Santa Cruz de Tenerife Cruises, Tenerife

Santa Cruz is one of the Canary Islands’ biggest hitters. It shares its capital city title with Las Palmas, on the neighbouring island of Gran Canaria, and more than lives up to the role. In the space of just a few streets, the bustling port area melts into an inviting old town. A century-spanning mix of church towers and hotels peeks above the rooftops, and the whole town’s backed by the silhouette of a mountain range. You’ll find one of the Canary Islands’ most futuristic buildings by the harbour – the Auditorio de Tenerife, which looks like an edgier version of the Sydney Opera House. At the more historic end of the scale is the Basilica of Candelaria, which is dedicated to the patron saint of the Canary Islands. Further afield, you’ll find beaches hugging the south coast and the mighty Mount Teide rising up in the island’s centre.

• You’ll have to travel to Hawaii to see a volcano that’s taller than Mount Teide. Tenerife’s snow-capped giant is the third highest in the world, when you measure from the ocean floor. Head to the national park that surrounds it, and you can explore the wildlife-lined walking trails.
• Take a drive through the Orotava Valley, stopping at the Humboldt viewpoint. There’s a bronze statue of the naturalist it’s named after – look over his shoulder, and you’ll be treated to panoramic views of the island’s vineyards and banana plantations.