Sitio Litre Garden

Koi turn slowly in the pond, and the town noise of Puerto de la Cruz is gone. Sitio Litre Garden covers about 4,000 square metres, a little over half a football pitch, split into separate garden rooms, so each corner feels enclosed and personal. The planting is mixed, with the orchids as the part most people remember.

The care shows everywhere. Beds are tidy and plants are clearly tended every day. Plaques placed through the garden tell its story from 1730 onward, and they are worth stopping for: Marianne North painted here, and Agatha Christie came as a guest. Then find a bench, or finish at the café at the bottom of the garden.

• Closed on Tuesdays, and it shuts in the early afternoon on other days, so plan it as a morning visit.
• An hour covers the whole garden at an easy pace; add time if you stop at the café.
• Orchids are one section of a mixed planting, despite the garden's orchid fame.
• There are toilets on site, including a wheelchair-accessible one.
• The history is told on plaques through the garden, so no guide is needed to follow it.

The garden sits within Puerto de la Cruz, so the last stretch is a walk through town streets. By bus, the El Risco stop is about 170 m away in a straight line and the Tucán stop about 200 m. By car, the paid Pirámides de Martiánez car park is the nearest public option, about 220 m away in a straight line; leave the car there and walk the rest.

Best: the first hour after opening.

Avoid: Tuesdays, when the garden is closed, and arriving late in the day.

The garden is quiet first thing, and since it closes in the early afternoon, a late start leaves little time for the paths and the café.