San Cristóbal de La Laguna

San Cristóbal de La Laguna, informally known as La Laguna, is a city in Tenerife. It is the oldest city on the island and has a well-preserved city centre, and in 1999 was designated a. Its elevation is considerably higher than Santa Cruz de Tenerife, making it noticeably cooler than other nearby settlements.

History
First called Aguere by the indigenous Guanche inhabitants, the entire valley and the large lake which onced existed in its depression (the Spanish name La Laguna) was originally a pilgrimage site. Following the Battle of Aguere in 1494, the Spanish established their own settlement in 1496 and declared it the capital of Tenerife, and later of all the Canary Islands.

The city centre with its current layout and architecture dates largely to the late 16th century. Its urban plan was considered to be so successful that it was then used as a blueprint for later Spanish colonial cities in the New World, including such diverse places as Oaxaca, Lima, and Havana. Whereas coastal cities on Tenerife were periodically raided by pirates, San Cristóbal de La Laguna enjoyed steady growth and peace because of its inland location.

By the end of the 17th century the tides started to turn however, and the city suffered from a declining population. In 1723, its title of capital was stripped and transferred to adjacent Santa Cruz de Tenerife. A consequence of the tampered growth is the conservation of most of the historic city centre, in contrast with Santa Cruz de Tenerife that transformed into a metropolis with a high rise skyline. For history and architecture loving travellers, the historic centre makes San Cristóbal de La Laguna a must-see destination when visiting Tenerife. Since the centre was declared a in 1999, additional protection measures have been taken to preserve the cultural heritage, and the most significant historical streets and squares have been closed off for motorized traffic. It is sometimes called the Florence of the Canary Islands because of its numerous churches and convents. Many tunnels, passages, and underground vaults have been discovered in the city in the 21st century, indicating that the current city was raised by as much as 1 metre as at the time of its founding. Some of these tunnels lie under iconic buildings such as the Iglesia de la Concepción, the Cathedral of La Laguna and the former Convent of San Agustín, among others. These suggests there are many archaeological secrets buried beneath the surface of the old town.

With 150,000 inhabitants, San Cristobal de La Laguna is still the third most populous city of the Canarias, after the capitals Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas. It was the ancient capital of the Canary Islands archipelago, and is still widely considered its cultural capital.



Climate
Unlike most other cities on the Canary Islands, San Cristóbal de La Laguna enjoys a Mediterranean climate instead of an arid climate. Temperatures are mild throughout the year, and the increased elevation prevents it from getting too hot in summer. The maritime and subtropical influences also keep temperatures above frost at all times. Most of the rain falls during winter months, which condenses from the prevailing northeasterly winds.

By plane


Getting there and away:
 * Bus lines 102, 107, and 108 depart from the airport to the central bus exchange (intercambiador), which is a single stop away. Departures are approximately every half-hour, and a one-way ticket is €2.45, payable directly to the bus driver.

(Reina Sofia, ) is 70 km to the south-west, with good bus connections to the city.

By bus


From the Santa Cruz bus exchange, buses 14 and 15 arrive every 10 minutes or so, with a journey taking 20 minutes and costing €1.45. Buses 101, 102, and 103 serve Puerto de la Cruz, and 108 is the most direct bus to La Orotava.

By tram
Line 1 of the MetroTenerife tram system (look for Atari like symbols) links Santa Cruz with La Laguna, terminating at, at the southern edge of the historic centre. Trams depart approximately every 10 minutes, and the journey takes 20 minutes.

By car
Motorway TF-5 connects the city with Santa Cruz to the east and with Puerto de la Cruz and La Orotava to the west. From the south of the island, TF-1 connects with the shorter TF-2, from which travellers can pick up the TF-5.

The historic city is closed to motor traffic, and therefore drivers must park on the outskirts. There is a large public parking (/hr, max. /day) on the eastern edge of the old city with another  just a short distance north, but parking spaces can be very scarce, so be prepared to circle around the lot a few times before finding a space.

Get around
The historic city centre is completely pedestrianised and easy to walk around. For further distances, Titsa buses also function as the local bus service; see above for details.

See
The historic centre of San Cristóbal de La Laguna is a and having a walk around is worth a visit on its own. The most important sights are in the historic centre, many of the architectural highlights in the. There is a single ticket giving access to the Church of the Immaculate Conception (including ascent of the tower), the Casa Salazar, the Church of St. Dominic, and the Church-convent of Santa Catalina de Siena, for. Keep your ticket, as it will be perforated for each of the sights you visit.

Nature




Eat
There are plenty of tapas bars and cafés in the centre; prices in the pedestrian zone tend to be higher than on the outskirts. There are also some excellent cake shops with great prices.



Sleep
Since there are so many students in the area, there is little accommodation available for tourists.

Learn
The city is home to the with ca. 30,000 students, the first university of the Canary Islands archipelago, founded in 1701. Courses are taught in Spanish, although some English language MScs have become more common since the Bologna Process reforms in 2009.

Stay safe
The historic centre of the city is very safe and mostly pedestrianized. Walking around alone at night should not be an issue, although isolated incidents with drunk students are always possible in the early morning hours.

Pickpocketing is an issue around the busiest tourist hotspots (cathedral square etc) and where outdoor seating facilities for restaurants and bars concentrate into large numbers of tables in a crowded area.

Parkings are unsupervised at night, so avoid leaving valuables in sight in vehicles to reduce the chance of windows being smashed.

Go next
The new tram system takes you to Santa Cruz bus station in about 40 minutes. There are also frequent buses taking you from the new bus station close to Avenida Trinidad: number 015 directly to Santa Cruz via highway in 15 minutes or 014 which takes more time as it goes through the city.


 * Santa Cruz de Tenerife – The capital of Tenerife, and shared capital of the Canaries
 * Tegueste – Guanche era colonial town, famous for its wines