La Orotava Old Town – Tenerife

La Orotava is one of Tenerife’s most beautiful and best-preserved historic towns, where 16th- to 18th-century Canarian architecture – wooden-balconied mansions, cobbled streets and baroque churches – survives almost untouched. The town sits above the famous Orotava Valley, offering sweeping views over banana plantations and, on a clear day, Mount Teide itself. Among the old town’s landmark buildings are the Casa de los Balcones, famous for its carved wooden balconies and traditional Canarian embroidery, and the monumental Iglesia de la Concepción. Every June the town hosts the Corpus Christi flower-carpet festival, when the main square and surrounding streets are covered in huge, intricate designs made of flowers and volcanic sand. Its narrow streets are lined with cosy cafés, craft shops and stores selling local produce. A half-day stroll is enough to take in the main sights while soaking up genuine Canarian atmosphere.