In a beautiful valley of banana plantations, this colonial town has been designated as a National Historic-Artistic Site. The historic quarter is filled with gracious old homes, many with ornately carved wooden balconies.
The most outstanding of these architectural gems is the Casas de los Balcones, built in the 1630s as a home to a wealthy colonial family. Today, it's a museum and gallery of traditional Canarian crafts and needlework.
To admire the interior balconies, step inside the plant-filled patio. The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, a 16th-century Baroque church, has two remarkable bell towers.
The beautifully landscaped Hijuela del Botánico is filled with more than 3,000 colorful tropical flowers and rare plants, set in lawns with decorative pools. An even larger botanical garden is in nearby Puerto de la Cruz, which was once part of La Orotava, a port known for its fishing (its boats still bring in the daily catch to its restaurants).
Cesar Manrique, the artist, sculptor, and architect from the neighboring island of Lanzarote, designed its Jardin Beach among volcanic rocks.
