Puertos de Tenerife is located on Spain’s Canary Islands just over 100 kilometers off the northwestern coast of Africa. They include the Spanish provinces of Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The autonomous community of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was established in 1982. La Laguna, in Tenerife, is the third largest city of the islands and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2007, over two million people lived in the Canary Islands.

Ancient historians Plutarch and Pliny the Elder recorded a 40 BC expedition by King Juba II of Mauritania to the islands, calling them “Canaria” due to the many large dogs (canes in Latin) found there. The first people living in the Canaries were the Guanches, believed to have come from North Africa, who were conquered by Spain in the 15th Century and assimilated into the Spanish population.

Arabs first landed there and began using the islands for trade in 999 AD. Many seafaring people visited the islands in the 13th and 14th Centuries (from Genoa, Mallorca, Portugal, and France). Henry III of Castile made Jean de Bethencourt the king of the islands in 1404, although the Portuguese ruled during the mid-15th Century. In 1479, Spain was recognized as sovereign by treaty. In 1492, Christopher Columbus supplied his fleet in the Canaries.

An important stopping point for the conquistadores on their way to the New World, the Puertos de Tenerife soon became prosperous, attracting merchants from across Europe. They built many impressive churches and palaces on the island of La Palma.

As trade increased from the Americas, competition for sugar-based trade brought economic hardship to the islands and a new cash crop (cochinilla). The economic problems led to much emigration from the islands to the Americas during the 19th and 20th Centuries. Up to 40 thousand Canarians moved to Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Cuba during the mid-1800s, and their culture is still evident in the new homes of Puertos de Tenerife.

In the early 20th Century, a new cash crop, bananas, was introduced, and a strong rivalry grew between Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife that has not yet been settled. In 1927, the Canary Islands were divided into two provinces.

Today, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and los Puertos de Tenerife are home to the two tallest residential sky-scrapers in Spain. Next door, the Tenerife Auditorium is well-known as one of the most outstanding modern buildings in the Canary Islands.

The Autoridad Portuaria de Santa Cruz de Tenerife is responsible for managing and operating the Puertos de Tenerife, which include five ports: Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Christians, the Stake, Santa Cruz de la Palma, and San Sebastian de la Gomera. The Port Authority for Puertos de Tenerife coordinates the activities of the ports and seeks to modernize and maintain the best possible facilities on the islands. The Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the main port for Puertos de Tenerife. It contains the Dock of Anaga contains over 1350 meters of wharves with alongside depth of 12 meters. The passenger wharf at the Puertos de Tenerife’s Anaga Dock is 269 long, the fruit wharf is 397 meters long, and the general merchandise wharf is 382 meters long. The wharves serve tugboats and roll-on/roll-off cargoes and can accommodate two vessels at one time.

The Puertos de Tenerife Dock of the East (Darsena del Este) contains a container terminal and terminal for bufaderos. In addition to containers, primary cargoes include clinker, bulk cement, and cereals. The Puertos de Tenerife’s Darsena del Este also contains storage area with capacity for five thousand TEUs of containerized cargo. The Wharf of Bufadero at Puertos de Tenerife, which is undergoing enlargements, contains additional storage 130 thousand square meters with capacity for six thousand TEUs.

The Puertos de Tenerife’s Dock of los Llanos contains 1426 meters of wharf with alongside depth of from 8 to 12 meters. It is dedicated to special cargoes and the Puertos de Tenerife shipyards. The Shore II Wharf at the Puertos de Tenerife’s Dock of los Llanos is a total of 870 meters long and contains both a roll-on/roll-off ramp and a base for containers.

The Puerto de Santa Cruz de la Palma is perhaps the oldest port within the Puertos de Tenerife. The port was the first construction undertaken in the town in the 16th Century. During the 16th and 17th Centuries, in fact, Santa Cruz de la Palma was the third most important port in the world, behind Seville and Antwerp, with large volumes of trade in sugar and wines. Today, the Puertos de Tenerife’s Port of Santa Cruz de la Palma contains over one thousand meters of berths, a multi-purpose wharf, a container terminal, and a fish market. Further improvements are underway that will make possible the berthing of large cruise vessels and the simultaneous docking of two cargo vessels (one roll-on/roll-off and one container).

The Puertos de Tenerife’s Port of San Sebastian de la Gomera is also an ancient port and a favorite stopping point for Spanish ships traveling to and from the Americas. Today, the Puertos de Tenerife handles passengers, vehicles, and general merchandise. Covering about 16.4 thousand square meters, the docks contain almost 300 meters of wharf.

The Canary Islands are home to two million people. They are also an important tourist destination, especially for Europeans. The Puertos de Tenerife and all of the islands have modern communications and transportation systems and many establishments catering to tourists. The Euro is the local currency, and there are many money changers in the tourist areas of Puertos de Tenerife. Most places accept credit and debit cards.

When traveling to the Port of Tenerife, it is important to know that the island has many micro-climates. It is a land of sun, so don’t forget your sunscreen. If you plan to visit mount Teide, with its 3718-meter altitude, you’ll need to bring warm clothing in addition to your swimsuit and shorts. You’ll also need to check the weather for the time you plan to be there, as temperatures range from very cool to very warm. For example, the north side of the island (around La Laguna) can get cold depending on the time of year and the time of day.

On the island of Puertos de Tenerife, young people tend to enjoy the south, while families and older travelers go to the area around Puerto de la Cruz. The south side of the island is summer-like and warm through most of the year. The north side of the island is greener and has more local culture to enjoy. The climate is more like spring, and the weather changes more than in the south.

In the center of the island is the near-dormant volcano, El Teide, Spain’s tallest mountain. Because it is not dormant, tourists can no longer visit the crater. El Teide is still a favorite spot for visitors to Puertos de Tenerife. A cable lift takes visitors up the mountain to 3550 meters altitude, but you need special permission to climb to the top. From the mountain, you get marvelous views of the island. Expect cold winds at this altitude. In the winter, you can find snow atop the mountain then return to the beach for swimming and sunbathing in just a couple of hours.

The Parque Rural de Anaga is Puertos de Tenerife’s best place for hiking, with many routes you can locate through the visitor’s center at Cruz del Carmen. You can also rent bicycles, although cycling is not easy on the island because the roads are busy. But you can find some long mountain roads that offer breathtaking scenery when you travel by car.

Each of the Canary Islands is different, and the islands of the Puertos de Tenerife and Gran Canaria have a strong rivalry. No matter where you go, though, you’ll find a modern, European, and very liberal atmosphere.

Travelers who want to visit Puertos de Tenerife and the Canary Islands can find a long list of scheduled cruises on the Cruise Compete website.