Playa Jardin in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife

The public garden directly behind the beach gave Playa Jardín (translated as ‚Garden Beach‘) its name and made it so famous. The beach was designed by the world-famous landscape architect, painter and sculptor César Manrique, who also designed Lago Martiánez (see the relevant section below).

The park above Playa Jardin is open to the public. As well as a refurbished children’s play area, it is home to a collection of tropical plants from all over the world. In this way, Playa Jardin is somewhat reminiscent of the Botanical Gardens in the upper part of the town.

If you’re visiting Puerto de la Cruz, you should take the time to visit Playa Jardín. From the town centre, it takes about 15 minutes to walk to the beach, either through the town or along the sea wall off the coast of Puerto de la Cruz. A further ten minutes‘ walk takes you to Loro Parque, which is also well worth a visit.

Natural sand at Playa Jardín on Tenerife

Playa Jardín has long struggled with high levels of sewage contamination. The city, island and regional authorities are working to address this. You can find all the data on the current water quality at Playa Jardín here – we provide live updates at all times.

The sand at Playa Jardin has largely been left in its natural state. Thanks to its colour, it is possible to sunbathe at Playa Jardin even on cloudy days, as the black lava sand retains the sun’s heat very well.

However, in direct sunlight, you’ll need flip-flops to avoid burning the soles of your feet. Large lava rocks frequently protrude from the sand and out of the water. For this reason, too, swimming in Tenerife is dangerous in many places when the waves are high.

Surfers at Playa Jaridin in Puerto de la Cruz

Seen from the town centre, locals are often surfing at the far end of the beach. They’re even allowed in the water when the red warning flags are flying. Unlike tourists, who are usually unable to properly gauge the forces of nature in the Atlantic, the local surfers know the currents and can handle them.

In strong swells, only at least intermediate-level surfers are advised to attempt this. The lifeguards who are now patrolling the beaches have, understandably, become quite strict in the interests of safety due to the recklessness of some tourists.

How warm is the water, exactly? You can find the latest Water temperature in Tenerife!

What else you need to know about Puerto de la Cruz:

Comprehensive travel guide to Puerto de la Cruz
Fotorundgang durch Puerto de la Cruz
Lago Martianez – Puerto’s huge seawater lido
Playa Martianez – beach in the east of the city
The Botanical Garden – Jardin Botanico
Carnival in Puerto de la Cruz
The best restaurants in Puerto de la Cruz
Loro Parque in Puerto