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The Carnival celebrations on Tenerife are said to be the best outside Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and New Orleans. This celebration gives the islanders another chance to let their hair down. Without religious meaning, and mainly a social event, this occasion allows locals to enjoy the parades, stalls and folk dancing.
The spirit to celebrate is well embraced at fiesta (festival) time. Fiestas are usually associated with the celebration of saints' days and religious dates. Don’t miss the fiesta of Corpus Christi, when islanders spend endless hours building dream carpets made of sand and flowers. Some of the most amazing decorations can be seen in the floral carpets at La Orotava and La Laguna. Fiestas can also appear as pilgrimages or agricultural parades, jointly with satirical songs known as 'murgas'.
The annual Mardi Gras Carnival at Santa Cruz is the second largest in the world. Almost impossible for countries with poorer weather, this spectacular event that involves all the people of Tenerife, happens in February - not to be missed if you like to have fun.
Each city has its own patron saint, what seems to add some truth to the Canarian joke of a fiesta happening somewhere in the islands every day. However, as the lifestyle is very outdoor and warm weather orientated, you can still find a high cultural presence in the way of Museums, Arts Galleries etc.
MAIN FESTIVALS
Carnivals: Celebrated during February, carnivals are the most important celebrations in all the districts of Tenerife particularly in the capital Santa Cruz.
Corpus Christi: (June) Carpets of flowers and volcanic earth in La Orotava and La Laguna.
Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria: (14/15 of August) Festival of patron saint of the island in Candelaria.
San Andrés: (29/30 of November) New wine tasting festival in Icod, La Orotava and Puerto de la Cruz.
CULTURAL EVENTS
Music Festival of the Canary Islands: (June) One of the most prestigious
European classical music festivals with the best performers and orchestrastaking part.
Opera Season: (October, November and December) Organised by the Tenerife association of Friends of the Opera (922 272535).
Sabandeño Festival: (September) Folklore Music Festival with Canary and Foreign groups in La Laguna during the festivities of Christ.
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SPORTS
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The superb all year climate makes Tenerife a favourite year-round venue foramateur and professional sporting types.
There's a whole range of sports, from diving to sailing, fishing to windsurfing, available on the island.
Deep-sea fishing – barracuda, tuna, shark, and sailfish are just some of the specimens that fishermen can find when practising deep-sea fishing. The major part of the resorts organises fully equipped fishing trips and the principal charter marina at Tenerife is located at Los Cristianos or Puerto Colón, both in Playa de las Américas.
Diving – this is an irresistible activity if one attends to the diving possibilities that Tenerife's clear waters offer. Of course it can't be compared to the scenery divers find in exotic diving destinations, but be aware of some encounters with rays, groupers, barracudas, turtles, tropical fishes and occasionally some sharks. On Tenerife you can dive and swim with some dolphins or even feed the rays.
Sailing – if you have sailing in your blood look for the sports marinas (puerto deportivo), local sailing clubs and federations. You can rent yachts or catamarans for day excursions or longer trips.
Water-skiing – there are many locations offering water-skiing, jet-ski and also some parascending facilities. On Tenerife, the place to go for this is Playa de las Américas.
Windsurfing – this is, almost for sure, one of the most popular sports practised off almost any reasonable beach. Doesn't matter where you are, you always seem to have enough breeze to head out with your board and sail.
Cycling – if you are trying to get away from the crowds and head for the hills, try the mountain bikes, available for rent in almost all resorts in Tenerife.
Hiking – away from the coast there are plenty surprising countryside landscapes to explore. If you are one of those who doesn't simply want to lounge around the beaches or hang out in bars, look for the 21 marked trails through the Parque Nacional de las Cañadas del Teide, or other areas as the Anaga mountain area in the north-east and around the Valle de la Orotava.Golf - the demanding Golf courses have hosted international 'Open's. There are not many options available, but the ones you have are rated at a good quality level. In Tenerife you will find three golf courses. The Real Club de Golf de Tenerife is just south of La Laguna and the other two clubs are located on the south coast near El Médano.
Carting – in Tenerife you have two places where you can go carting, the carting Canarias and the carting Club Las Américas. Tracks are different in speed, size and facilities and all have carts that range from child-sized to adult-sized.
Tennis – this sport is played to a very high standard at club level. Most of the larger hotels have tennis courts that are hired out to the public. The Hotel de Las Palmeras is a place where tuition and floodlit courts are available.
Canarian Wrestling (Lucha Canaria) – this is a spectator sport practised throughout the islands and is a popular tourist attraction. The basic objective of this sport is to throw the opponent to the ground, in teams usually composed by 12 wrestlers.
Besides offering very attractive sports, Tenerife also counts with a very large sports infrastructure and, as a tourist you also can choose from an extensive array of sports activities.
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MEDICAL CARE
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High quality medical care, both Private and National, is offered by a wide selection of Clinics and Hospitals. The Canarian's are very health conscious indeed.
The Canary Islands are not exactly a "paradise" for exotic diseases and the worst you can get is a hangover from too much partying. But be aware of the risks from sunburn, dehydration or insect bites.
Many people come to Tenerife for its famous therapeutic value, especially visitors coming from Europe's coldest weather looking for relief from bailments such as Arthritis and MS. Those with mobility problems should always check they have booked accommodation on the flatter parts of the island.
Medical insurance is strongly advised, even though EU citizens can obtain a refund of most medical costs by using form E111 (available from Health Offices in your country).
There are many English-speaking doctors and dentists. Your Hotel will always be able to recommend one. The local chemists (farmacia), recognisable by a green cross sign, will have just about anything you may require and there is always one open after hours in each area. The location of the 'duty' chemist is on every chemists' window.
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ELECTRICITY
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The current used in Tenerife and throughout the Canary islands is 220 Volts AC 50Hz and plugs have two round pins as found on the European continent.
Travellers from the USA will require a voltage converter, however the better hotels do have provision for 110 Volt appliances like shavers.
Travellers from the UK will require a plug adapter and this is best bought in the UK as they are hard to find in the Canaries.
Power cuts do happen occasionally, so bring a torch with you
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CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
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Fiestas, animation, sports and loads and loads of fun! Here are some of the words you can find on the tradition of Tinerfeños (people from Tenerife). In the sports area, two of the most famous are the Canarian wrestling (lucha canaria) and the game of the stick.
The Canarian wrestling is the living testimony of the sport practised by Tenerife's aborigines during their feasts. Nowadays, this sport continues to please the general public and its followers. This sport is practised in a special practising field, called "terrero", a place present in almost all the villages of the island. The players show their power and dexterity by trying to throw each other onto the ground with spectacular movements. It is only permitted to lean on the feet, since touching the arena with any other part of the body means losing the "agarrada" or the point. Some say it is similar to Sumo wrestling.
The game of the stick, as its name indicates, is a sort of fencing with long sticks, common in many primitive societies who dedicate themselves to shepherding.
But there are other typical events not related to sports. The most important are the "romerias" (country feasts), and Tenerife's Carnival.
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TIME AND WATER
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The Canary islands operate on the 24-hour clock which can be quite confusing for those who are accustomed to 'am' & 'pm'.
Tenerife and its neighbouring islands maintain Greenwich Mean Time (GMT/UTC) during the winter, which is identical with the UK but one hour behind most European countries and mainland Spain. In March the clocks are put forward one hour for daylight saving time. Clocks are put back one hour on the last Sunday in October.
Tap water is safe to drink but not recommended for its taste. The locals almost all invariably drink bottled water. Water from public spouts and fountains should not be drunk unless there is a sign saying 'Aqua Potable'. You will often see signs saying 'Aqua Non Potable', 'Water Not Drinkable'
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GETTING AROUND
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Car Hire: One of the best ways to discover the island is to rent a car, driving around and finding your favourite places. As with most things on Tenerife, car hire is a very competitive market. There are many car rental companies and they all seem to offer more or less the same. If you book in advance by fax to the company or through your tour operator you can be sure that you'll get what you want. Internet offers tend to be the best priced. To rent a car you will need a valid driving license (of course!), passport, and you have to be at least 21 years old. Make sure that the price you pay includes mileage and insurance.
Two wheel rides: Several companies offer bicycle hire (mountain bike hire), moped hire, scooter hire and motorcycle hire. The powered machines usually range from 90cc moped/scooters to larger motorcycles such as the Kawasaki Tengai 650. Prices vary depending on the number of days you hire the bike, but start at around 2,800 PTAs per day for scooter hire. The more days you hire a bike for the lower the price will get. You have to wear a crash helmet that you can hire at the same time as you hire your bike. For hiring bikes you have to be at least 18 years.
Taxi: On Tenerife most taxi drivers are honest and give good service, but watch out for some of them. They might take advantage of you, especially those that take you from the airport to your resort.
Taxis are recognisable by a green light in the windscreen or on a white roof and an official plate with the letters SP (servicio público – public service). For short trips inside the tourist areas many drivers wont bother to put their meters on, but we believe you will rarely be cheated. The main taxi ranks display fixed prices between most popular destinations. Taxis can also be hired for sightseeing. Just stop any good-looking taxi and ask what they offer. Most offer pre-planned itineraries covering the main island sights for around 13 000 pesetas for a half a day tour.
When taxi drivers turn the meter on, you pay 150 pesetas for the flag fall and after that you will pay 50 pesetas per km. If you choose to travel between 10 pm. and 6 am., on Sundays or holidays and for each piece of luggage carried you will pay a surcharge of 55 pesetas.
Bus Travel: If you plan to get around by bus (guagua in the Tenerife language), you can pick up a timetable from a bus station, shops, or perhaps from your hotel.
The bus service on the island is quite good but time consuming. If you are more than one person or plan to visit several places it will be better, and most likely cheaper, to rent a car.
Buy the "Bus Card", as it is a lot cheaper to pay for the fare with it than by cash, (cost 2000 pesetas). It can be used to pay for any number of journeys but only for a single passenger until the credit has been exhausted. If there is insufficient credit available for the final journey then the balance must be paid in cash. Typical fares range from 240 pesetas for the trip from Los Cristianos to Reina Sofia Airport to 2.340 pesetas for the journey from Los Cristianos to Puerto de La Cruz. The public bus company, TITSA, operates services throughout the island and offers outstanding value for money.
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The Tenerife economy is based on the tourism industry. With one of the best climates par excellence, the island attracts around 3 million tourists every year. Besides that, at a much lower level, Canarians live from the banana industry, other agricultural exports and recent emerging service industries. Agriculture has long been the economic mainstay of the Canaries. Wine from vines grown on un-irrigated slopes formed the staple product until 1853. In that year a grape disease caused by phylloxera (a plant louse) attacked the vineyards, and viticulture was soon largely replaced by cochineal production. The cochineal industry declined (owing to competition from synthetic dyes) in the late 19th century and was replaced by the cultivation of bananas, tomatoes, potatoes and other vegetables and fruits. Bananas, which are still the Canaries' leading crop, are protected in the Spanish market against foreign competition. Tomatoes are grown between November and April for export and the cultivation of flowers and plants is a new industry. Cereal grains must largely be imported.
The tourist industry in the Canaries grew rapidly after 1950, with an accompanying increase in the number of hotels and government-run inns. Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife are the main ports of call during the peak tourist season, which falls between December and March.
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