La Orotava is situated above Puerto de la Cruz in the foothills of Mount Teide. Proximity to Teide is exactly the reason why I came here.

Foothills of Teide

A lot of towns on Tenerife are overly touristy, but La Orotava is a nice exception. It feels authentic. The streets have old colourful houses.

Colourful houses

Old houses

Many houses have a cross on the wall facing the street. Conviently, the crosses also provide a level to see how steep the street is.

Crosses

Steepness

Descent

A familiar car

You can see the ocean in the distance.

View towards the ocean

San Agustin Church

Bus station

Street art

I stayed at a very cozy hostel. The volunteer from Brazil that worked there didn’t speak English and interestingly chose to speak in Portuguese to me, rather than Spanish, which she also knew.

Hostel common area

View towards Teide

Vibes