The heart of Santa Cruz
Every city has places that serve as a reference point for those who live there. In Santa Cruz, the Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África is one of them.
Built in 1945 and popularly known as La Recova, the market occupies a building in the Canarian-Mudéjar style whose architecture is worth noticing in its own right: interior courtyards, arcaded galleries and a spatial layout that turns a visit into something more than just shopping.
Unlike other markets that have drifted towards tourism, La Recova retains its everyday character. The same stalls, the same long-standing customers and local produce remain the main attraction.
For first-time visitors to Santa Cruz, it is one of the places where the city shows itself most naturally.
What you will find inside
The market is divided into two main areas. On the ground floor you will find stalls selling fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and seasonal produce. Canarian products take centre stage: traditional potatoes, mojo sauce, island bananas and the catch of the day freshly landed at the harbour.
On the upper floor there are flower stalls, local crafts and a few bars where it is perfectly normal to have breakfast or a coffee mid-morning, as the locals have always done.
If your stay includes cooking at the apartment, the market is the best starting point for stocking up on quality local produce at reasonable prices. The range is wide and the stock turns over daily.
We recommend visiting on a weekday morning for the widest choice and the most lively atmosphere. Saturday mornings also have activity, though on a smaller scale.
What to see around the market
The Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África sits in a part of Santa Cruz's historic centre with several points of interest within easy walking distance. A visit to the market can be combined effortlessly with a stroll through this part of the city.
TEA — Tenerife Espacio de las Artes
Just a few minutes from the market is the TEA, Santa Cruz's museum of contemporary art.
Its architecture by Herzog & de Meuron is a landmark in its own right. The building also houses the city's photographic archive.
The temporary exhibition programme changes regularly, so it is worth checking what is on before your visit.
MUNA — Museum of Nature and Man
The Museum of Nature and Man holds one of the world's most important collections of Guanche mummies.
For those who want to understand Tenerife's history before the Spanish conquest, it is an essential visit. The building occupies the former Civil Hospital of Santa Cruz.
Allow plenty of time: the collection is extensive and deserves more than an hour to explore properly.
Church of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción
The Church of Our Lady of the Conception is the oldest in Santa Cruz and one of the most recognisable buildings in the historic quarter.
Its Mudéjar tower and main nave hold several centuries of the city's history. The immediate surroundings are also one of the most characterful corners of the old centre.
A visit to the market followed by a stroll to the church makes a natural combination for exploring the historic heart of Santa Cruz.
Auditorio de Tenerife
If your walk through the market and the historic centre has left you wanting more, the Auditorio de Tenerife is just over a kilometre towards the seafront.
Calatrava's architecture and the walk along the Atlantic make a fine complement to the everyday, interior atmosphere of the market.
A walk from the market to the city centre
- Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África Local produce and singular architecture
- TEA — Tenerife Espacio de las Artes Contemporary art and architecture
- MUNA — Museum of Nature and Man Guanche history of Tenerife
- Church of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción The historic heart of Santa Cruz
- Plaza de España Central square with views over the Atlantic
- Calle del Castillo Shopping, terraces and city life
This route is entirely on foot and can be done in a few hours. There is no need to follow the order strictly: the historic centre of Santa Cruz is compact and easy to navigate spontaneously.
If you spend the morning at the market and the museums and save the afternoon for the walk down to the Auditorio, you have a full day in Santa Cruz without needing to take any public transport.
When is the best time to visit?
A weekday morning is the best time to visit the market. The atmosphere is at its most authentic, the produce is at its peak and the flow of people is the neighbourhood's own.
Saturday mornings also have activity, though some stalls keep shorter hours. On Sundays, the market is largely closed.
If you want to have breakfast at the market — as many locals do — aim to arrive before ten in the morning.
In any case, we recommend checking the opening hours before you go, especially if the market is the centrepiece of your morning.
FROM THE MARKET TO THE ATLANTIC
Santa Cruz has two sides that complement each other
The market and the Auditorio represent two poles of Santa Cruz that coexist quite naturally. On one side, the historic centre with its everyday life, stalls, shopping streets and museums. On the other, the contemporary waterfront with its architecture, gardens and the open Atlantic.
DE VILLA SUITES sits exactly between these two worlds. These guides are designed to help you plan your days and discover Santa Cruz at your own pace, the way those who live here do.
YOUR STAY IN SANTA CRUZ
Discover Santa Cruz from DE VILLA SUITES
A complete apartment ten minutes from the market, with a fully equipped kitchen to make the most of local produce and an ideal base for exploring the city on foot.