Last updated: August 2026
La Orotava holidays offer an experience entirely unlike the beach resorts of southern Tenerife. One of the best-preserved colonial towns in the entire Canary Islands, La Orotava is a living showcase of 16th and 17th-century Canarian architecture, set in the lush Orotava Valley beneath the dramatic silhouette of Mount Teide.
For visitors who have done the southern resorts and want more from their Tenerife holiday — or those for whom culture, landscape and authentic local life matter as much as sunshine — La Orotava holidays represent something genuinely special.
The town sits at around 350 metres elevation on the northern slopes of Tenerife, just a few kilometres inland from Puerto de la Cruz.
The views from the historic town centre across the Orotava Valley to Mount Teide on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other are among the finest in the Canary Islands.
La Orotava holidays suit culturally engaged travellers, those looking for a quieter alternative to the southern resorts, and anyone with a particular interest in Canarian history, architecture and the extraordinary annual Corpus Christi flower carpet tradition.
La Orotava holidays stand apart from the mainstream Tenerife resort experience precisely because the town was never designed as a tourist destination. It is a working Canarian town with a remarkable heritage, and the visitor experience is all the richer for it.
The historic core is a UNESCO-protected area of outstanding architectural significance. The mansions, churches and traditional Canarian houses (with their distinctive carved wooden balconies) represent the finest collection of colonial architecture in the islands.
La Orotava holidays benefit from the town’s exceptional position. The Orotava Valley — one of the most fertile and visually beautiful landscapes in the Canary Islands — sweeps down to the coast below Puerto de la Cruz, while Teide’s volcanic cone dominates the skyline above.
The combination of historic town, natural landscape and proximity to Mount Teide makes La Orotava an exceptional base for walkers and hikers. The Orotava Valley and the foothills of Teide National Park are accessible on foot from the town, with well-marked trails through laurisilva forest and volcanic terrain.
For those preferring a dual-base approach, La Orotava pairs naturally with Puerto de la Cruz for beach access, combining historic town culture with the north coast’s resort amenities within just a few minutes’ drive.
La Orotava’s historic centre is the finest collection of traditional Canarian architecture in existence. The mansions of the aristocratic families who grew wealthy in the 16th and 17th centuries from sugar, wine and then bananas have been meticulously preserved.
The Casa de los Balcones is the most celebrated of these mansions — a 17th-century house whose street façade of intricately carved wooden balconies is one of the most photographed sights in Tenerife. The interior courtyard contains craft workshops selling traditional Canarian lacework, ceramics and embroidery.
The Iglesia de la Concepción (Church of the Immaculate Conception) dominates the main square with twin baroque towers. The church’s interior contains some of the finest ecclesiastical silverwork and woodcarving in the Canary Islands, accumulated over four centuries.
The streets around the church — Calle Carrera Escultor Estevez, Calle San Francisco and the stepped Calzada de los Faros — form the core of the pedestrian old town.
Walking them in the early morning, before the day-trippers arrive from the coast, is one of the great pleasures of La Orotava holidays.
La Orotava’s Corpus Christi celebration is one of the most remarkable civic traditions in Spain. Every June, the main square and the approach to the church are covered with extraordinarily elaborate carpets composed of flower petals, volcanic soil, sand and seeds arranged in geometric and figurative patterns.
The creation of the carpets takes weeks of preparation and involves the entire community. The volcanic soils of Tenerife — ranging from brilliant white pumice to deep black basalt, ochre, red and grey — provide the palette for the background, while thousands of flowers provide the colour accents.
La Orotava’s flower carpets are larger and more elaborate than those found in other Canarian towns. The main carpet in the Plaza de Ayuntamiento is renewed each year with a new design, often representing religious themes, Canarian folklore or natural motifs from the island’s landscape.
Timing La Orotava holidays to coincide with Corpus Christi (usually late May or June) is highly recommended for those interested in Canarian culture and tradition. The town fills with visitors from across Tenerife and beyond, but the event retains its genuine community character.
The Orotava Valley is one of the most fertile and visually spectacular landscapes in the Canary Islands. Sweeping from the lower slopes of Mount Teide down to the Atlantic coast, the valley was historically one of the most productive agricultural areas in Spain’s Atlantic territories.
Banana and tomato plantations still cover much of the valley floor and lower slopes, creating a vivid green tapestry visible from the viewing terraces and miradoros above La Orotava. The contrast between the lush valley, the town’s historic rooftops and Teide’s volcanic summit is visually extraordinary.
The Mirador Humboldt viewpoint above the town offers what is generally considered the finest panoramic view in Tenerife
A sweep from the ocean to the volcano, named in honour of the German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt who described the Orotava Valley as one of the most beautiful landscapes on Earth.
The Jardin de Aclimatación de la Orotava (Botanical Garden), just below La Orotava near Puerto de la Cruz, is one of the oldest botanical institutions in Spain. Founded in 1788 on the orders of King Carlos III, it was established to acclimatise tropical plants for cultivation in mainland Spain.
The garden contains an extraordinary collection of tropical and subtropical specimens — enormous specimens of South American trees, Pacific island palms and African succulents, all thriving in the warm, humid conditions of the Orotava Valley’s lower slopes.
Within La Orotava itself, the Hijuela del Botánico is a small but beautifully maintained public garden attached to the main botanical institution, containing some of the rarest tree specimens in the Canary Islands. It is freely accessible and a peaceful retreat from the town’s streets.
The Victoria Gardens at the top of the old town offer another excellent viewpoint and a pleasant area for a morning or afternoon walk among traditional Canarian plantings of dragon trees, aloes and subtropical species.
La Orotava’s position makes it an exceptional excursion base. Teide National Park is reachable in under 30 minutes by car via the TF-24 road through the northern slopes of the volcano — a different and dramatic approach that passes through pine forest and lava fields.
Puerto de la Cruz is just 5 kilometres away — a 10-minute drive or 20-minute walk. Loro Parque, Lago Martianez and the Jardin de Aclimatación are all accessible as easy half-day excursions from La Orotava.
The Anaga Rural Park on Tenerife’s northeastern tip — with its ancient laurisilva forest and spectacular coastal cliffs — is approximately 45 minutes by car. The park’s hiking trails offer some of the best walking in the Canary Islands.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the island capital, is 35 minutes by car. The Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre (Museum of Nature and Man) contains the most significant collection of Guanche (pre-Spanish Canarian) artefacts in existence and is among the most important museums in Spain.
La Orotava’s restaurants offer a step above the standard tourist fare of the coastal resorts. The town’s working-community character means local restaurants cater to Canarian residents as well as visitors — a reliable indicator of genuine quality and fair pricing.
Traditional Canarian dishes — papas arrugadas with mojo sauces, fresh fish from the north coast ports, rabbit in salmorejo sauce and the sweet almond dessert bienmesabe — are all found at authentic restaurants around the historic centre.
The Casa del Vino (House of Wine) at El Sauzal, just a few kilometres along the northern coast, is one of the finest wine tourism facilities in the Canary Islands.
La Orotava holidays with a visit here can sample the excellent whites from the Listan Blanco grape unique to the Canaries.
Most La Orotava holidays arrive into Tenerife South Airport (TFS), approximately 60–70 minutes by road from the town. Tenerife North Airport (TFN), closer to the north coast, is about 30 minutes away and receives some UK flights, primarily through Iberia connections via Madrid.
Direct charter and scheduled flights from UK airports to Tenerife South take approximately four hours. Transfer to La Orotava can be arranged by taxi or pre-booked private transfer, or via the TITSA bus network with a change at Puerto de la Cruz.
Within the local area, the TF-5 motorway connects La Orotava with Puerto de la Cruz and the coastal highway rapidly. Local buses run frequently between La Orotava and Puerto de la Cruz throughout the day, making it easy to access the coast without a hire car.
| Location | Northern Tenerife — Orotava Valley, 5km inland from Puerto de la Cruz |
| Airport | Tenerife South (TFS) — 60–70 mins; Tenerife North (TFN) — 30 mins |
| Flight time from UK | Approx 4 hours to Tenerife South |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) — 1 hour behind UK in summer |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
| Best months | Year-round; Corpus Christi (May–Jun) for flower carpets |
| Climate | Cooler and greener than south; 18–24°C year-round |
| Best for | Culture, architecture, walking, history, Corpus Christi |
| Key sights | Casa de los Balcones, Iglesia de la Concepción, Botanical Garden |
| Nearest beach resort | Puerto de la Cruz — 5km / 10 minutes |
When booking your La Orotava holidays, always check that your tour operator carries the right financial protection. Search4Sun lists holidays from a wide range of UK operators — standards vary, so we recommend doing your own due diligence before you pay.
Look for ABTA membership, ATOL protection or ABTOT cover — these schemes protect your money if an operator ceases trading before or during your holiday. For a plain-English guide to what each scheme covers, read our holiday protection guide.
For last-minute La Orotava holiday deals, check LastMinute.com for availability and pricing from UK airports.
Yes — book a flight-inclusive package through a UK ATOL-licensed tour operator and your money and repatriation are fully protected. All operators on Search4Sun carry full ABTA protection.
See our holiday protection guide for full details of ATOL and ABTA coverage for your La Orotava booking.
La Orotava is a historic town rather than a beach resort. It does not have its own beach, but Puerto de la Cruz is just 5 kilometres away with beach access, the Lago Martianez lido and full resort amenities.
Most La Orotava holidays combine the town’s cultural riches with day trips to the coast at Puerto de la Cruz — an arrangement that delivers a genuinely rounded Tenerife experience.
La Orotava is beautiful in every season, but the Corpus Christi celebrations (typically late May or June) are the highlight of the calendar. The flower carpets in the main square are one of the most extraordinary spectacles in the Canary Islands.
Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) offer the most comfortable temperatures for walking and sightseeing, without the summer heat that can make the town’s steep streets tiring.
A hire car is useful but not essential for La Orotava. Local buses connect the town to Puerto de la Cruz and the coastal highway regularly throughout the day. Taxis are readily available for day trips to Teide National Park and other attractions.
For those wanting to explore the Anaga Rural Park, the Orotava Valley’s back roads and the northern coast’s villages, a hire car will significantly expand what is accessible and worth the modest daily cost.
Most popular full-day tours
Search4Sun has been comparing UK holiday packages since 2005. We work with some of the best ABTA-registered operators.
