Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of Tenerife and a pleasant city where
there is a wide variety and offer of commercial services, with a high citizen
safety index. In the year 2003, the population of the municipal district
of Santa Cruz was 220,022.
In the year 2000 was created the Development Society of Santa Cruz, which reports to the City Council. The purpose of this society is the socio-economic dynamization of the city, highlighting support for small and medium-sized companies and entrepreneurs, as well as the improvement of the labor situation. It is currently carrying out a campaign to promote Santa Cruz as a business center, which includes a "Business Guide".
A wide range of commercial services are concentrated in the commercial zone of Santa Cruz, including fashion shops with top national and international brand names, a varied network of franchises and businesses of all types. It central zone has been remodelled in recent years through the so-called "Urban Plan", an initiative that has been jointly financed by the European Union and the local authority. As a result of this transformation, the capital has become revitalized with new pedestrian areas, gardens and rest zones and thus reducing the vehicles flow and has become the new tourist and commercial epicenter. Furthermore, many parts of the old historical center have been rejuvenated, such as the zone of the “Barrio de la Iglesia de la Concepción” ("Church of the Conception District").
Finally, there is a new expansion zone in Santa Cruz known as "Cabo Llanos", where modern commercial centers are situated and where high-quality town planning developments are being carried out. This includes dwellings, new Authority buildings, the Trade Fair Area and the new Auditorium of Tenerife. The "Maritime Park", designed by the architect Cesar Manrique, is also located in this zone. This leisure complex includes a bathing area with salt-water swimming pools of different sizes, a beach and bars and restaurants. Next to it, is located the "Palmetum", where there is a collection of species of palm trees from all over the world.
Apart from Santa Cruz, the cities with a distinctive commercial flavor
are: San Cristóbal de La Laguna, a colonial city with a notable historical
character, whose historical urban center has been declared a Cultural-Historical
Heritage Site by UNESCO, Puerto de la Cruz or Las Américas.