Despite being the former capital city of Tenerife, San Cristóbal de La Laguna (its Sunday-best name) still rarely makes it on to the radar of many visitors.
And yet it boasts an old quarter which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (which means loads of interesting nooks and crannies) and a University (which means loads of “˜too cool for school’ bars, clubs and restaurants).
Dusky City Streets
Who needs film sets when you’ve got streets like this? It’s wonderfully quaint during the day and absolutely magical at dusk. All that’s missing is a pony and trap, some swirling mist (not too much of a problem in La Laguna) and a Jack the Ripper character lurking in the background.
Little Ol’ Wine Drinker, Me
Not the most welcoming face to be greeted with when you enter a bar, but maybe he’s just fed up waiting for someone to bring him his vino del paÃs (country wine). Bars and restaurants are full of imaginative touches; although some bars have such a “˜relaxed’ décor that it’s worth checking that they are a bar and not someone’s living room.
Face in the Fountain
Much of old La Laguna was built in an age when attention to detail was the order of the day ““ hmmm, I wonder what happened to that particular quality? It’s worth keeping the old eyes peeled to try to spot little gems like this manic Bacchus-type face “˜gobbing’ on passers-by from the top of the marble fountain in the Plaza del Adelantado.
Still Waters
It’s nice to have a green spot to chill out when the city’s streets become too hectic. Not that hectic and La Laguna’s old streets are words which go together”¦ unless you’re trying to negotiate them in a car. It would seem strange to have somewhere named after a lagoon if there wasn’t at least some sort of water feature in the vicinity.
Spice up Your Life
As we don’t have the technology for “˜scratch and sniff’ photographs, you’ll have to trust me when I tell you that the aroma here is enough to send you delirious. The agricultural market is a foodie’s paradise and one of the best places on Tenerife to buy fruit, veg, dried fish and”¦ ahem, whole skinned baby goats.
Stone Throne
This shot typifies the feel of La Laguna’s old quarter; rough plastered walls, wide polished wooden doors, cobbled streets and an ancient-looking stone bench. It’s the perfect place to rest the feet after they’ve been pounding the alleys. But don’t linger too long, that stone slab seat looks as though it could be murder on the haemorrhoids.
