La Orotava: The Most Beautiful Town in Tenerife

La Orotava is arguably the most architecturally beautiful town in the Canary Islands. Situated on the slopes of the Orotava Valley with Teide as its constant backdrop, the town is a living museum of Canarian colonial architecture, largely unchanged since the 18th century.

The old town is a UNESCO-listed ensemble of grand mansions, or casas señoriales, whose elaborately carved wooden balconies are the defining image of Canarian architecture. The finest example is the Casa de los Balcones on Calle San Francisco — a 17th-century house now operating as a crafts shop and museum. The courtyard inside, with its carved chestnut-wood galleries, is one of the most photographed interiors in Tenerife.

The town's most famous annual event is the Corpus Christi flower carpet — an extraordinary tradition in which the entire Plaza del Ayuntamiento is carpeted with intricate designs made entirely from flower petals, volcanic ash and coloured sand. The carpet, recreated every June, takes hundreds of volunteers several days to complete.

For food, the small bodegas and tascas around Calle Carrera serve simple, excellent Canarian food at very reasonable prices. The local cheese (queso de la Orotava) and the bienmesabe dessert are particularly good here. The weekly market on Saturday mornings is a lovely way to experience local life. For a stay, the valley's boutique hotels make perfect bases: the restored Hotel Rural El Patio (from €108) sits on a banana estate, the Hotel Alhambra occupies a traditional town house, and the beachfront Precise Resort Tenerife (4★, from €156) anchors the coast below at Los Realejos.

Where to eat in the valley

Eating well in La Orotava means eating where the locals do. Tasca El Obispo is a charming old-town tavern serving honest Canarian fare at wallet-friendly prices, while Casa Egón, hidden on a side street, is the kind of place you stumble on and never forget. Restaurante El Calvario is a no-frills neighbourhood favourite known for generous portions, and Bodega Tapias is the spot to try the local vintages alongside a simple plate. A little further down the valley, Las Chozas in Los Realejos has been a local institution since 1980, famous for a single dish done perfectly.