La Laguna Church of the Immaculate Conception

Climb the bell tower between the chimes. The bells ring every quarter of an hour and are loud at the top, and the tower holds the largest bell in the Canary Islands. In the quiet between, the view opens on every side: La Laguna's rooftops close below, the mountains beyond.

Back inside, look up. Each of the three naves has its own Mudéjar wooden ceiling, carved and painted, some cut in deep relief. The altarpieces carry silver, the carved wooden pulpit draws the eye, and there is stained glass and sculpture by Fernando Estévez and Luján Pérez. As the island's first parish, the church set the pattern that many later churches on Tenerife followed.

• One ticket covers both the church and the bell tower, and it is sold at the foot of the tower.
• The tower stair has deep, steep steps that turn into a spiral near the top. There are handrails, but it is hard going.
• The bells ring every 15 minutes and are loud at the top of the tower. Start the climb just after they strike.
• Visiting hours are on weekdays only; at weekends the church is closed to visitors.
• There are no toilets at the church and none nearby, and no drinking water either. Sort both out before you come.

The nearest bus stop, Lucas Vega, is about 120 m from the church in a straight line, and Marcos Redondo about 270 m. Drivers can leave the car at Parking La Laguna Centro, about 190 m away, or at a second car park about 360 m away. The last stretch is on foot through the old town's streets of low, painted houses, and the bell tower above the rooftops makes an easy marker to walk towards.

Best: a clear weekday, for the view from the tower.

Avoid: weekends, when the church is closed to visitors, and standing at the top of the tower on the quarter-hour.

The tower is the reason to pick a clear day, since low cloud hides the mountains beyond the town, and the bells strike every fifteen minutes, loud at close range.