La Orotava

La Orotava is a city of 42,000 people (2018) in Tenerife. Its historic centre is included in the Inventory of the European Cultural Heritage Protection, and much of the Teide National Park (a World Heritage Site) is in the municipality.

Understand
Located in the fertile Orotava Valley uphill from Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava (from Guanche: Arautaba) was established in 1504 by the Spanish following their conquest of Tenerife. As the area was blessed with a mild climate, many Spanish elite chose to settle here; most of the city's historic buildings from this early period have been preserved and now now fall under landmark protection.

The municipal boundaries of La Orotava encompass most of Teide National Park, making it the largest municipality in Tenerife. It can be a good base for hiking, with many trail heads just outside the city and easily accessible by bus.



By car
La Orotava lies just south of the TF-5 expressway, 26 km from La Laguna and 35 km from Santa Cruz. Parking spots in the city centre are very scarce (see transport map for options), and day-trippers will likely find it much easier to visit the city by bus.

Get around
If you're reasonably fit and able to walk up and down steep streets, most sights can be easily visited by foot. Otherwise, the long-distance Titsa buses are used as the local bus service. See above for bus details.

Drink
Vineyards were established in the Orotava Valley with the arrival of the Spanish in the 15th century, and red and white wines produced here are specially designated by the Spanish Denominación de Origen for Valle de la Orotava. The most popular red varieties are listán negro and negramoll, and the most common whites include gual, malvasía, and verdello.

Camping
The closest free official camp grounds are up the road south to Teide:

Go next

 * Puerto de la Cruz – In case you did not come from here in the first place–a pleasant resort city
 * Icod de los Vinos – Another interesting town known for its vineyards, banana plantations, and magnificent drago tree
 * Teide – The must do thing on Tenerife