PURPOSE-built in 1903 and set in a sub-tropical garden, the English Library in Puerto de la Cruz is home to over 30,000 fiction and non-fiction titles. At one time believed to be the world´s largest English-language library in a non English-speaking country, it provides a valuable meeting place for British ex-pats, residents and visitors alike.
It has an advantage over many public libraries in that it does not have to conform to pre-conceived ideas of what to hold on its shelves. For example, you will find that most of the fiction titles are in paperback format, the main reason being that they are easier to handle than the heavier, hardback alternative.
Our library can keep books far longer than limited space would otherwise allow – you will even find a few titles dating back to its conception in the early 1900s. The main reason for discarding any of our books is their deteriorating condition rather than how often they are borrowed.
Though the internet is now recognised as an important source for research, you will nevertheless still find many specialist-subject volumes on the shelves. We have an impressive selection of art, architecture, biography, drama, poetry and over 40 other specialist subjects, including a whole wall dedicated to the classics.
