35 ~ Plaza Del Charco

(click to enlarge photos)

What could be more relaxing than a stroll down to the town's main plaza on a fine sunny day. Located just behind the fishermens' harbour, Plaza del Charco (Puddle Plaza) is a favourite meeting place in downtown Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife.


The name comes from the days when the plaza used to fill with seawater but that no longer happens and nowadays the area holds an open cafe with tables sheltered under parasols, a childrens' playground, park benches and a fountain where a giant Colocasia Esculenta or Ñamera (Elephant Ear plant) grows from the centre.

There is a sidewalk around the square's perimeter with kiosks where one can buy daily papers and magazines.
This is a popular place to walk a dog, bring children to play, read the newspaper or sit and watch people go by.
It's also a place to stop after shopping and rendezvous with friends for lunch.
Nearby is a German bakery where quiches, tortilla and fresh bread sandwiches may be packed to take away and eat at home, at the beach or while sitting on a bench in the square.
Or one can have a pleasant lunch at one of the many restaurants and cafes bordering the plaza.

In warm weather one could sit for hours listening to the soft tinkle of the fountain and watching the birds fly around the overshadowing trees.
On Sundays, stamp and coin collectors congregate to display and trade their wares. It's also a day when chess enthusiasts meet to play.
The perimeter of the square is bordered by stately Canary Island palms (Phoenix Canariensis), with their crown of feather-duster foliage.
One of the shady streets leading into the square is also lined with restaurants, so one has much to choose from when planning a lunch or dinner in the area. In the evenings the square is often a lively place, where music and dancing is held on fiestas and during carnival celebrations.