Following pick-up in the south of Tenerife, journey north-east to the island's capital city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, founded in 1494 by the conquistador Javier Alonso Luis Fernández de Lugo. Spend half a day exploring its main monuments and highlights and learning its history. Between 1833 and 1927, Santa Cruz de Tenerife was the sole capital of the Canary Islands, a role it now jointly holds with Las Palmas in Gran Canaria. Its port is one of the busiest in the Atlantic, connecting Europe, Africa and America. Discover why the British newspaper "The Guardian" called Santa Cruz de Tenerife the 5th best city in the world to live. Explore the commercial streets of the Zona Centro, including Calle del Castillo, Calle San José and Calle Viera y Clavijo. Go to the popular Zona Rambla of the Rambla de Pulido and Calle Ramón y Cajal.  See the stunning opera house of the Auditorio de Tenerife, designed by the controversial architect Santiago Calatrava and completed in 2003. Home to the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra (Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife), the building is located to the north-east of Parque Marítimo (Marine Park) and looks out on to the Atlantic Ocean. Discover the artificial lake, fountain and pavilions of cafes, restaurants, shops and bars in Plaza de España, the city's largest square. See the home of the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife, the island's governing body. The square is also the site of the Tenerife Carnival, held each February and considered the 2nd most important in the world after Rio de Janeiro.  Look at the main temple of the city at the Iglesia-Parroquia Matriz de Nuestra Señora de La Concepción (Church of the Conception), built as an homage to Saint James in a Baroque-Canarian style above the foundations of the first chapel of the conquerors. Among its possessions is a Holy Cross that is carried during the annual procession on May 3 to commemorate the day the city was founded.