pr�ncipe (dates back to 1860); La Pila, an old fountain and the oldest monument in the city, which dates back to 1706; and La Concepci�n Church, the first church in the city. The city also has three museums, of which the Museo de la Naturaleza y El Hombre is the best. It houses Guanche mummies and skulls and a natural sciences section. The Museo de Bellas Artes is home to Canarian and Flemish paintings and the Museo Militar de Almeyda celebrates the military history of the island.

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Q. What other towns on Tenerife are good to visit

A. Puerto de la Cruz is the main tourist resort in the north of the island, and therefore one of the busiest and popular places to visit on Tenerife. It was once an old fishing town, a sight of which can be glimpsed in the old quarter of town - but today it is a bustling tourist metropolis full of shops, hotels and restaurants. Some of the best places to visit include the Casa de la Aduana (old customs house), San Felipe Castle, San Telmo, the Botanical Gardens, Taoro Park and the Ranilla area. Puerto de la Cruz is also home to many of the islands best beaches (some of them man-made) these include Playa Jardin, Martianez Beach and Martianez Pond.

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La Laguna used to be the capital of the island and to many it remains the cultural and religious heart of Tenerife - with many churches (including its very impressive cathedral), outstanding architecture, palaces, the San Fernando University and many museums.

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La Orotava is one of the oldest towns on the island and is distinguished by its traditional squares and houses. It is a great place to find traditional arts and crafts (and is even home to the Documentation Research Centre of Spanish & American crafts). You will probably visit this town on your way to Ca�adas del Teide, Tenerife's national park located in the Orotava mountains. It also has three of the island's best beaches at Martin Alonso, El Rincon and El Bollullo - all of which boast black sand and calm waters.

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Los Realejos is a beautiful town that has grown up around the more popular Puerto de la Cruz and today welcomes more tourists than ever before. It is home to Tenerife's oldest church, the Santiago Parish, which dates back to 1498. One of the island's best black-sand beaches, El Socorro, is also here.

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Q. What else is there to visit on Tenerife besides the towns and beaches

A. As mentioned above the island's national park, Las Ca�adas del Teide, is a major tourist attraction. This is a huge mountainous expanse full of Canary pines, volcanic rock, ravines and deep valleys, it is best seen by cable car. Other attractions include Punta del Hidalgo and Macizo de Anaga - both of which have substantial ridges which offer stunning views of the island, the sea and the mountains and the pyramids (step pyramids similar to those found outside Mexico City).

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Q. When is the best time to visit Tenerife

A. Tenerife is busy all year round as its temperatures rarely vary from warm and hot. It busiest season is in the winter from December to February as many Europeans escape harsher climates. The best time to visit is during a festival or carnival - when the street festivities are great to watch and participate in. The island celebrates 27 days of carnival or festivals a year, some of the most important include the following:

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Carnival: celebrated in February throughout the island, especially in Santa Cruz de Tenerife with street parties.

Corpus Christi - celebrated in June, especially in La Orotava and La Laguna.

Canary Islands Music Festival - held in June and celebrates classical music for three days.

Nuestra Se�ora de La Candelaria - held on 14 and 15 August this is the festival of the patron saint of the island.

Sabande�o Festival - this is a Folklore Music Festival held in September.

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Q. How many tourists visit the Canary Islands each year

A. An estimated 10 million tourists visit each year�- at least three million of which visit Tenerife.

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By Karen Anderson