Study in Puerto de la Cruz, Spain

About Puerto de la Cruz

Puerto de la Cruz is a coastal town in the north of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, with 31,137 registered residents on 1 January 2025, according to the municipal population figures of Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE). Bus lines connect it with Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the island's capital, and with both of Tenerife's airports.

For students, Puerto de la Cruz is a small place with a clear profile: business and tourism studies with an international outlook, an official language school that also teaches Spanish to foreigners, and schools for local and international families. Students who want a university city nearby can reach Santa Cruz de Tenerife and La Laguna by bus.

Studying in Puerto de la Cruz

Our directory lists 4 active schools in Puerto de la Cruz: one higher-education centre, one official language school and two secondary schools.

• Iriarte Centro Universitario describes itself as an official international university centre specialised in business management, with 30 years of experience. It offers three-year bachelor's programmes in business administration (ADE), marketing and advertising, tourism and business creation, two-year higher vocational cycles (ciclos superiores) in event management, tourist guiding and marketing and advertising, and European master's programmes in classroom, blended and distance formats. All programmes include work placements from the first year. Iriarte has Erasmus partners at more than 70 universities in 26 countries and students from more than 26 countries.
• Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Puerto de la Cruz is a public official language school in the Polígono del Tejar, in the building of the IES Agustín de Betancourt. It teaches English, German and Spanish, runs placement and certification exams, and offers conversation courses in 2026-27. For foreign residents, its Spanish department is a route to an official certificate of their level.
• IES Puerto de la Cruz – Telesforo Bravo is a public secondary school with ESO, bachillerato and vocational training (FP), and it takes part in Erasmus+ projects, including in higher education.
• British School of Tenerife follows the British curriculum: pupils take the IGCSE examinations at 14 to 16 and prepare for A Levels in the Sixth Form. The school reports more than 500 students of more than 30 nationalities.

Cost of living for students

Bus travel on Tenerife is inexpensive for residents. On TITSA, the island's bus company, the Abono joven costs €15 a month for residents of the Canary Islands under 30, and the Bono residente canario costs €19 a month; both cover all bus and tram lines except the Teide and Teno lines. Visitors pay per trip, either with a single ticket or with the rechargeable Título Monedero, charged by distance.

For housing, Iriarte has several partner apartments in Puerto de la Cruz for incoming students and helps them look for single or shared rented flats. Its 2026-27 autumn semester starts with a welcome day on 4 and 7 September. We have not found an official source with current rent levels, so we give no figure. At the British School of Tenerife, tuition for 2026-27 ranges from €4,000 a year in Playgroup to €6,170 in Years 12-13, plus a registration fee of €412.

Getting around and daily life

TITSA line 102 links Santa Cruz de Tenerife with Puerto de la Cruz via the motorway, about 40 minutes from Santa Cruz according to Iriarte, with buses every 15 to 20 minutes on weekdays. Line 343 runs from Puerto de la Cruz to Costa Adeje by way of Tenerife's North and South airports.

The climate is mild all year. AEMET has no climate normals station in Puerto de la Cruz; on the coast at Santa Cruz de Tenerife (normals for 1981-2010), the average temperature is 18.2 °C in January and 25.0 °C in July. Inland and higher up, at Tenerife North airport (632 m), it is cooler: 13.1 °C in January and 20.2 °C in July.

Frequently asked questions

Is it possible to learn Spanish in Puerto de la Cruz?

Yes. The Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Puerto de la Cruz, a public language school, teaches Spanish alongside English and German and runs certification exams.

What can students study at Iriarte?

Business and tourism: three-year bachelor's programmes in business administration, marketing, tourism and business creation, two-year higher vocational cycles and European master's programmes, all with work placements.

How much does the bus cost for a student in Tenerife?

Residents of the Canary Islands under 30 can use TITSA's Abono joven for €15 a month on all bus and tram lines except the Teide and Teno lines.

How do you get from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Puerto de la Cruz?

TITSA bus line 102 runs between the Santa Cruz bus station and Puerto de la Cruz in about 40 minutes.