Holidays Spain

GUIDE TO TENERIFE VIVA LA FIESTA ALL YEAR ROUND

Jan 7th – Feb 14th: Canary Islands Music Festival – Santa Cruz

Tenerife is hosting the 27th Canary Islands’ Music Festival in 2011. An annual event which brings the best musicians and orchestras in the world to the island and a gathering of hundreds of classical music
lovers.

Concert performances are of the highest order and in past years have featured established names such as Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti, Carlo Maria Giulini, Daniel Barenboim, Sir Colin Davis, John Eliot
Gardiner, Frans Bruggen and Andre Previn. February 1st -27th: Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Tenerife’s carnival is considered the best after Rio de Janeiro. All the islanders take part in fiesta revelry, but the port area of Santa Cruz is where most of the action is - bursting with salsa dancing, music and carnival processions for twenty seven days. The first spectacle of the week is the Gala Reina, an exotic Carnival Queens Parade of feathers, sequins and satin. The most impressive parade is the
Cavalcade that blends “Caribbean” and “European” into a garland of colour and spectacle. Plan ahead and get tickets early, and be prepared to stay up late! The ‘Mogollones’ (open-air carnival parties) feature live entertainment and Latin and salsa music. With tens of thousands of attendees, it’s certainly a party to remember!

June: Corpus Christi – La Orotava
Corpus Christi is marked in La Orotava (north of the island) by carpeting its main streets with intricate designs made from flowers, salt and sand. The most spectacular pavement art is in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. Music, dancing and general merriment complete the celebrations.

August 14th-15th: Nuestra Señora de La
Candelaria Festival - Candelaria
The Festival of ‘Patron Saint of the Island’ is held in Candelaria. The ornate 1950s Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Candelaria sits at the edge of the town centre, overlooking a rocky beach and flanked by a
plaza where nine huge statues of Guanche warriors stand guard.

November 30th: Fiesta of San Andrés - Puerto de la Cruz.
For wine enthusiasts this is a festival not to be missed, as it marks the day when all the wine cellars throw open their doors for a tasting of the new wines.

St Andres feast day falls in line with the year’s wine harvest and is a more practical explanation for the tradition of ‘Arrastre los Cacharros’ - rolling barrels down to the sea to wash them. Once the ‘must’ or fermented grape juice has rested in the barrels for ten days, the wine is transferred to clean barrels and the dirty ones are rolled down to the harbour to be washed. The sound of the metal rims of the barrels against the cobbles marks an audible signal that the new wines are ready and the feasting can begin.

Know your Cocktails
Tenerife’s close cultural connections to Central and South America make rum-based cocktails a favourite amongst the Latinos, particularly in the north of the island where Cuban bars and fiesta kiosks like to infuse their alcohol with sugar and salsa.

Mojito (moh-HEE-toe) – mint and rum based cocktail
Caipirinha (kie-purr-REEN-yah) – lime and rum based cocktail
Mistela - a potent mix of wine, sugar, rum and occasionally honey
Mai Tai- a dark rum cocktail with pineapple, orange and triplesec

GUIDE TO TENERIFE WHERE TO STAY

Iberostar Hotel Anthelia, Costa Adeje Located between the two main beaches of Costa Adeje, the Iberostar Hotel Anthelia is in a privileged location taking in panoramic ocean views. The six small buildings are set amid 60,000 square metres of landscaped gardens and provide a sense of privacy. A dedicated family area boasts enviable facilities with a children’s club and dedicated activity programme. Iberostar Grand Hotel El Mirador, Costa Adeje Opposite the glorious sands of the Playa del Duque beach, the Iberostar Grand Hotel El Mirador is designed to reflect a traditional village, with warm pastel façades, green palms and winding pathways that lead down to the vast lagoon.

Abama Golf & Spa Resort, Guia de Isora
Situated on a cliff-top with splendid sea views, the luxurious Abama Golf & Spa Resort offers an idyllic setting close to the village of Playa San Juan. The area boasts some of the best preserved flora and
fauna on the island, with gardens, lakes and waterfalls surrounding Moorish-style architecture. A pick of some of the most luxurious hotels... Canary Island cuisine originates from a mix of traditional Spanish with African and Latin American influences. The usual international dishes are available, but to experience local cuisine opt for the following dishes:
Vegetable dishes
Gofio - a flour made from toasted cereals, often a substitute for bread.
Papas Arrugadas (wrinkled potatoes) - potatoes boiled and salted with their skin and covered in a pepper sauce called mojo. (olive based sauce), traditionally the mojo picón (spicy sauce) and the
mojo verde (green sauce)
Potaje de Berros - a hot pot of chickpeas
Potaje de Verduras - vegetable stew
Potaje de Berros - watercress stew

EAT LOCAL
Gran Hotel Bahia del Duque, Costa Adeje Inspired by a traditional Canarian village, the Gran Hotel Bahia del Duque features hacienda-style architecture in soft pastel colours. The hotel is surrounded by exotic gardens and pools, which lead down to the beautiful beach of del Duque.

Gran Hotel Roca Nivaria
Situated in the tranquil area of Playa Paraíso, the Gran Hotel Roca Nivaria has breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and La Gomera. The spectacular lagoon-style pools are surrounded by tropical palms
and a cascading waterfall.

Extinct Volcanoes 4
Declared a national park in 1954, the Parque Nacional de las Cañadas del Teide (Teide National Park) has an enormous volcanic crater 48 kilometres in circumference. Out of this rises Mount Teide pronounced
the same as Lady) at a staggering 3,718 metres, making it the highest mountain in Spain. Reach the extinct volcano by foot or cable car for breathtaking views of Gran Canaria, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro.
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