Garcia Sanabria Park

The flower clock is the picture everyone takes: a clock face set into a bed of flowers that is replanted all year round, a staircase on either side and the central fountain behind. It was made in Switzerland by Favag and given to the island by the Consul of Denmark in 1958.

Past the clock the park opens into walks under mature trees, with exotic plants, ponds, two fountains and something always in bloom. Sculptures from the 1973 international exhibition, thirteen or so, stand at the corners and along the paths. The grounds cover 67,230 square metres, roughly nine football pitches, and the side paths lead to benches in deep shade where the city goes quiet.

Right next to the park is Plaza Fernando Pessoa, a zodiac square whose fountain and decoration map the sky at the founding of Lisbon.

• Street parking around the park is very hard to find; come by bus or head straight for a car park.
• There are two playgrounds, and dogs are allowed.
• The toilets are two regular restrooms and one portable unit, and none of them is wheelchair-accessible.
• The paths are paved, with ramps where the level changes, and the park is lit in the evening.

The park sits in the centre of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and has entrances on all sides, so you can walk in from whichever street you arrive on. The bus stop named Parque García Sanabria is about 100 m away.

Driving is the harder option: spaces on the streets around the park are very difficult to find. Parking Santa Rosalía, a paid car park, lies about 125 m away, and there is another car park about 200 m away. Once inside, the paths are paved and ramps take you over the changes in level.

Best: any month, ideally late in the afternoon.

Avoid: a rainy day.

The flower clock is replanted throughout the year and mature trees shade the walks through the heat of the day, while on a wet day this open-air garden has little to offer.