Tenerife · Metropolitan north-east Tenerife
La Laguna
A UNESCO street plan, twenty minutes from TFN
Tenerife’s first capital is the one town on the island laid out on a plan, and the plan itself is the World Heritage site: straight streets, painted facades and inner courtyards you read on foot. The airport bus and the tram from Santa Cruz both arrive at its interchange, a few streets from the grid.
Photo: Ronny Siegel, CC BY 3.0, cropped
- Come for
- Architecture, urban history and an easy car-free walk
- Make time for
- Half a day to one full day
- By bus
- Reached by a published TITSA line
The journey is part of the day
Getting to La Laguna
From Santa Cruz, follow the line 15 guide to La Laguna Intercambiador, or take tram line 1, which Metrotenerife runs between the two cities. From Tenerife North Airport, TITSA line 20 sets down at La Laguna Intercambiador’s outside stop on its way to Santa Cruz. The interchange is the reliable transport endpoint; the heritage buildings are reached on foot, and the tourism sources do not establish a dedicated bus stop for each facade.
Checked – 2026 Sources: TITSA, Metrotenerife, WebTenerife +1
Bus guides
- Santa Cruz to La Laguna Line 15, Tram line 1 Direct
- Airport buses TFS: 10, 40, 343, 711, TFN: 20, 30, 104, 343 Direct
- La Laguna to Puerto Line 103 Direct
- La Laguna to Punta Line 50 Direct
Lines from this site’s guides. Times are in this page’s timetable.
Before you settle in
Keep the way home in mind.
Walk back to La Laguna Intercambiador and reopen line 15 for the correct day type. TITSA publishes separate working-day, Saturday and Sunday/holiday information. For an onward journey to Puerto de la Cruz or Punta del Hidalgo, use the relevant guide and verify that route separately rather than assuming a timed connection.
See the next busesA little introduction
Get to know La Laguna.
San Cristóbal de La Laguna is Tenerife’s clearest culture-first day out. Its UNESCO-listed historic centre is largely experienced at walking pace, through straight streets, quiet courtyards and a sequence of civic and domestic facades. Instead of racing between monuments, start from La Laguna Intercambiador and read the old centre as a whole: the street plan, public buildings and preserved portals make sense together. The city also provides a useful bridge between Santa Cruz and the north, so it can stand alone for half a day or form the cultural half of a longer island itinerary.
Why go
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The streets are the monument
The historic centre is UNESCO World Heritage for its urban plan as much as any building: a sequence of civic and domestic facades, timber balconies and inner patios along straight pedestrian streets.
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Five hundred years of houses, with their dates
WebTenerife lists the town hall of 1511, the Casa del Corregidor of 1540, the Casa de los Capitanes Generales of 1624–1631 and the convent of San Francisco begun in 1506, all within the same few streets.
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A market and the Anaga buses on the doorstep
The Mercado de La Laguna stands in the Plaza del Cristo in the historic centre, and the lines into the Anaga laurel forest and down to the north coast leave from the same interchange.
Checked – 2026 Sources: WebTenerife, TITSA
Make a day of it
What to do in La Laguna
- Walk Don’t miss
The pedestrian historic centre
Walk without a rigid circuit and pay attention to the regular street layout, timber balconies, internal patios and changing building colours. The UNESCO value is urban as much as monumental, which makes slow exploration more rewarding than a single photo stop.
- Sight Don’t miss
Ayuntamiento de La Laguna
The town hall’s neoclassical facade gives the civic centre a formal anchor. View it as part of the surrounding ensemble, then continue along the old streets rather than treating it as an isolated attraction.
- Sight Don’t miss
Casa del Corregidor portal
Look for the preserved stone portal of the Casa del Corregidor near Calle de la Carrera, also known as Obispo Rey Redondo. It is a compact but tangible survival from the early civic city and rewards close observation.
- Market
Mercado de La Laguna
In the Plaza del Cristo: flowers at the entrance, fruit and vegetables in the central patio, fish at the far end and butchers along the first two patios. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays the farmers’ market sets up in the annexe.
Days of the week it is held
- M Monday
- T Tuesday: held
- W Wednesday
- T Thursday: held
- F Friday
- S Saturday: held
- S Sunday
Show all 7 Show fewer
- Sight
Plaza del Adelantado and the Casa de Anchieta
The square holds the neoclassical Casa de Anchieta, birthplace of the founder of São Paulo, and the Casa de la Alhóndiga, built in the early eighteenth century, stands between the Casa del Corregidor and the Casa de los Capitanes on Calle de la Carrera.
- Culture
Casa Museo de Los Sabandeños
An eighteenth-century house holds the legacy of Los Sabandeños, the island’s best-known folk group, directed by Elfidio Alonso.
- Walk
Into the laurel forest
Line 076 climbs from La Laguna via Las Mercedes to Cruz del Carmen and Afur on working days and weekends; line 273 serves Las Mercedes and Cruz del Carmen on weekends and holidays only. The PR-TF 10 trail descends from Cruz del Carmen to the coast at Punta del Hidalgo, where line 50 brings you back.
Checked – 2026 Sources: WebTenerife, TITSA
A day here
How a day in La Laguna feels
A plan built on the buses this guide already names. The departure times are in the board on this page; choose your bus back before you set out.
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Morning
Arrive at the interchange
Line 20 from Tenerife North Airport sets down at the La Laguna Intercambiador’s outside stop; line 15 and tram line 1 come from Santa Cruz. The historic grid starts a few streets away.
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Middle of the day
The market, then the Carrera
Start in the Plaza del Cristo market while it is open, then walk the Calle de la Carrera (Obispo Rey Redondo) past the Casa del Corregidor to the Plaza del Adelantado for lunch.
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Afternoon
Back by tram or on to the coast
The tram runs back to Santa Cruz through both cities’ streets; line 50 from the interchange goes down through Tegueste and Tejina to the pools at Bajamar and Punta del Hidalgo. Check the board for your day type first.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about La Laguna
Is there a bus from Tenerife North Airport to La Laguna?
Yes. Line 20 runs every day from Tenerife North Airport (TFN) to Santa Cruz and sets down at La Laguna Intercambiador’s outside stop on the way, about twenty minutes from the airport by TITSA’s printed trip length. The departures are on the TFN to La Laguna and Santa Cruz guide and in the board here.
Bus or tram from Santa Cruz to La Laguna?
Both work. TITSA line 15 runs between the two interchanges along the TF-5 and is the quicker end-to-end ride; Metrotenerife’s tram line 1 runs through the streets, offices and hospitals of both cities, which makes it the better choice from the centre of Santa Cruz. The ten+ card covers both.
Can you reach the Anaga forest from La Laguna by bus?
Yes, on line 076 via Las Mercedes to Cruz del Carmen and Afur, with working-day and weekend tables, and on line 273 to Cruz del Carmen on weekends and holidays only. Fix the bus back before you walk: the forest trails are long and the return departures few.
Checked Sources: TITSA, Metrotenerife
Good to know
Small details. Better days.
Show 3 local tips Show fewer
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Let the streets be the attraction
Set aside time to look into courtyards and along complete blocks. La Laguna’s significance comes from the relationship between its plan and buildings, so a direct dash between landmarks misses much of the experience.
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Bring a layer
The elevated north-east can feel cooler and cloudier than Tenerife’s southern coast. Check the day’s weather and carry a light layer if you are combining La Laguna with a resort stay.
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La Laguna is the door to the Anaga uplands
TITSA line 076 climbs from La Laguna via Las Mercedes to Cruz del Carmen and Afur, with working-day and weekend tables; line 273 runs La Laguna–Las Mercedes–Cruz del Carmen on weekends and holidays only. Check the table for your day before planning a forest walk.
Checked – 2026 Sources: WebTenerife, Gobierno de Canarias, Servicio Canario de la Salud, Gobierno de Canarias, 1-1-2 Canarias +2
Photos and film
La Laguna in pictures
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Watch before you go
Atlantic Ambience Plays through YouTube’s privacy-enhanced player; nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. -
The Calle de la Carrera runs through the UNESCO grid from the Plaza del Adelantado; line 15, line 20 and tram line 1 all arrive at the interchange a few streets away. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons -
The Plaza del Adelantado, with the Casa de Anchieta on it, is the heart of the historic centre; the tram back to Santa Cruz and line 50 to the coast leave from the interchange. Photo: Mentxuwiki, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
Make room for something memorable
Book something around La Laguna
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Selected activity links open GetYourGuide; destination photos are illustrative. Check the date, current price, meeting point and what is included before booking.
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Perlaroques / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 La Laguna and Anaga
Santa Cruz, La Laguna and laurel forest tour
A multi-stop guided day joining the capital, La Laguna and the green laurel-forest landscape of Anaga.
Why consider it Choose it when you want historical context and Anaga scenery in one organised itinerary.
View experience: Santa Cruz, La Laguna and laurel forest tour on GetYourGuide (opens in a new tab)Meeting point & getting there: Santa Cruz, La Laguna and laurel forest tour
Check the meeting point and any pickup on the product page before booking; this site could not read them.
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Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 Teide and La Orotava
Teide and La Orotava shore excursion
A small-group route through Teide landscapes and La Orotava, sold on GetYourGuide as a shore excursion.
Why consider it It links volcanic scenery with a historic northern town; check the meeting point on the product page against your ship’s all-aboard time before booking.
View experience: Teide and La Orotava shore excursion on GetYourGuide (opens in a new tab)Meeting point & getting there: Teide and La Orotava shore excursion
Check the meeting point and any pickup on the product page before booking; this site could not read them.
Current experiences on GetYourGuide
Tours and activities on Tenerife as GetYourGuide lists them today, with current prices and reviews.
There’s more around the corner
Where next?
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Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 North-east Tenerife
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Architecture, markets, museums and an urban day without a car
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Perlaroques / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Pimlico27 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Guide checked · How we check · Suggest a correction
Sources for this page
The sources this page cites, each with the date we checked it. Two dates mean the facts that cite it were checked on different days.
TITSA
- Line 15 timetable Checked – 2026
- Line 20 timetable Checked – Oct 2026
- Line 103 timetable Checked
- Line 50 timetable Checked – 2026
- Line 076: La Laguna–Cruz del Carmen–Afur Checked – Oct 2026
- Line 273: La Laguna–Cruz del Carmen Checked – Oct 2026
- Line 20 timetable and notes (read 12 October 2026) Checked
- Tickets and fares Checked
Metrotenerife
- Tram routes and timetables Checked – Oct 2026
WebTenerife
- La Laguna historic centre Checked – 2026
- La Laguna Town Hall Checked
- San Cristóbal de La Laguna municipality Checked
- Mercado de La Laguna Checked
- Bajamar natural pools Checked
- Punta del Hidalgo natural pools Checked
Aena
Gobierno de Canarias, Servicio Canario de la Salud
Gobierno de Canarias, 1-1-2 Canarias
Gobierno de Canarias, Dirección General de Emergencias
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