From top to bottom, Puerto de la Cruz is a fine city to explore, starting at the top end of town there are the lovely terraced gardens of Jardines Taoro, as you work your way into the Parque Taoro, an open green area with lovely ponds and tree lined walks.

La Paz (the peace) is a vibrant area on the outskirts of town with a mirador (viewpoint) that affords great views down to the beach of Playa de Martianez. As you mill around the mirador, you may notice a bust of Agatha Christie, who wrote one of her short stories on a visit to Puerto.

The winding paths down from La Paz are  punctuated by pleasant bars and cafes, perfect stopping off points. Once down in town, head for the sea and walk along the promenade past the Lago Martianez, a fabulous centre of swimming pools and sun bathing. If you like to sample the sea in the raw, there are plenty of  little rocky coves where bathing is served by metal ladders into the water.

All this is just scratching the surface of Puerto de la Cruz, there are always new sights to see and places to visit, and all close by to Las Aguilas.

It won’t take you long at Las Aguilas to notice the natural beauty that surrounds you. Mount Teide looms large and the wine growing valley of La Orotava is crowned with fir trees marching up the hills.

The lush green vegetation of the north is in stark contrast to the south but contributes to the less commercial pace of life. Nearby in El Sauzal you can visit a working wine museum perched on the lip of the valley, and walking routes bring their own rewards at friendly villages where the food is tasty and cheap.

Don’t let that disguise the face that Puerto de la Cruz itself is brimming with culture and large dark sand beaches, there is always plenty to do. Puerto also boasts the World famous Loro Parque where a day is never enough to see all the animals, shows and gardens.