Santa Cruz de Tenerife Shopping

The Sunday Market in Santa Cruz takes place in the streets between the Cathedral and the Mercado Nuestra Senora de Africa. We strolled through it on our way to the bus station as we went for the bus to San Andres and a busy morning on the beach. It was a much more pleasant experience than the market at Los Cristianos which to be frank was too packed to be able to enjoy it. This market was a lot quieter, though by no means deserted, and it's also not crammed into a confining space.

What to buy: Tat.

What to pay: Haggle.

Hiper Dino is the name of a supermarket chain and we used the one in central Santa Cruz to stock up on a few things, most especially convenience foods that we don't see at home. We have a cupboard full of packet this and dried that that we have picked up from Austria to Malta, Bahrain to Dusseldorf and now Tenerife.

What to buy: Palm Honey, Pollen Grains, Creme Catalan, Gofio.

What to pay: Not much, it was all fairly cheap.

As with Las Americas, Santa Cruz is brimming with perfume shops. Wife had held off buying anything in Las Americas in the belief that it would be cheaper here in Santa Cruz, it being after all a "free port". Well, they did give 10% off all marked prices, but even that left the price higher than in Las Americas.
The perfume shops are not even as "classy" as in Las Americas, testimony to the fact that in Las Americas the perfume shops are some of the nicest shops that are there!

What to buy: Nothing, unless you're not going to Las Americas!

What to pay: Too much.

Santa Cruz is a great place to shop. If you want department store goods go to Corte Ingles. This place can be a little pricey I think.
If you want to browse then shop on the Calle Castillo. This main shopping street has everything.

From Plaza de España you can walk up and down streets and streets of shops. From clothes, to electronics, books to souveniers- it can all be found from any of the streets departing from Plaza de España.

What to buy: There are quite a few electrontics shops because of the lack of sales tax. You can find beautiful clothes and shoes as well. The island is known for it's handwoven creations (see my local customs tip), and there is a very interesting little wood carving which is somewhat fallic in its creation which seems to be something you only find in the Canaries.

What to pay: Prices are pretty standard with other prices in the world- there simply isn't as much tax.

There is all sorts of shops walking distance from the beach. It is like a shopping area with all the hotels, restaurants & shops together.

What to buy: Leather, cameras, electric equipment, close, food and more.

What to pay: I walked around and compare the prices, sometimes there is a big difference in the price. Some of the shops make offers with cameras & electric equipment. But not everyone.