Shopping in Tenerife! - Santa Cruz area.

Although many people may think that an island like Tenerife cannot stand out for its commercial areas because we barely live 900, 000 people here (very few compared to any known capital or city in Europe), but the huge number of tourists that we receive, which exceeds 6 million annual visitors (indeed, tourists over more than six times the population of the island, the less impressive), the island has had several Top-notch commercial infrastructures with shops for all tastes .

That is why, although it may be that your trip to Tenerife does not have as its main objective to go shopping on the island, It never hurts to know the following places that are ideal for shopping tinerfeño:

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE AREA:

We will start with the busiest commercial areas of the metropolitan area, and in this article, focusing first on Santa Cruz , assuming that the majority of people who reach this article will be students of the University of La Laguna and that is in this area where they will spend most of the time. In case you are not aware, the metropolitan area is divided into two large cities (remember that it is the Canary Islands, do not expect cities the size of St. Petersburg), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of Tenerife and the coastal part of the metropolitan area, and San Cristóbal de La Laguna, which borders the capital but is concentrated at 600 meters of altitude surrounded by the Anaga massif. Because it is the area that by the concentration of people is the most populated on the island, we have many shopping centers and streets with shops to visit.

COMMERCIAL PLACES IN SANTA CRUZ:

1. Meridiano Shopping Center: This shopping center located right at the entrance to the capital if you go down the highway from La Laguna is a center with more than 100 stores that thanks to the fact that they have been reforming it little by little, it is one of the favorite areas of Tenerife to hang out. It has a lot of terraces and places to eat (if the bills don't fail me, more than 15 food stores) both outdoors and inside the Meridiano building, so there will always be an acceptable option. I highly recommend the Meridian pizzeria , with a huge number of pizzas and pasta dishes that are the best I've had in any restaurant, plus you can choose from many sauces the less curious. And if you're looking for a snack, you can always go to "Pintxos" , a restaurant specializing in the typical tapas of the Basque Country, or "100 montaditos" , which I think he is the most famous in the whole mall, because his montaditos are to suck his fingers and because their prices are quite cheap (more so on Wednesdays and Sundays, which have the whole letter, except for a few exceptions, to a euro). In addition, there are stores that are key for every student if they want to buy clothes, because you have the only Primark in Tenerife . The highlight of this center is that on certain occasions of the year they do a series of activities on the terrace that include leisure for children, workshops, and best of all, concerts that you can enjoy both in the square as sitting from any outdoor cafeteria, so that the good atmosphere always predominates. Highly recommended for anyone. If you want to get here from La Laguna, you can take the bus 015 , which leaves you right in front of the shopping center, or the tram, which will leave you in the Santa Cruz interchange and you will only have to go up the avenue Tres de Mayo (although it is on a slope, I believe that the bus spreads more, which is also faster). Centro comercial Meridiano en vista aérea, con las zonas de terrazas y de cine en la parte alta.
2. Boulevard shopping center: This shopping center is located in the center of Santa Cruz de Tenerife , just below García Sanabria Park and right at the top where they end several of the city's pedestrian streets. This shopping center is a small building that architecturally has its charm, it reminds me of some shopping centers of typical American films, but it is true that in terms of stores, you will not find here within the typical multinationals that abound throughout the country, but perhaps this is positive, because you can find different offers among their stores that we are accustomed to by the island's businessmen, so if what you are looking for something different, this is your center. In addition, has a huge supermarket and a McDonald's ideal to go for a cheap drink after walking around the Ramblas, García Sanabria and others. In addition, the square that surrounds the Boulevard Shopping Center is full of coffee shops with a lot of atmospheres and varied offers, so the place is quite appetizing to spend an afternoon of friends. Centro comercial Parque Bulevar desde el interior del edificio.
3. El Corte Inglés: This is the only center we can consider as a "big warehouse" that you can find in Tenerife. This imposing building located on Tres de Mayo Avenue (yes, like the Meridian Shopping Center) rises 7 floors where you can find everything you think because it has a range of products simply unimaginable. If you are Spanish, you will obviously know it, but if you come from other countries where this brand is not established, I tell you that here you will find beauty, electronics, fashion, household goods, appliances, music, travel, gastronomic products... Come on, that there is not a detail that has been overlooked. Honestly, the price of this large store is generally higher than that of other stores on the island, but without being an exaggeration. However, I also assure you that is the place where you are going to receive the best customer service and where you will receive the most guarantees, so paying for those differences is worth it simply for these details. It is true that not only can you come here to buy, but you can also enjoy the food placesthat have settled in this El Corte Inglés, which are on the floor high mostly, and they have a view of the city that is quite worthy of being mentioned and, at least, of being ever observed. On the other hand, on the ground floor, there is a gourmet area and they will open a Starbucks shortly, so every young person who gets carried away by these renowned brands has a mandatory stop at this center. To reach it you can use the same means as to reach the Meridiano shopping center.
4. Mall de Mayo 3: By the name, you can find out that, indeed, is next to both El Corte Inglés and Meridiano, so with this, we complete the Triad of large centers in this area of ​​the city. This recently built shopping center stands out for having a MediaMarkt inside, that is, the place where you will find anything you need at a fairly competitive price. In addition to this, they do not clash the many stores that it has, which although it does not reach the level of the Meridiano Shopping Center, are not few, and like the Parque Bulevar Shopping Center, they do not take over their plants the multinationals that you find anywhere, but most establishments are from local people that offer a variety of quite differentiated articles, so it is not bad to stop by. In addition to this, they usually do quite a few events and contests in it, so you can also spend quite pleasant times here. To arrive, what has been said, same means as for The English Court or the Meridian.
5. Castillo Street: Now, we will find what is the area of ​​influx of excellence in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Calle el Castillo is right in the center of the city, and it is a pedestrian street that extends from the top to the bottom of the city and is full of shops for all tastes and where to take a walk is a pleasure. Clothing, shoes, accessories, food... There will be no offer missing from this street, so it is one of the most complete. It is usually full of people, but this is not a problem, it does not become overwhelming, and it is always nice to see that a city has activity. Although stores have something for everyone, in terms of places to eat there are certain places that are highly recommended in this area, such as eating a tortilla sandwich in the centennial cafeteria of "La Garriga , in a street next to La Castillo, take an ice cream at Casa Ricardo, or stop at the Burger" Smile" to eat all kinds of dishes Americans who are simply exquisite. Of course, go with comfortable shoes to this environment of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, because precisely flat is not, and although going down is very nice, then you will have to go up again and Something expensive is sometimes done, but nothing worthwhile to go through. To get here, you can take both the tram, getting off at the Weyler, Guimerá or Fundación stops, as well as several buses that you can check on the webpage www.titsa.com haciendo uso de su planificador de ruta, o en coche, pues justo en la parte alta podrás encontrar un parking subterráneo a la Plaza Weyler, aunque es un tanto caro

And these are all the commercial epicenters that you can find in the city, although they are not the only ones! In any street you can find dozens of businesses that can meet any need you have, so do not limit yourself to these five even though they are the best known.

Go ahead to shop around the city. Of course, consider a number of things:

- Street stores usually have a schedule from 10:00 a. m. to 1:00 p. m. and close at noon to reopen their doors to the public of 5:00 p. m. to 8:00 p. m. , except for some stores such as multinationals, so be careful if you are looking for something specifically outside these hours, because you may find yourself with the surprise that you will have to wait with the street semi-deserted This does not happen in shopping centers, which usually have continuous hours from 10:00 to 22:00.

* You can access the original photos published in this article by clicking on the link I left in each one at the bottom of the photo.

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