Museum of Nature and Archaeology — Attraction in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

The Museum of Nature and Archaeology in Tenerife (Museo de la Naturaleza y Arqueología, MUNA) left an unforgettable impression on our family and turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. This museum skillfully combines themes of natural science and history, offering fascinating exhibitions and educational experiences suitable for both children and adults.

The natural science section was particularly captivating. We had the opportunity to see an excellent collection of exotic butterflies, rare insect species, and diverse plant life that one might not usually encounter. We were amazed at how many new species we discovered and learned about. The exhibits were highly informative, visually appealing, and interactive, which helped even the younger members of our family stay engaged.

In addition to nature, the museum offered a unique insight into Tenerife's history and culture. The life and heritage of the Guanches, the island's indigenous people, were presented in great detail and with captivating storytelling. The exhibitions illustrated their way of life, traditions, and adaptation to the island's unique environment. This gave us a deeper understanding of the rich and profound history of Tenerife.

The entire museum visit was highly enjoyable thanks to well-organized exhibits, friendly staff, and modern infrastructure. The spacious halls, carefully curated displays, and multimedia installations created an environment where it was easy to learn and explore.

We highly recommend the Museum of Nature and Archaeology in Tenerife to anyone looking for more than just tourist attractions. It is an excellent place for nature and history enthusiasts as well as those seeking something new and inspiring during their trip. For our family, this visit was educational, relaxing, and...

Overwhelming and not a great visit…I didn’t have a great start - the chap at reception asked if I was a local or tourist so I replied tourist and he appeared to wave me away so I assumed I was at the wrong entrance. I went outside rather confused, came back in and said in Spanish that I didn’t understand and he just said that I walked off - anyway he then said I needed to pay €5. I then realised that he had actually waved me towards the board with the prices initially, but it was all rather unfortunate, confusing and not a single smile.

The first rooms are all dark with animations about the history and nature of the Canaries with English explanations as well, but I’m not very keen on dark rooms. It was reasonably well done though.

After this I realised how big the museum was and found it overwhelming especially as there was no English translation for anything and a lot of text to read . Even though I can pretty much understand a lot of Spanish written down, it was just too exhausting and I found there was too much to see. I tried focusing mainly on the Canarian exhibits because the general wildlife I can see at home. You can download an audio guide on your phone but apparently it is very basic and I use my phone quite enough as it is.!

Overall, I was a bit disappointed, but it might just have been my mood - it has though increased my interest learning about all...

If you're only in Tenerife for vacation, don't go there. Even if you have seen everything, it still feels like a waste of time. Besides, the majority of the information there is displayed only in Spanish even if it seems that only the tourists visit it.

The museum feels forgotten and outdated, full of light-bleached pictures, old non-working TVs and walls of text. Moreover, in places the text has low contrast which makes it hard to read.

The building has 3 floors. We spend around 2 hours there and saw most of the expositions. There is very little interactivity so going through the museum can feel quite boring and tedious. It's a shame because there are many interesting expositions that with a little update and more cohesive layout could make this museum a lot more enjoyable.

Only time to go there is from 4 PM on Fridays and Saturdays when the visits are FREE. Don't try going earlier because they'll make you wait...