What to do on holiday in Tenerife?

Tenerife is an island where the coastline and cliffs look out over the Atlantic Ocean. This magical Spanish enclave is a beautiful location with wonderful islands: La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. The city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital and home to the famous carnival. Tenerife is much more than simply sunshine and sand. The island also offers a wealth of culture and heritage sites. 

One example is the old town of the city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, which was declared a UNESCO World heritage site in 1999. Here you will find the Cathedral of La Laguna. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1983, its neoclassical façade is the only feature of the early building still intact today.

The Cathedral of La Laguna is situated in the north east of Tenerife, in a wonderful setting with streets filled with classical houses and marked by a unique, stately air. Officially known as Santa Iglesia Catedral de San Cristóbal de La Laguna, construction of the chapel began in the 16th century.

The cathedral that we see today is Neo-Gothic in style, featuring two cross vaults and a stone cross in the central part of its main façade. However, the most striking aspect of the Cathedral of La Laguna is on the inside, where you’ll find an extensive and interesting array of artistic and cultural heritage, from the spectacular main chapel to the historic altarpieces, commissioned by Mazuelos from Flanders, that adorn the temple, and not forgetting the wonderful marble pulpit, the canvasses and wooden carvings, the Neo-classical choir stalls and the impressive sacred ornamentation.

One curious fact is that this cathedral is the only one in the world where two important branches of Christianity live side by side under the same roof. And that is because, although it is a Catholic church, you will also find a large number of Orthodox artworks there.