Santa Cruz Market Santa Cruz

The generosity of the Canaries and their surrounding ocean, and their ready access to all the abundance of the rest of Spain, are daily apparent in the wonderful displays in this lively and atmospheric enclosed market. Flowers fill the eye, alongside the colors of myriad fruits and vegetables, and other stalls are laden with fish and meat. You'll find small live animals, a multitude of curious peasant cheeses made of cow's, sheep's or goat's milk (or sometimes all three) and home-made honey. Here too traders sell cheap cassettes and CDs often of foot stamping Spanish and Latin American music.

Interestingly, all is neat and orderly, with a surprising tidiness and efficiency. The market is located near the heart of the old quarter of Tenerife's capital town, not far from the lanes of a red-light district, and usually spills out into these surrounding streets, where stalls sell 'dry goods' kitchenware, fabrics and household items. The market entrance itself is a circular arch, leading straight into the flower stalls. Beyond lies a veritable bazaar within the central courtyard.

There's officially no market here on Sunday, but that's when the big weekly rastra sets up outside the market hall. A rastra is a mixed flea market and craft market, where an array of stall holders from home and abroad sell a hotchpotch of cheap souvenirs, second-rate factory made 'craft' items, leather goods, assorted castoffs and secondhand items, as well as plenty of genuine high quality arts and crafts. Philatelists will love it. stamps are a particular speciality of several stall-holders.