Three gardens you have to visit in Tenerife

Jardín de Aclimatación de La Orotava

Address: Calle Retama, 2, 38400 Puerto de la Cruz

Despite the name, the botanical garden is actually located in Puerto de la Cruz. The garden (so I’ve heard) is one of the most important botanical gardens rating alongside Kew Gardens in London! However, rank of importance, the beautiful garden is worth a visit. You can easily spent quite some time exploring exotic tropical and subtropical plants. One of the main exhibits is the Coussapoa Dealbata, a tree from South America, unusual in its mass of intertwining trunks.

Coussapoa Dealbata

The acclimatization Garden of Orotava was created by a royal order issued by King Charles III on August 17, 1788, as a result of the need to acclimatize species brought from tropics somewhere in Spain with a suitable climate. The garden consist important collections of tropical and subtropical plants of both economic and ornamental value, of which the most outstanding of its varieties of palm trees, bromeliads and members of the aracea and moracea families. Some of the trees are of particular beauty or interest due to their size, age, rarity or origins in remote places.

Philodendron melanochrysum

Monstera deliciosa (and my mum)

Banana palms 

As a scientific institution, the garden exchanges germoplasm worldwide, has herbarium with emphasis on Canarian flora with over 37.000 dried specimens, and is currently involved in several research programmes related to Canary Island plant and tree life and the preservation of endemic species.

Jardín de Orquideas de Sitio Litre

Address: Camino Sitio Litre, S/N, 38400 Puerto de la Cruz

The Sitio Litre garden is the oldest surviving garden in Tenerife, now 240 years old, it has been owned continuously by British families since 1730. Many famous personalities have spent time in Sitio Litre, either as house guests or simply as guests at the numerous garden parties given in the magic garden, and many of them are tributed with sculptures and pictures hanging around the garden.

Strelitzia reginae on the left and huge blooming Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea and Ficus elastica

The house is still a private residence, but the owners have decided to open the garden to visitors, so they can enjoy the beautiful garden, and view the lovely collection of orchids. Besides the largest collection  of orchids on the Island, Sitio Litre have the largest and oldest dragon tree in Puerto de la Cruz.

Because of its long history of British owners, the garden is very different from Spanish gardens. It has more romantic elements such as a small pond and a fountain placed in the center of the garden, and the vegetation are more “controlled”.

Jardín Acuatico Risco Bello

Address: Ctra. Taoro, 15, 38400 Puerto de la Cruz

Part of the surroundings of the Hotel Taoro, this park is considered by many as the most beautiful in Puerto de la Cruz. With 500 tropical and sub-tropical species of plants and cascades and fountains flowing through the 2 hectares of space, it makes for a very pleasant day out. The garden was designed by D. René de Radiguès as an act of love for his sick wife, hoping that it would help her to get better. After eighteen years in Tenerife, in gratitude for the happiness that the island have given them, they decided to share the beauty of this little paradise with the world, opening for public in 1988.

The residence with gigantic Monstera deliciosa

The garden is divided into five terraces all different in style, from which you can see a privileged view over the Valley of La Orotava and much of the north coast. Jardín Acuatico Risco Bello has a collection of five hundred exotic, tropical and subtropical plants growing in an authentic dream environment of hanging bridges, waterfalls, caves and fountains. I will let the pictures speak for them selves.

The view over Puerto de la Cruz