Getting Around Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of the island of Tenerife and the main city on the island, with nearly half of the island's population living in or around it. It is also the focus for domestic and inter-island communications in the Canary Islands, which means visitors will find a range of practical options for moving around the city and reaching it from elsewhere on the island.
Orientation and Walkability
The city's nerve centre is the Plaza de España, and the large urban Parque García Sanabria sits at the centre of the city. Both are useful landmarks for orienting yourself on foot. The city is also home to striking architecture, including the Auditorio de Tenerife, the neo-Egyptian Masonic Temple, and the Torres de Santa Cruz, the tallest twin towers in Spain.
Outside the built-up centre but within the municipal district, you'll find Playa de Las Teresitas and a large part of the Macizo de Anaga, which was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. These are not really walking destinations from the centre, so plan on using transport to reach them.
Tram
Santa Cruz has a tram network. Line 1 starts from the bus terminal and connects Santa Cruz with La Laguna. If you're travelling the whole line, note that the tram is slower than bus 15 for that journey. Tram fares are paid using the same methods as buses, though they can sometimes be slightly more expensive.
Buses and Public Transport
Buses are fairly cheap and fairly regular, and are the mainstay of public transport in and around the city. The local bus company is Titsa. Its website is available in Spanish and English, but it is terribly difficult to use unless you are already familiar with the island, and the Android app cannot be downloaded through Google Play unless your phone's region is set to Spain. A good alternative is to use Google Maps: tap on the bus stop you want to depart from and it will display a list of upcoming buses with their times and destinations. This doesn't work in all bus interchanges, however.
For fares, you'll get better prices if you have either a ten+ card or the ten+ app. The ten+ card can be purchased at the bus terminal, from a tobacco shop, or at a tram station. The ten+ app is available for Android and iPhone and requires you to scan the QR code on the bus with the app and show it to the driver. Daily and weekly tickets allow unlimited travel on every bus line on the island, but they are only worth it if you're planning to take intercity buses.
Buses also connect Santa Cruz with other cities on Tenerife, and routes and times can be checked on Titsa's website.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are a straightforward option, and the source material gives indicative fares for airport runs: a fare from Tenerife North Airport to Santa Cruz is around €15, and from Tenerife South Airport around €60. Beyond these airport fares, no further detail on taxis or ride-hailing services is available in the source material.
By Car
The highways TF-1 (towards the south of Tenerife) and TF-2 (towards the north) meet south of Santa Cruz, making the capital well connected by road. Driving in the city is described as very fast or very slow with little in-between, and streets can be very narrow. Parking is hard in the centre unless you're willing to pay for private parking, and finding a spot can be a challenge before noon. Driving is more useful in the outskirts or if you're planning to go outside the cities. One practical option is the Meridiano shopping centre, which has a large, free underground car park open from 09:00 until 01:30.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Tenerife has two airports. Tenerife North Airport (TFN) is closer to the capital and receives island and national flights as well as international flights. Tenerife South Airport (TFS) is in the south of the island and is open 24 hours a day.
From Tenerife North Airport, bus lines 102, 108, and 109 run to Santa Cruz. From Tenerife South Airport, line 111 runs to Santa Cruz. The company operating these routes is Titsa. As an alternative, a taxi from Tenerife North Airport to Santa Cruz costs around €15, while a taxi from Tenerife South Airport costs around €60.
Arriving by Boat
The Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is one of the main ports in the country, and the ferry terminal (Estación Marítima) has a few cafes and bars, car rental agencies, and a ticket sales office. Ferries connect Santa Cruz with Cádiz on the Spanish mainland, though that trip takes two days and is operated by Acciona Transmediterranea. Closer to hand, Transmediterranea runs ferries to Las Palmas on the nearby island of Gran Canaria, and Fred Olsen runs ferries to Agaete, a small town on the western coast of Gran Canaria.