The little corners of Santa Cruz

We propose a pleasant day of route by Santa Cruz knowing its ‘little corners’. This is a city with a small, but bustling and charming downtown. It could be said that all roads lead to the Plaza de España.

From there, some of the most important streets of the capital, such as the Castillo, a commercial area par excellence. The first section crosses the Plaza de la Candelaria, where you should stop to see the Palacio de Carta or the sculpture in homage to the patron saint that gives its name to the square. Castillo leads to the Plaza Weyler, but before that we find dozens of stores on both sides and unique buildings such as the Parliament of the Canary Islands or the Círculo de Bellas Artes. Once in Weyler Square, it is a good idea to rest in its shade and even have a snack at its kiosk or some of the surrounding cafes. In front of this square, we will see the Palacio de la Capitanía General de Canarias.

After the break, we continue to the nearby Plaza de Los Patos, a beautiful corner, with the amazing Iglesia de San Jorge next to it. This area is a small example of a ‘garden city’, such as Jesús y María street, with beautiful colorful houses enhanced by the green of the trees, which reach their splendor in the nearby García Sanabria park.

Also interesting are the streets around the Castle: Viera y Clavijo, El Pilar, Pérez Galdós, all commercial, all pedestrian, all full of life, like the Plaza del Príncipe, where under its trees it is not uncommon to find concerts, theater or some of the most anticipated performances during Carnival.

The small square of Ireneo Gonzalez has a special charm, thanks in part to the former School of Arts and Crafts, now home to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. No less beautiful is the Plaza de San Francisco, with the old courthouse and the church in honor of the same saint presiding and an exuberant representation of some of the unique trees that the city has to offer.

All in one kilometer

We have walked to all these ‘nooks and crannies’ without separating just one kilometer from where we started, the lake of the Plaza de España, but there are more, and also very close. The streets around the Guimerá Theater, such as Clavel Street, full of restaurants, or La Noria, a meeting place for thousands of people, including many of those who are part of the Carnival. Right next to it is the Iglesia de la Concepción, where the city we are walking today was born. This walk has two other advantages: we have not stopped walking through the places where almost all the restaurants and terraces of the city are located, so it will be easy to eat well at any time of the tour. And the other is that all the museums are close at hand, but we will talk about them in other chapters, as they deserve it.