La Recova, the Nuestra Señora de África market, is not only the first online marketplace in Tenerife, but also the first of its kind in the Canary Islands.
The municipality is launching the ‘Marketplace online’ platform, featuring smart pick-up lockers that allow ordered products to be collected 24 hours a day.
La Recova fully steps into the 21st century with a sales channel for fresh products via the internet, becoming the first covered market in the Canary Islands to offer an online shopping service. The digital platform is called ‘Marketplace online’ and required an investment of €1.7 million.
Smart pick-up lockers
This tool allows consumers to choose from over 400 products currently offered by fifteen shops housed in the Nuestra Señora de África market. The website is operational 24/7, and the range will be expanded as merchant training is completed. Customers can collect their orders from 18 smart pick-up lockers — ten of which are refrigerated — located in the market’s parking area. This parking is free for online shoppers from Monday to Friday between 07:00 and 21:00, and until 15:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.
A vibrant meeting place
This marketplace has long been one of the commercial hearts of Santa Cruz. This initiative represents its modernization, without losing the essence that so deeply characterizes it. The project stands for accessible commerce within this space, to which further improvements to the facilities will be added.
The market is adapting to new consumer habits to strengthen its competitiveness by making shopping faster and more convenient. In the near future, more shops will be added and the range of products further expanded.
La Recova, full name: Mercado Nuestra Señora de África. It is the central covered market of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and one of the most emblematic buildings of the city. It is not just a market, but a vibrant meeting place where tradition, gastronomy, and local culture come together.
History
The market was officially opened in 1944 and is named after the patron saint of the Canary Islands, Nuestra Señora de África. The architecture is inspired by colonial Andalusian and North African styles, which is immediately evident in the pink facades, courtyards, and the iconic clock tower.
Originally built to provide a central location for the trade of meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit, La Recova has evolved into a culinary hub where specialties such as Canarian cheeses, wines, and artisanal products are also sold.
Tradition
Over the years, the market has undergone several renovations, but it has always remained true to its original function: a place where local products go directly from producer to consumer, in a cozy, colorful atmosphere.
With more than 200 stalls and shops, La Recova is still an essential part of daily life in Santa Cruz. Local residents and tourists come to buy fresh products, eat tapas, or simply soak up the authentic atmosphere. The recent launch of an online marketplace with pick-up lockers marks a new chapter in its history, where tradition and innovation go hand in hand.
A visit to La Recova in Santa Cruz is therefore not just a shopping trip — it’s a cultural experience that immerses you in the heart of the Canarian lifestyle.
Photo@ElojodeSC © Photography
First online market in Tenerife ©
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