Just behind the town hall, you’ll find a peaceful little spot called the Hijuela del Botánico, the annex of the main Botanical Garden. This 4,000-square-metre garden was created in 1788 at the request of the 6th Marquis of Villanueva del Prado. It was originally intended to support the acclimatisation garden of La Orotava, which today is known as the Botanical Garden of Puerto de la Cruz. These kinds of gardens were designed to help plants from the colonies adapt to European climates — hence the name. Entrance is free, and if the gate’s open, it’s well worth a stroll. One of the highlights here is a beautiful Canary Island dragon tree, native to the archipelago. The Guanches, the island’s original inhabitants, used its bark to make coffins, and its red resin — sometimes called “dragon’s blood” — to embalm their most important dead.