Learn Spanish in Tenerife

City belonging to the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, on the island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. Puerto de la Cruz was the place where tourism began in the Canary Islands

Its inhabitants are known as portuenses, and in some cases they are generalized as «ranilleros», but originally this adjective belonged only to those of the neighborhood of La Ranilla within the same town and of strong fishing tradition.

The origins of Puerto de la Cruz, date back to the early sixteenth century, because already in 1502 there was port activity on the coast of Porto, although the population center depended on La Orotava. Originally it was a fishing village that grew as local trade increased. The sugar trade gave way to the wine trade, establishing its export boom in the second half of the sixteenth century, promoting a process of social and economic development.

It was originally called Puerto de la Orotava, for being the main point of embarkation of the aforementioned valley, although since the late sixteenth century, it was also called Puerto de la Cruz, for having planted the new settlers in the newly built dock a cross

In the eighteenth century, within a process of general decline, is the most important period in the history of the city. It becomes the main seaport, when the port of Garachico is destroyed by a volcano. Large houses and public works such as the Botanical Garden are built.

But it is from the twentieth century, when Puerto de la Cruz ceases to be the port enclave, since the dock of Santa Cruz appears, as the main port of the island. At that same time the tourist constructions began, beginning the expansion that Puerto de la Cruz will know in the 60s with the massive arrival of tourists