Secret Tenerife

Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

2012-01-22T08:31:00.001Z

Martinez new director for housing, land and architecture. – Tenerife Property

Pilar Martínez is the new Director of Architecture, Housing and Land for the national government in Madrid. She takes over a tricky post from Beatriz Corredor, the former Secretary of State for Housing under the Socialist Government. Her office i...

tags: tenerife
Woman in hospital after falling into Los Cristianos harbour from ferry | Janet Anscombe

A 60-year-old woman is in hospital tonight after falling into the sea from a ferry in Los Cristianos harbour at 8pm this evening. The woman was travelling on the Volcán de Taburiente ferry when, for reasons which are still unexplained, she fell ov...

tags: tenerife
Tenerife Dogs: A Happy Tail video of a Dog from Accion-del-sol

A rescue dog 'Kodie' from Accion-del-sol who found a loving home with the help of Dominque Doring

tags: tenerife
Ten Things About Los Cristianos | therealtenerife.com

With fishing village roots, Los Cristianos still has a Canarian heart. It feels like a town and not purpose built. And it tries very hard to be a 'barrier free paradise' by making its attractions accessible to everyone.

tags: tenerife
Arona: Tenerife’s First Romeria of the Year « Tenerife Holidays Blog

Famously billed in the Canary Islands as “The First Romeria of the Year,” the feast day of San Antonio Abad on January 17th is celebrated in several villages in Tenerife, including Santiago del Teide and Arona village.

tags: tenerife
“Goodbye Street”, Tijarafe | La Palma Island

This is the street in Tijarafe which leads from the church to the Town Hall, where the cemetery used to be. Consequently it has the eloquent and poignant name, “Goodbye Street” (Calle Adios) This stuck in the mind of a … Continue reading →

tags: tenerife
My Travel ABCs | Islandmomma

Thank you, Cathy of www.travelingwithsweeney.com for nominating me for this meander back to journeys past, and I have to say what a very pleasant experience it’s been. The older you get, the more memories, obviously, some clouded by time and yet...

tags: tenerife
Tee off this spring at the Tenerife Golf Trophy 2012

"Tenerife is to host the Tenerife Golf Trophy 2012, a friendly tournament aimed at amateur golf players, from 21st to 28th April 2012. Organised by the Association of Golf Courses in Tenerife, the event is expected to gather golfers from all corners of Europe on the island of Tenerife."

tags: tenerife
The Boxing Day Banana Walk | Walking Tenerife

Boxing Day dawned like high summer, and having spent the morning working, the bright sunshine got the better of me and I abandoned Jack and the pc to head off into the banana plantations.

tags: tenerife
Cheaper homes in Spain – Tenerife Property

The average price of a Spanish home fell by 8% in 2011, with further price falls anticipated in 2012, research shows. The Tinsa House Price Index, considered to be Spain’s most reliable residential property price index, reveals that average home p...

tags: tenerife
Loro Parque announces arrival of pair of white Bengal tiger cubs | Janet Anscombe

Loro Parque has two rather special new inhabitants – white Bengal tiger cubs. The cubs, a male and female called Yangyu and Linmao, are just a year old and have come from the Guangzhou Panyu Xiangjiang Safari Park in China. They can already be see...

tags: tenerife
Tenerife Dogs: The wind is blowing in my fur

Here's a photo of me today, watching the windsurfing and kitesurfing in El Medano. It wasn't easy as the wind kept blowing fur in my eyes.

tags: tenerife
Three hurt in San Eugenio Alto bar knife attack | Janet Anscombe

A man and two women have received knife injuries after a fight in a bar in Calle Italia, in the San Eugenio Alto area. This is the road between the aquapark and Malibu Park apartments. Emergency services were called shortly after 10.30 last night ...

tags: tenerife
Property prices decreased by 4% in Spain last year – Tenerife Property

Prices for property in Spain decreased by four per cent last year, according to a new report. Figures from Sociedad de Tasacion show the average cost of a new dwelling stood at €213,840 (£177,169) in 2011, with 81,000 properties being built during...

tags: tenerife
Santiago del Teide’s 2012 Almond Blossom Route on 28 January | Janet Anscombe

Update 16 January 2012: It’s the time of year again, when the almond blossom is beautiful and aromatic … and when the annual Almond Blossom Route takes place. 2012’s walk is on 28 January, and this year will give a choice of two routes. The first ...

tags: tenerife
Wines of the Canary Islands — Review - NYTimes.com

"... of all the world’s wine regions well off the beaten path, none is farther removed than the Canary Islands. "

tags: tenerife
The Complete Guide to Farmers' Markets on Tenerife | therealtenerife.com

Wherever you are on Tenerife there's a good chance that there's a decent market not too far away and they're always worth a nosey. Here's Real Tenerife's complete (almost) guide to farmers' and agricultural markets on Tenerife.

tags: tenerife
I Live In Spain, Where Do You Live? « Living beneath the volcano

Here's a question that had me reeling, aghast, bemused and plain amazed. Why would an English language magazine publish something that was a Spanish tradition?

tags: tenerife
Tenerife Dogs: My First Agility Class

Went to my first agility class yesterday with my mate Sammy and Nikki's pal Dominique Doring (Dog Trainer). The agility class is held next to a banana plantation in the San Eugenio area, see here for directions click. In The first class, Clare ou...

tags: tenerife
Weather Forecast for Tenerife from 16th January to 22nd January | Walking Tenerife

On Sunday night the Spanish Met Office predicted a rainy week for Tenerife...this morning it's sunshine and smiles. We're not so sure. It was around this time...

tags: tenerife
The Watermelon Restaurant « Tenerife Holidays Blog

Entering the Watermelon restaurant in San Telmo, Los Cristianos late evening, couples and families were dining among the lush green plants that give the terrace a cosy intimate feel. Later as the last hour of the day kicked in, the comfy lounge ch...

tags: tenerife
Christmas at Casa Montgomery « Living beneath the volcano

We are always, always late putting up our Christmas decorations. This year was no different except that this year we toddled off to Portugal shortly after Christmas Day...

tags: tenerife
Walking Amongst Volcanoes | Islandmomma

When a Winter day in the Canary Islands is good, it is nothing short of dazzling. The air is so unbelievably crystal-clear and the colors so vibrant that you might be excused for thinking you’re on the set of some technicolor movie. We had a day ...

tags: tenerife
Secret Tenerife: Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

Man dies in attempt to reach Teide peak | Janet Anscombe A 57-year-old man died of a heart attack around 9.30 this morning in an attempt to walk to the peak of Mount Teide. The tragedy happened on the path up to the summit in the Montaña Blanca...

tags: tenerife

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

2012-01-15T08:31:00.001Z

Man dies in attempt to reach Teide peak | Janet Anscombe
A 57-year-old man died of a heart attack around 9.30 this morning in an attempt to walk to the peak of Mount Teide. The tragedy happened on the path up to the summit in the Montaña Blanca area. Emergency services were called out and a helicopter a...
tags: tenerife
British emigrants in Spain receiving sickness benefits – Tenerife Property
El Médano beaches invaded by jellyfish | Janet Anscombe
Blessing animals in Fuencaliente | La Palma Island
Tenerife Dogs: How I was rescued from the mean streets of Granadillia
Spanish banks prepared to lend over 100% on repossessed properties – Tenerife Property
Holdup in Los Cristianos supermarket | Janet Anscombe
Volcanic eruptions subsiding off Canary Islands
"Undersea volcanic eruptions off the Spanish Canary Island of El Hierro appear to be subsiding, three months after they began, an expert said Tuesday."
tags: tenerife
Shop As The Prices Drop In Tenerife Sales Season « Tenerife Holidays Blog
Fitch ratings property prediction for Spain – Tenerife Property
Spain reclaims property crown – Tenerife Property
Tenerife Dogs: Star - South Tenerife Agility Ring open day
What is Tenerife Like in January? « Tenerife Holidays Blog
Three quarters of Santa Cruz sewage pumped straight into sea near auditorium | Janet Anscombe
Weather Forecast for Tenerife from 9th January to 15th January | Walking Tenerife
Water Mines on La Palma | La Palma Island
Secret Tenerife: Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

2012-01-08T08:31:00.001Z

Tenerife Dogs: Two female doggies need loving homes
Another lucky escape after near drowning at La Pinta beach | Janet Anscombe
Amazing escape with just grazes for passengers of car that fell from bridge onto TF1
Why I Don’t Believe in The Three Kings Anymore | Islandmomma's New Life
Man dies after collapsing in Playa Fañabe area | Janet Anscombe
Second increase in CGT for non resident property owners in Spain – Tenerife Property
The Three Kings on La Palma | La Palma Island
A Sunrise Worth Getting Up Early For | Islandmomma's New Life
Tenerife Dogs: Taking Pets to the UK
An Easy Recipe for Traditional Spanish Holiday Bread: Roscón de Reyes
"Roscón de Reyes, a ring-shaped loaf of slightly sweet bread, is traditionally eaten in Spain on King's day, January 6th, and the night before"
tags: food recipes cosmos tenerife
Spectacular Photos: 1st Meteor Shower of 2012 Wows Skywatchers
"Veterinary surgeon Roberto Porto photographed the meteor shower from the island of Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands. The view, he said, was stupendous. "
tags: tenerife
Sus Majestades Los Reyes Magos in parades throughout Tenerife for Kings’ Eve 5 January | Janet Anscombe
Search continues for missing British woman in Lanzarote
"Her concerned family got in touch with the Spanish Civil Guard when she did not contact them over Christmas, but a large-scale rescue operation involving helicopters and dogs has failed to find any trace of the keen walker and hiker, who is feared to have fallen. "
tags: tenerife
2011: A Mixed Bag: Posts-That-Never-Were | Islandmomma's New Life
Finnish student who went berserk on plane can’t fly home
"Mr Lindroos appeared before Cork District Court yesterday in relation to the diversion of a Thomas Cook charter flight from Tenerife originally bound for Finland."
tags: tenerife
Spain Remains Top Destination For Britons
"Some of the most searched-for Spanish locations include Malaga, Alicante, Tenerife and Palma de Mallorca, along with Barcelona and Ibiza."
tags: tenerife
Where to Find the Best of the Sunshine on Tenerife « Tenerife Holidays Blog
29 passengers on cruise from London to Tenerife hit with vomiting bug
tags: tenerife
Spain's Sinde Law against File Sharing
"The passing of the Sinde Law was influenced by the United States after Spain’s decade-long liberal stance on file sharing. According to WikiLeaks, the US Government drafted the law on behalf of the Spanish Government"
tags: spain tenerife
A Closer Look at the Hotel Las Águilas in Puerto de la Cruz « Tenerife Holidays Blog
Tenerife Dogs: This doggie from K9 needs a home
Tenerife Dogs: Gizmo's New Years Resolutions
Las Restingolitas on display in Tenerife | Janet Anscombe
Secret Tenerife: Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

2012-01-01T08:31:00.001Z

Tenerife Dogs: Fireworks and New Years Eve
Holy Innocents’ Day | La Palma Island
Churros con Chocolate, the Perfect After-Party Breakfast
"Happy New Year! When the party winds down, try a Spanish custom - have a hot chocolate with churros. "
tags: tenerife
Five Fabulous Winter Views of Mount Teide « Tenerife Holidays Blog
Tenerife Dogs: Morning digging session with my furry amigos
Spanish-Style New Year's Eve or Noche Vieja
"New Year's Eve is called Noche Vieja in Spain and it's a big night for parties, bar-hopping, dancing and fireworks! Many bottles of Spanish cava, Spanish sparkling wine are drunk accompanied by lots of tapas and sweets like turron."
tags: tenerife
UK to relax pet quarantine rules
"The requirement for a blood test after a rabies vaccination to prove it has been successful will be dropped for those travelling within the EU, although both they and travellers bringing pets back from other countries with "robust" veterinary systems such as the US and Australia will still have to wait 21 days after vaccination before departure."
tags: cosmos uk tenerife
2011 Postcards to Myself | Islandmomma
Tenerife Dogs: New Agility Courses in the South - Open Day 8th of January
British walker missing in Lanzarote | Janet Anscombe
Wish You Were Here? Then Visit The Real Tenerife #2 | therealtenerife.com
Spain’s minimum wage announcements | Janet Anscombe
Tenerife Dogs: Christmas Day
Where to Find the Best Fish & Seafood Restaurants on Tenerife « Tenerife Holidays Blog
Tenerife Restaurant Review, Jai Mata Di | therealtenerife.com
Weather Forecast for Tenerife from 26th December to 1st January | Walking Tenerife
My Favourite Places on Tenerife during 2011 « Tenerife Holidays Blog
My Big Fat Gypsy Family Christmas: Paddy Doherty joins 1,000 relatives on Tenerife break
"The former bare-knuckle fighter has been joined by more than a THOUSAND family and friends who have booked out THREE hotels on the Canary isle. " There goes the neighbourhood!
tags: tenerife
Secret Tenerife: Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

2011-12-25T08:31:00.001Z

Merry Christmas from La Palma | La Palma Island
Tenerife Dogs: Feliz Navidad - Merry Christmas
Jet2.com adds capacity to Tenerife
"Leisure airline Jet2.com is set to make the most popular island in the Canaries even more accessible to the British market by offering a 15.7% seat increase to Tenerife in 2012. "
tags: tenerife
Juzcar happy to be left Smurf blue – Tenerife Property
A Tenerife Beach which isn’t in the Brochures | Islandmomma
New Year’s Eve Parties on Tenerife « Tenerife Holidays Blog
Tenerife Dogs: Beam of light Shines on Soldier's Dog
Christmas Carols on La Palma | La Palma Island
Tenerife tops festive getaway destinations (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
"Bosses at Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) say Tenerife is the most popular place as holidaymakers go in search of sun this festive season. "
Hotel Las Águilas, Dispelling Myths in Puerto de la Cruz « Living beneath the volcano
News: Foreign residents account for 24.7% rise in Spanish property sales in Q3 | Global Property Guide
Foreign residents account for 24.7% rise in Spanish property sales in Q3
"This figure takes into account all foreigners who live and reside in Spain while further statistics show that the provinces with the greater number of purchases by foreign residents were Alicante (2097), Malaga (951), Barcelona (607), Balearics (516) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (476)."
tags: tenerife
Spain remains top retirement hotspot – Tenerife Property
Autumn in London’s Kew Gardens: An Unexpected Treat | Islandmomma
Tenerife Dogs: If Only..!
A Closer Look at the Hotel Noelia Playa in Puerto de la Cruz « Tenerife Holidays Blog
Tenerife Dogs: Regular column in Island Connections
20 year old man dies in Playa de las Américas after fall from balcony into pool area | Janet Anscombe
Lowest level of quarterly sales since crisis began but Canary Islands buck the trend – Tenerife Property
More Tips about Driving on Tenerife « Tenerife Holidays Blog
Weather Forecast for Tenerife from 19th to 25th December | Walking Tenerife
Tenerife Dogs: Accion-del-sol and Tenerife's Association for disabled people

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Flor de Pascua

2011-12-01T06:01:00.000Z

The Flor de Pascua, or poinsettia, is an essential part of Christmas in the Canary Islands and they grow wild, mostly on the northern slopes of the island. This particular specimen was captured at the Castle Museum Park in Los Realejos.

To download a copy of this image to use as desktop wallpaper, learn more about this and other fiestas upcoming in Tenerife in December, as well as seeing the weather averages for the coming month, see our page about Tenerife in December.

Tenerife Calendar for December 2011

2011-12-01T03:58:00.000Z

Download and print this free calendar for December 2011, featuring one of our exclusive images from Tenerife.

Click here to download your December calendar (opens in new window).

To learn more about the image used on this month's calendar and to download the matching desktop wallpaper, see our page about Tenerife in December.

There you’ll also be able to read about the average weather conditions in Tenerife in December and what regular events take place on the island during the month.

To stay up to date with all the news and events in Tenerife in 2012, if you haven’t already, please subscribe to our RSS feed or Email updates.

Get a real Tenerife calendar … featuring 12 of our exclusive images of the island, one for each month, printed on thick 100lb cover weight paper high gloss paper, wire-o bound. More …

Saintly Roofline

2011-11-01T06:04:00.000Z

For All Saints Day, a view of the bell tower of the church of Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles, and the roofline of the adjoining, former convent of San Francisco.

November 1st is a Public Holiday for Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints Day), when it’s customary to visit the tombs of one’s departed, clean up and replace the flowers, which makes it the florists’ busiest day of the year.

To download a copy of this image to use as desktop wallpaper, learn more about this and other fiestas upcoming in Tenerife in November, as well as seeing the weather averages for the coming month, see our page about Tenerife in November.

Tenerife Calendar for November 2011

2011-11-01T01:06:00.000Z

Download and print this free calendar for November 2011, featuring one of our exclusive images from Tenerife.

Click here to download your November calendar (opens in new window).

To learn more about the image used on this month's calendar and to download the matching desktop wallpaper, see our page about Tenerife in November.

There you’ll also be able to read about the average weather conditions in Tenerife in November and what regular events take place on the island during the month.

We’ll be publishing another calendar page on the first of next month. To ensure you get your copy, please subscribe to our RSS feed or Email updates.

Get a real Tenerife calendar … featuring 12 of our exclusive images of the island, one for each month, printed on thick 100lb cover weight paper high gloss paper, wire-o bound. More …

Buenavista Song Contest

2011-10-29T11:52:00.001+01:00

The northern Tenerife town of Buenavista del Norte is, once more, in the midst of it’s main annual fiestas, the Fiestas de los Remedios. The highlight of tonight’s entertainments, from 9.30 pm in the square alongside the church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, is the Festival de la Canción (Song Contest). This video (above) from last year’s edition – persevere until the second singer (3.40) – will give you an idea of the high quality of the entrants. This is followed by a Gran Baile (dance) with the Orquesta Malibú Band in the Plaza de Los Remedios.

Turismo Buenavista del Norte via Marchaymas.com

Valley Vines

2011-10-01T07:08:00.000+01:00

Grapes in the Ycoden-Daute-Isora wine region, the most ancient wine region in Spain, approved by Shakespeare! The grapes are usually harvested in early October.

You can download a copy of this image to use as desktop wallpaper, learn more about this and the fiestas upcoming in Tenerife in October, as well as seeing the weather averages for the coming month, see our page about Tenerife in October.

Tenerife Calendar for October 2011

2011-10-01T02:18:00.000+01:00

Download and print this free calendar for October 2011, featuring one of our exclusive images from Tenerife.

Click here to download your October calendar (opens in new window).

To learn more about the image used on this month's calendar and to download the matching desktop wallpaper, see our page about Tenerife in October.

There you’ll also be able to read about the average weather conditions in Tenerife in October and what regular events take place on the island during the month.

We’ll be publishing another calendar page on the first of next month. To ensure you get your copy, please subscribe to our RSS feed or Email updates.

Get a real Tenerife calendar … featuring 12 of our exclusive images of the island, one for each month, printed on thick 100lb cover weight paper high gloss paper, wire-o bound. More …

Roque Cinchado

2011-09-01T07:20:00.000+01:00

This rock, the Roque Cinchado (with Mount Teide in the background), used to appear on the back of the old 1,000 Peseta note in Spain, before it switched to the Euro. It’s just one of the curiously shaped Roques de Garcia near the Parador hotel in the Parque Nacional del Teide.

You can download a copy of this image to use as desktop wallpaper, learn more about this and the fiestas upcoming in Tenerife in September, as well as seeing the weather averages for the coming month, see our page about Tenerife in September.

Tenerife Calendar for September 2011

2011-09-01T01:21:00.000+01:00

Download and print this free calendar for September 2011, featuring one of our exclusive images from Tenerife.

Click here to download your September calendar (opens in new window).

To learn more about the image used on this month's calendar and to download the matching desktop wallpaper, see our page about Tenerife in September.

There you’ll also be able to read about the average weather conditions in Tenerife in September and what regular events take place on the island during the month.

We’ll be publishing another calendar page on the first of next month. To ensure you get your copy, please subscribe to our RSS feed or Email updates.

Get a real Tenerife calendar … featuring 12 of our exclusive images of the island, one for each month, printed on thick 100lb cover weight paper high gloss paper, wire-o bound. More …

Tourism Guide FAIL

2011-08-21T17:05:00.001+01:00

You can’t help giggling, but don’t laugh too heartily, because this could, oh so easily (based on the often suspect standard of translations on the island of Tenerife), have been the complete guide to Puerto de la Cruz, Icod de los Vinos, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Santiago del Teide!

Like this previous S.H.I.T. sign in Terrassa, Catalonia, Spain, this set of initials obviously doesn’t have the same connotations in Egypt.

Tourism Guide FAIL

Canary and Fig

2011-08-17T16:19:00.000+01:00

A wild canary helping himself to a feast of fig in the Teno Alto area.
Photo: By alhh3

Tenerife: Enjoy it All

2011-08-08T10:14:00.001+01:00

"Tenerife: Enjoy it All" is a slogan that has frequently been used for marketing the island's tourism by the Official Tenerife Tourist Board and it's an approach that perplexes me greatly.

It goes against all the rules of good marketing and branding and ends up being the scattergun approach that mostly misses the target: scattered marketing messages aimed at nobody in particular.

Put another way, if you aim to be everything to everyone then you spread yourself far too thinly to be effective at all and end up being nothing to nobody.

Having spent 16 years on the island - and I thought I knew a fair amount about it - I'm still learning new things and discovering that there are many, many places that I never got around to visiting and enjoying. That being so, what is the hope of the "average tourist" (if such animal exists) *enjoying it all* in just 2 weeks?

So apart from doing nothing whatsoever to define and serve the intended market, nor the brand, about the only message I'm getting from this slogan (apart from the impression that the powers that be either have no idea who their markets are, or they’re too cheap to aim focussed campaigns at each) is information overload: a potential number of choices too large to deal with. It harms more than helps.

And what do humans generally do when faced with too many choices?

They find it daunting and mentally exhausting:

People faced with numerous choices, whether good or bad, find it difficult to stay focused enough to complete projects, handle daily tasks or even take their medicine.

People become paralysed into inaction and I'm sure that contributes to the tendency for the majority to plonk their bums on their sun loungers around the pool and not venture any further. Not because there isn't anything else to do, but because there is too much bombarding them in an unfocussed manner they choose nothing.

After all, who wants to make daunting and exhausting decisions on holiday?

Also customers given too many choices are 10x less likely to buy ...

It’s also my opinion that this “cheap marketing” is partly to blame (along with lazy churnalism in the British media) for the *cheap* image that Tenerife suffers.

What do you think? How could this be done better?

Brilliant Bougainvillea

2011-08-01T07:22:00.000+01:00

This profusion of colourful bracts of Bougainvillea cascading over the wall on the corner of one of the tiny lanes in the village of El Palmar is always a picture.

You can download a copy of this image to use as desktop wallpaper, learn more about this and other fiestas upcoming in Tenerife in August, as well as seeing the weather averages for the coming month, see our page about Tenerife in August.

Tenerife Calendar for August 2011

2011-08-01T07:07:00.000+01:00

Download and print this free calendar for August 2011, featuring one of our exclusive images from Tenerife.

Click here to download your August calendar (opens in new window).

To learn more about the image used on this month's calendar and to download the matching desktop wallpaper, see our page about Tenerife in August.

There you’ll also be able to read about the average weather conditions in Tenerife in August and what regular events take place on the island during the month.

We’ll be publishing another calendar page on the first of next month. To ensure you get your copy, please subscribe to our RSS feed or Email updates.

Get a real Tenerife calendar … featuring 12 of our exclusive images of the island, one for each month, printed on thick 100lb cover weight paper high gloss paper, wire-o bound. More …

Bird of Paradise

2011-07-01T07:08:00.000+01:00

The strelitzia, or Bird of Paradise flower, has been converted into a symbol of the Canary Islands. This one was snapped at the Loro Parque in Puerto de La Cruz.

You can download a copy of this image to use as desktop wallpaper, learn more about this and the fiestas upcoming in Tenerife in July, as well as seeing the weather averages for the coming month, see our page about Tenerife in July.

Tenerife Calendar for July 2011

2011-07-01T01:09:00.000+01:00

Download and print this free calendar for July 2011, featuring one of our exclusive images from Tenerife.

Click here to download your July calendar (opens in new window).

To learn more about the image used on this month's calendar and to download the matching desktop wallpaper, see our page about Tenerife in July.

There you’ll also be able to read about the average weather conditions in Tenerife in July and what regular events take place on the island during the month.

We’ll be publishing another calendar page on the first of next month. To ensure you get your copy, please subscribe to our RSS feed or Email updates.

Get a real Tenerife calendar … featuring 12 of our exclusive images of the island, one for each month, printed on thick 100lb cover weight paper high gloss paper, wire-o bound. More …

Summer Sky

2011-06-01T08:11:00.000+01:00

This photo of three Spanish Allium flowers was taken in June, just when the skies were becoming regularly blue for summer.

You can download a copy of this image to use as desktop wallpaper, learn more about this and the fiestas upcoming in Tenerife in June, as well as seeing the weather averages for the coming month, see our page about Tenerife in June.

Tenerife Calendar for June 2011

2011-06-01T01:12:00.000+01:00

Download and print this free calendar for June 2011, featuring one of our exclusive images from Tenerife.

Click here to download your June calendar (opens in new window).

To learn more about the image used on this month's calendar and to download the matching desktop wallpaper, see our page about Tenerife in June.

There you’ll also be able to read about the average weather conditions in Tenerife in June and what regular events take place on the island during the month.

We’ll be publishing another calendar page on the first of next month. To ensure you get your copy, please subscribe to our RSS feed or Email updates.

Get a real Tenerife calendar … featuring 12 of our exclusive images of the island, one for each month, printed on thick 100lb cover weight paper high gloss paper, wire-o bound. More …

Chumbera

2011-05-31T00:25:00.001+01:00

Or, more commonly known as the flower of the Opuntia, also known as nopales or paddle cactus, which bears the fruit known as higos picos (prickly pears).
Photo By Jonathan Rubio

Battle of Acentejo, May 31, 1494

2011-05-31T00:04:00.000+01:00

The First Battle of Acentejo was a battle that took place on the island of Tenerife between the Guanches and an alliance of Spaniards, other Europeans, and associated natives (mostly from other islands), on May 31, 1494, during the Spanish conquest of this island. It resulted in a victory for the Guanches of Tenerife.

Photo by colros

Purple Poppies

2011-05-30T00:23:00.000+01:00

See where this picture was taken. [?]

Día de Canarias - Canaries Day

2011-05-30T00:08:00.000+01:00

May 30th, is Día de Canarias or Canary Islands Day, which is a public holiday that celebrates "Canarianess" and remembers the anniversary of the first session of the autonomous Canary Islands Parliament, which took place on May 30th, 1983, when the Canary Islands gained greater powers of self-governance after the return to democracy in Spain.

Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

2011-05-29T07:31:00.001+01:00

Young diver’s body found in north Tenerife

"A young scuba diver from Buenavista has tragically lost his life while enjoying his favourite sport in Los Silos, in north Tenerife. "

tags: tenerife
Why a Blog Trip would be Perfect for Tenerife and Why it’s not Likely to Happen

"So why do I think a blog trip is unlikely ever to happen on Tenerife? Because any such publicity opportunity would be taken over by the politicians rather than focussing on local people interacting with the bloggers. Because in order to pull this off successfully you would have to have local and island-wide government working in seamless unity, something I have yet to witness on Tenerife. "

tags: tenerife
Spanish cucumbers identified as cause of European E-coli outbreak

"Canarian exporters are up in arms at the allegation, roundly denying that it could be due to vegetables from these islands. "

tags: tenerife
Classic Coastal Walking on Tenerife, to the Hidden Beaches

"There are plans to create a coastal path that links much of the north west coast of Tenerife but for the moment walkers can only experience individual sections. We’re fortunate enough to have one of the nicest outside our front door."

tags: tenerife
The Problem with Brit Bars Abroad

"They seem to have been stuck in a groove for quarter of a century and for the life of me I can’t get my head around why they are all following almost exactly the same outdated format."

tags: tenerife
Travel effects of ash cloud from Grimsvotn Icelandic volcano eruption | Janet Anscombe

"A total of 189 passengers are stuck in Tenerife as a result of the ash cloud from the eruption. Turismo de Tenerife says that these travellers are waiting for the sole flight currently affected, a Ryanair flight due from Prestwick-Glasgow. "

tags: tenerife
No Performing Animals & New Tourism Campaign in Tenerife News of the Week

"This week’s election results on Tenerife have taken up much of the news over the past few days, but the inexplicable nature of some voting patterns is just too extraordinary to be even begin to try to summarise. We’re still scratching our heads as to why some residents continue to vote for politicians whose motives are quite clearly dubious…but that’s democracy for you. Or is it? "

tags: tenerife
Vilaflor, There’s No Hiding The Beauty Of Tenerife’s Pine Country

"What a nice morning greeting In Vilaflor, the statue of Hermano Pedro gazing across the quiet entry junction and a cockerel crowing his little voice box out in the distance. Driving up from Los Cristianos the temperature had dropped about 6 degrees and the air was cool, perfect for walking. It’s about time I got my lazy bones moving and sampled the walking trails again so I had met up with one of the regular Saturday morning groups armed with a back pack of smelly sarnies, bottled water, and my camera."

tags: tenerife
Weather Forecast for Tenerife from 23rd May to 29th May

"It’s a bit of a mixed bag for Tenerife’s weather this week. There should be quite a lot of sunshine especially in the south and south west of the island with even the chance of light showers in north and north eastern parts."

tags: tenerife
El Cine Restaurant Review, Does Los Cristianos' Worst Kept Secret Serve the Best Fish on Tenerife?

"If you haven’t heard of El Cine in Los Cristianos then you haven’t been talking to the right people; it’s Los Cristianos’ worst kept gastronomic secret. Ask nearly anyone who knows Los Cristianos to recommend a good, traditional fish restaurant and the name that’s probably most likely to form on their lips is El Cine’s."

tags: tenerife
CD Tenerife's Bright Shoots For Next Season

"It’s never too late to show pride, CD Tenerife are finishing their relegation season with a flourish, even throwing in an away victory at Albacete by 2-1. "

tags: tenerife
Adeje And Arona Get The Summer Dance Beat

"DJ Tiesto, praised as the world’s best, heads in from Holland on Saturday 6 August to light the fuse at Golf Costa Adeje with his Club Life experience. With the music memories still reverberating, it’s followed up on Friday 12 August with 13 hours of music at the Arona Summer Festival at the Las Americas football stadium (below). This one features French house music DJ David Guetta and a host of top acts from around Europe."

tags: tenerife
DJ Tiesto Concert

"Location: Golf Costa Adeje
Link out: Click here
Description: Arguably the best DJ in the world, originally from Holland Tiesto has toured the world and staged many mega concerts as well as producing music in the studio. Starts at 8 pm.
Date: 2011-08-06"

tags: tenerife

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Orange flowers

2011-05-29T00:16:00.000+01:00

Photo By Holger Zscheyge

Lavanda

2011-05-28T00:14:00.000+01:00

Photo By Jonathan Rubio

Daisy Dome

2011-05-27T00:13:00.000+01:00

See where this picture was taken. [?]

Reloj de flores

2011-05-26T00:11:00.000+01:00

Flower clock, García Sanabria Park (Santa Cruz de Tenerife).

Photo by Mª. C. Mingorance Rodríguez

A la sombra

2011-05-25T00:06:00.000+01:00

Photo By Jonathan Rubio

Echium wildpretii

2011-05-24T00:05:00.000+01:00

Red Mount Teide bugloss (Echium wildpretii); Las Cañadas, Tenerife, Spain

Photo by Jörg Hempel

Tenerife flowers

2011-05-23T00:03:00.000+01:00

Photo By panda762

Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

2011-05-22T07:31:00.001+01:00

Attention bar and restaurant owners!

"It has been brought to our attention that in the Cabildo’s Tourism & Planning Department law regulating bars and restaurants, published as decree 90/2010 on July 22 2010, certain minimum conditions are stipulated, and failure to comply could lead to inspectors charging you an on-the-spot fine of up to €3,000.

The decree states quite clearly that you must have staff who speak Spanish. "

tags: tenerife
Tenerife beheading suspect 'treated in Welsh hospital'

"The man accused of beheading a British grandmother in Tenerife had been treated in a psychiatric unit in north Wales, it has emerged. Deyan Deyanov was reported to be visiting relatives when he was detained for his own safety at Glan Clwyd Hospital's Ablett Unit, Denbighshire. "

tags: tenerife
Arona’s III Ruta Gastronómica El Almácigo

"The III Ruta Gastronómica El Almácigo is now underway in Arona, and 15 establishments in Valle de San Lorenzo, La Camella, Chayofa, Cabo Blanco and Buzanada are participating to offer tapas and other typically Canarian foods at €3 accompanied by water, local wine or Canarian beer between 6 and 11pm each evening."

tags: tenerife
Tenerife News of the Week

"As a mark of respect to the family of Jennifer Mills-Westley, Tenerife Magazine will not be publishing our usual round-up of the week’s news. We feel that the semi-flippant approach we take in this feature isn’t appropriate at this time."

tags: tenerife
Where on Tenerife is this? Photo Challenge #5 2011

"For this month we’ve opted for a real Tenerife secret; a place that we are sure not many people, relatively speaking, have actually set foot in."

tags: tenerife
Top Ten-erife Useful Spanish Phrases

"Although the ability to speak the lingo when holidaying, or indeed living, on Tenerife – particularly in the main resorts of the island – has never been a major handicap, nevertheless, a little Spanish can go a long way."

tags: tenerife
Jennifer Mills-Westley beheading suspect 'was wanted'

"An arrest warrant was issued for a Bulgarian man three days before he allegedly stabbed and beheaded a UK woman in a Tenerife shop."

tags: tenerife
CD Tenerife Relegated With A Bang, Not A Whimper

"King Canute couldn’t hold back the sea and CD Tenerife couldn’t keep postponing relegation from the Segunda Division, that wall was breached so many times throughout the season and the damage was done. "

tags: tenerife
Weather Forecast for Tenerife from 16th May to 22nd May

"It’s very easy to summarise Tenerife’s weather for the coming week – it’s going to be hot and sunny across the island for most of the week."

tags: tenerife
Man accused of beheading Briton in Tenerife remanded in custody

"Spanish court refuses bail for Deyan Valentinov Deyanov as questions are raised over island's mental health provision"

tags: tenerife
Video: Bulgarian Man Arrested After 'Stabbing And Decapitating' A British Woman In Tenerife

"Jennifer Mills-Westley who was stabbed and decapitated in a supermarket in Tenerife had earlier sought refuge from her killer, it has been claimed. "

tags: tenerife
Tenerife beheading: Family praise British grandmother Jennifer Mills-Westley

"The source added that Valentinov had a history of violent crimes and in February was released from a psychiatric hospital after a random attack in Los Cristianos.

He was well-known in the area. Residents said he would walk around the resort shouting: “I have been sent by God to carry out his justice on earth.”

Local reports said he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and sometimes could not afford to buy his medicine.

Valentinov had been living surrounded by rubbish and debris in a derelict house on Los Cristianos beach along with other squatters."

tags: tenerife
British woman beheaded in Tenerife

"Horrified witnesses reported seeing the killer run out of a supermarket in the Valdes shopping centre on Avenida Juan Carlos in Los Cristianos on the Spanish resort island, carrying Jennifer Mills-Westley's head and saying "God is on earth" before being tackled by security guards."

tags: tenerife
Beheading victim 'stalker terror'

"Detectives in Tenerife are facing a barrage of questions amid reports that a terrified British woman had begged for help just minutes before she was beheaded on the holiday island."

tags: tenerife
Beheaded UK woman Jennifer Mills-Westley 'sought help'

"The British woman stabbed and beheaded in a shop on the Spanish island of Tenerife had sought help minutes before the attack, reports suggest."

tags: tenerife

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Cook's Gold

2011-05-22T02:02:00.000+01:00

This thistle-like yellow flower, safflower, a.k.a. "bastard saffron", is used in the Canary Islands instead of saffron as it’s much cheaper and more abundant.

Limonium macrophyllum

2011-05-21T00:58:00.000+01:00

Also known as Sea Lavender, Statice, or Marsh-rosemary, in the botanical garden in Puerto de la Cruz on Tenerife.

Photo by Rolf Engstrand

Little flower

2011-05-20T13:57:00.000+01:00

Tenerife, in the Anaga peninsula.

Photo By waterboy_of_the_lord

Strelitzia reginae

2011-05-19T00:55:00.000+01:00

Photo By Holger Zscheyge

Glicinia

2011-05-18T00:53:00.000+01:00

More familiar growing around cozy cottages in England, wisteria in Tenerife.

Photo By Mataparda

Pink Hibiscus

2011-05-17T00:50:00.000+01:00

Photo By steve p2008

Almond (Prunus dulcis) flower, Tenerife

2011-05-16T00:50:00.000+01:00

Photo by Arnstein Rønning

Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

2011-05-15T07:31:00.001+01:00

Woman beheaded in Tenerife had sought aid before attack

"It was initially believed the murder was a random incident. But a report on a British expat website said that Mills-Westley had reported Deyanov to a guard at the town's social security office for threatening behaviour."

tags: tenerife
Tenerife Murderer Recently Released from Pyschiatric Care

"How in hell was this creature ever let out to roam the streets like a wild animal? Valentinov was not someone who got along in regular society and then one day, suddenly went ballistic. This is a man who was a clear danger to himself and more particularly to others. Valentinov was a time-bomb. Was his release part of some government cost-cutting exercise? "

If that is the case, given the cuts, events such as this are probably far more likely to occur in the UK.

tags: tenerife cosmos
Tenerife: Inquiry into beheading of British woman

"The BBC's Maddy Savage said this kind of violence was extremely rare in the Canary Islands which attract more than 10 million tourists each year. "

tags: tenerife
Beheaded UK woman named as Jennifer Mills-Westley

"In a video posted on YouTube, Colin Kirby of Tenerifemagazine.com said security guards held down the suspect until the police arrived."

tags: tenerife
Beheaded British woman in Tenerife is named

"Colin Kirby, a reporter for Tenerife Magazine, explained what he had seen as he walked past the shop at around 10.30am."

tags: tenerife
Woman Decapitated In Los Cristianos | Tenerife Magazine

tags: tenerife
Chinese woman decapitated in Los Cristianos

tags: tenerife
The Spongebob Musical Comes to Tenerife

"the little yellow cubular-bottomed one will be in Tenerife in June with Patrick and the rest of his Bikini Bottom buddies performing a show based on the Sponge Bob movie – The Lost Episodes."

tags: tenerife
Killer parades with woman’s decapitated head through Los Cristianos streets

"The TV is reporting that the woman was actually decapitated, and that her killer carried her head along the street before throwing it into a garden area before being arrested."

tags: tenerife
Stunning Sand Carpets & Wrath of the Titans in Tenerife

"The incredible tapestry made from soil and sand from Las Cañadas del Teide traditionally features a religious theme but usually includes a contemporary slant which often delivers a surprisingly emotional impact. La Orotava council are applying to UNESCO for World Heritage status which, as anyone who has witnessed this very special celebration, is an accolade that is long overdue."

tags: tenerife
Clash of the Titans returns to Los Gigantes

"Once again Teide National Park, with pine forests and lava fields, Garachico, Guía de Isora and Icod de los Vinos will stand in for Ancient Greece, but it is our famous cliffs of Los Gigantes that will be the backdrop for many of the scenes, with a replica of an ancient Greek ship already berthed in the Marina"

tags: tenerife
Last Minute Win But Little Joy For CD Tenerife

"Fired up by the fans protests ringing in their ears the CD Tenerife players came out hungry to tear Recreativo apart, well that was the idea but it was another half hearted display in a dour midfield battle. A generous last minute penalty allowed Nino to grab the first win in 2 months and Sundays defeat for Nastic kept the gap to safety at 11 points with 5 games to go."

tags: tenerife
Armeñime surgery opens Monday to serve Callao Salvaje, Los Menores and surrounding areas

"It’s surely no coincidence given that elections are about to be held, but whatever the reason, residents in the Armeñime area will have cause to celebrate the opening this Monday of a local surgery which will serve the Mar Azul, Callao Salvaje, Playa Paraíso, Tijoco, La Concepción, Taucho, La Quinta, Los Menores, Las Rozas and Armeñime areas."

tags: tenerife

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Fiestas de Mayo - Santa Cruz

2011-05-15T00:32:00.000+01:00

Photo by: albleroy

Drago tree in flower

2011-05-14T00:43:00.000+01:00

At the Hijuela del Botánico, behind the town hall in La Orotava

British woman decapitated in Los Cristianos

2011-05-13T19:22:00.001+01:00

As Colin Kirby of Tenerife Magazine says, I thought I’d seen everything in Tenerife, but the murder which took place in Los Cristianos this morning is certainly one of those surreal events that makes the most dramatic fiction pale by comparison.

Earlier reports had suggested that the woman was Chinese, but it has later been established and reported that she was, in fact, of British nationality.

The 60 year old woman, who has not been named, was a customer in the Chinese supermarket in the lower level of the Valdés Center in Los Cristianos, which until recent changes, had been the location of the Arona district courts.

A 28 year old Bulgarian man, named as Deyan Valentinov D, has been detained in relation to the murder. It seems that this unemployed individual, who has been living in a semi-abandoned property, is well known to the authorities in the area, having previous convictions for violent crimes. The accused was only released from the psychiatric unit of the Candelaria hospital in Tenerife, where he had been held as a consequence of his previous violent episodes, in February of this year.

A local official has said the man appeared to choose his victim at random and although police were investigating to see if the victim and the killer knew one another, it is thought that they had no previous connection whatsoever.

Cassia spectabilis

2011-05-13T00:40:00.000+01:00

Photo by Solanum

Gorse, Mercedes, North Tenerife

2011-05-11T00:37:00.000+01:00

Photo by © starwoodw

Bouganvilla on Tenerife

2011-05-10T00:34:00.000+01:00

Photo by © ingrid2512

Almond trees in flower - Prunus dulcis – El Palmar

2011-05-09T00:31:00.000+01:00

Photo by: albleroy

Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

2011-05-08T07:31:00.001+01:00

Resort Report, Puerto de la Cruz

"Banana plants, palm trees, laurel, bougainvillea, frangipani, hibiscus… like Alice in Wonderland after a swig of the ‘Drink Me’ bottle, they all grow at an alarming rate in Puerto de la Cruz giving it a lush, tropical identity that separates it from the south of Tenerife by more than just distance."

tags: tenerife
Mainland Spain house prices to continue decline whilst islands prices improve?

"... areas such as Tenerife in the Canary Isles and the Balearics are bucking this trend and showing signs of improvement"

tags: tenerife
Annual Adeje Crafts Fair 14 and 15 May

"deje Crafts Fair will be held again in Calle Grande on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 May, between 10am and 8pm. "

tags: tenerife
Tenerife Symphony Orchestra in Los Cristianos

"This Thursday offers a rare chance to get to hear the marvellous Tenerife Symphony Orchestra in south Tenerife. The orchestra will be in the new Infanta Leonor auditorium in Los Cristianos this Thursday, the 5th, at 8pm, performing Lutos Awski’s Funeral Music, Stravinski’s Pulcinella, and Prokofiev’s 5th Symphony."

tags: tenerife
Los Realejos International Paragliding and Free Flying Festival. Tenerife » Flypa 2011

"Due to the impossibility of coming to an agreement between the politic groups of Los Realejos Town Council, as regards the municipal budget, the tourism councillor has decided to cancel the sixth edition of the International Paragliding Festival of Los Realejos, FLYPA’11, that was going to take place from April 29th to May 3rd."

tags: tenerife
The Great Tenerife Tradition of Romerías

"Plan a holiday to Tenerife outside of its winter high season and you’ll find hotel prices considerably lower, golf course fees drastically reduced, endless sunny days where the temperatures hover around the 28°C mark and best of all, barely a week going by without some town or village holding its annual romería."

tags: tenerife
Titsa on your Mobile & Fiesta Time in Santa Cruz

"[as it] celebrates the founding of the city. The city’s May Fiestas programme is overflowing with a month long agenda of events that includes dancing, processions, street parties, parades, art exhibitions, floral displays, sporting competitions and much melodic music from traditional Canarian bands to rock and pop. There’s something taking place on the streets of the capital every day of the month, but weekends are the best time to visit. "

tags: tenerife
Weather Forecast for Tenerife from 2nd May to 8th May

"It turned out to be one of those weeks that illustrated perfectly why weather forecasts on Tenerife should at best be treated as ‘guidelines’. The mix of sun, cloud and rain arrived as predicted but also accompanied by some cool strong winds and even snow."

tags: tenerife
Mayday For CD Tenerife

"The noose is tightening, a 2-1 defeat at Granada leaves CD Tenerife 14 points away from safety with just 6 games to go and 18 points to play for, and that’s assuming that our rivals don’t pick up any more points."

tags: tenerife

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Margaritas

2011-05-08T00:29:00.000+01:00

These pretty little white margaritas (daisies) bloom in great clumps (approx. 5 foot diameter) around the rural valleys of Tenerife in springtime.

See where this picture was taken. [?]

Red flower

2011-05-07T00:27:00.000+01:00

A vibrant red hibiscus flower on a brilliant blue sky background in Tenerife.

Photo By Holger Zscheyge

Florecillas violetas

2011-05-06T00:24:00.000+01:00

Little violet flowers in the Parque García Sanabria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Photo By Jonathan Rubio

Profusion of Pink

2011-05-05T00:22:00.000+01:00

See where this picture was taken. [?]

Flowers on Tenerife

2011-05-04T06:33:00.000+01:00

Photo by: ingrid2512

Cruces de Mayo

2011-05-03T11:27:00.001+01:00

Today, May 3rd, is Día de la Cruz (Day of the Cross), which is celebrated most fervently in Tenerife in Santa Cruz (in honour of the city’s founding), Puerto de la Cruz, Los Realejos (which, each year sees the annual firework battle: Europe's biggest firework display) and in Güímar with these beautiful floral crosses.

Photo By Mataparda

May Flowers: Field of Poppies

2011-05-02T06:55:00.000+01:00

See where this picture was taken. [?]

Looking Over Garachico

2011-05-01T08:06:00.000+01:00

This image of Garachico was taken from the mirador, looking down between the lava flows. The first major lava flow of the 1706 eruption occurred on May 5th, 1706 and the second on May 13th, of that same year (shown in on this image).

You can download a copy of this image to use as desktop wallpaper, learn more about this and the fiestas upcoming in Tenerife in May, as well as seeing the weather averages for the coming month, see our page about Tenerife in May.

Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

2011-05-01T07:31:00.001+01:00

Pigging Out On A Busy Santa Cruz Calendar

"Snorting, grunting and oinking he stuck his head deep in the bucket and devoured every last morsel. Maybe I’m talking about my breakfast routine, maybe about the rare Canarian Black Pig at Agrocanarias in Santa Cruz, or maybe both! "

tags: tenerife
Tourist figures rising

"Tourist figures for the first three months of this year show an increase to more than 1.258 million visitors, which is 8.8 per cent up on the same three months of 2010 year. Figures for April are expected to show an even bigger increase due to the Easter holidays."

tags: tenerife
Friday Night Out In Puerto de la Cruz

"Puerto has a reputation for being a staid old girl, perfectly suited to ‘more mature’ visitors who aren’t seeking a lively nocturnal scene…and whilst that isn’t exactly inaccurate, neither is it the whole picture."

tags: tenerife
CD Tenerife v Recreativo

"Into the last 6 games, will CD Tenerife be relegated by this point, will the promising B team youngsters be given a chance to stake a claim for next season, will the stadium cheese rolls be edible?"

tags: tenerife
Spanish government property roadshow to tempt European investors

"The Spanish government will embark on a Europe-wide roadshow to convince investors to come back to the nation’s property market, starting off with a press conference on the latest industry developments next week in London."

tags: tenerife
Walk this Way, Cruz del Carmen to Chinamada

"The Easter Bank Holiday weekend weather was something of a disappointment for Tenerife and just for once, we enviously watched the sun soaked UK from our rain sodden island. But all that refreshment has given the earth her spring shower, the sun has returned to warm her to the core and she has responded with an explosion of colour."

tags: tenerife
Amazing Mount Teide & Another Rockfall in Tenerife News of the Week

"One of the most awe inspiring videos on the internet in the last week was the timelapse video of Tenerife and Mount Teide taken by the Norwegian photographer Terje Sorgjerd. This incredible piece of work captured the imagination of internet users, attracting millions of views in only eleven days and was a priceless piece of promotion for Tenerife. If you haven’t seen it yet, sit back, hit the play button and prepare to be astounded."

tags: tenerife
British man arrested for domestic violence in Torviscas apartment

"Adeje Policía Local have arrested a 21-year-old British youth for an attack on his partner in Torviscas late last night, or rather very early this morning. "

tags: tenerife
Legality of El Marqués Centre in Playa Paraiso to be decided by highest court in Spain

"The legality of the little frontline El Marqués centre in Playa Paraiso is now to be judged by the Supreme Court for its many alleged irregularities, including that there are dwellings in a commercial centre and that it’s in breach of coastal law. The case has been rumbling on for years, since the construction licence itself was granted, and it has now reached the highest Court in Spain."

tags: tenerife
Weather Forecast for Tenerife from 25th April to 1st May

"Not good news for visitors to Tenerife this week, the Spanish Met Office are predicting more of the same with a mix of cloud sun and rain all week…except for Mount Teide where the sun should be shining. On the coasts, Puerto de la Cruz in the north and Santa Cruz and the east coast look like the best bets for escaping any rain at all on Tuesday with Thursday and Saturday predicted to have almost guaranteed rainfall everywhere."

tags: tenerife
Daily Mail Spreads Fear Over Judge Mostyn’s Holiday With Widow In Tenerife

According to the Daily Mail, Tenerife is still in the disconnected dark ages and Anorak question if this is,"Because the internet does not exist? Email does not exist? Mobile phones you can call directly do no exist? Files cannot be posted? Judges are all idiots?"

tags: tenerife dailywail
CD Tenerife Lose At Home – So What’s New!

"I couldn’t have felt sicker if I’d scoffed a bucket full of creme eggs, this was awful, thankfully just 7 more games before we start kicking players out of the club. "

Looking on the bright side, tourists will be able to go along to watch CD Tenerife away games against the local team, without even leaving Playa de las Americas next year. :)

tags: tenerife
Easter on the Island

"The trouble with Easter is that, compared to summer vacations, everyone is on holiday at the same time, which means crowds everywhere. Narrow Lake District roads are another place to avoid at this time of year. Gridlock – and usually gridlock accompanied by the slapping of windscreen wipers.

Basically, it’s the same here, but without the windscreen wipers. "

tags: tenerife
Losing Games And Fans The CD Tenerife Way

"How low is low? For CD Tenerife fans it seems that as soon as we think it can’t get any worse it does, this 1-0 home defeat to Villareal B drew just 8,600 fans, half of what we were getting a month ago. In the week leading up to the game there were calls for fans to boycott the first 10 minutes in protest but many didn’t show at all and another inept display left the rest of us wondering why we bothered."

tags: tenerife

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Tenerife Calendar for May 2011

2011-05-01T01:14:00.000+01:00

Download and print this free calendar for May 2011, featuring one of our exclusive images from Tenerife.

Click here to download your May calendar (opens in new window).

To learn more about the image used on this month's calendar and to download the matching desktop wallpaper, see our page about Tenerife in May.

There you’ll also be able to read about the average weather conditions in Tenerife in May and what regular events take place on the island during the month.

We’ll be publishing another calendar page on the first of next month. To ensure you get your copy, please subscribe to our RSS feed or Email updates.

Get a real Tenerife calendar … featuring 12 of our exclusive images of the island, one for each month, printed on thick 100lb cover weight paper high gloss paper, wire-o bound. More …

Terraces in La Gomera

2011-04-30T06:43:00.000+01:00

Photo by mundo_imag

Potaje de Berros

2011-04-29T06:39:00.000+01:00

Watercress pottage (or soup), La Gomera’s most typical dish.

Photo by Pedro

Chorros de Epina

2011-04-28T06:32:00.001+01:00

The Chorros de Epina are a must visit in La Gomera and we’ve explained before how these seven “magical” fountains are intrinsically wrapped up in Gomera's very own Romeo and Juliet legend, involving Gara, a princess of Agulo on La Gomera and Jonay, the son of the mencey or king of Adeje on Tenerife. Here’s a short video of these fountains that you probably won’t want to watch if you need the loo!

Photo by Noemi M.M.

Bananas in La Gomera

2011-04-27T06:15:00.000+01:00

Photo By ValdasKn

San Sebastián de La Gomera

2011-04-26T06:13:00.000+01:00

Photo by Donarreiskoffer

Cat on a Wine Press

2011-04-25T06:11:00.000+01:00

Photo by: Dielens

Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

2011-04-24T07:31:00.001+01:00

Passion Perfection Draws The Crowds To Adeje

"Attention to detail is vital and while 10,000 people jostled for prime positions in Calle Grande, the Roman soldiers and chariots waited as one of the back stage crew used a dust pan to tidy up the enthusiasm of the horses. The whole community takes part in the preceeding months making costumes and scenery and learning their steps for the march through the pages of the bible. This year the new look plaza offered more vantage points and scaffolding in front of the church gave a grandstand view to the early arrivals. At Noon the procession got underway to strident marching music over the many speakers hanging from the tree lined avenue."

tags: tenerife
La Laguna Half Marathon

"Fancy a run around a fine historic city, then this is for you. The 21,097 metre race takes place from 9.30 am on 8 May and you have until 4 May to sign up."

tags: tenerife
Where on Tenerife is this? Photo Challenge #4 2011

"The big guy pays homage to the relationship between man and the sea and over the last couple of years has been the site of a rather groovy fiesta…but where on Tenerife is it?"

tags: tenerife
Los Gigantes Beach & Saving the Black Pig in Tenerife

"Tenerife Magazine’s round up of some of the most interesting news stories of the week "

tags: tenerife
Top Ten-erife Holiday Buys

"With luggage allowances at a premium, why waste space on fake watches that will stop the minute your aircraft wheels leave the runway? Here’s our pick of the best buys to squeeze into the suitcase at the end of your holidays to Tenerife …"

tags: tenerife
Nightlife in Tenerife, Street Bingo

"Barely wide enough for a single vehicle to drive down, tiny cottages with Hobbit-height front doors donate most of what little pavement lies outside to window boxes and planters filled with tumbling geranuims."

tags: tenerife
Easter Walking on Tenerife

"I recently heard some interesting statistics – that 35% of Brits and 41% of Germans like to go walking while they are on holidays – and last weekend, I realised just how easy it is for anyone on their Tenerife Holidays to do just that. With Easter falling so late this year, it merges with the May Day Bank Holiday; spring flowers are out in abundance and the air temperatures are at their balmy best - the ideal conditions to enjoy an Easter walking holiday on Tenerife."

tags: tenerife
Video: Los Cristianos market flooded

100 stall holders lost all of their merchandise during Sunday's heavy rains in Tenerife. While Arona town hall sent two lorries to clear up the water and clean the area, local environment councillor, Antonio Sosa, said that the most probable cause was a blockage in the drainage system, which prevented the rainwater from draining away into the sea.

tags: tenerife
German Chancellor Angela Merkel holidays in La Gomera

tags: tenerife gomera
Los Abrigos: a Fishing Village Keeping up with the Times

"Last week I wrote this short piece for sunshine.co.uk’s Tenerife insiders’ blog. It got me thinking about the village of Los Abrigos, and how it has changed over the years I’ve lived in Tenerife, and musing about whether the changes were a good thing or not. When we arrived in 1987 the village had already made itself a mecca for fresh fish dining, but in addition to excellent food, it was the lack of pretension with appealed to visitors. Has it kept that atmosphere?"

tags: tenerife
Swimming and Sunbathing in Puerto de la Cruz

"From the moment you arrive at the fat, twisted trunk of César Manrique’s Juguete del Viento wind toy with its silver cones slowly carving circles in the sky, your eyes are assailed by a symphony of blue provided by seven pools and a vast lake set like sapphires amongst the palm filled terraces, kiosks and restaurants."

tags: tenerife
Top 10 Spanish swear words

"If you get to know the Spaniards and learn Spanish well enough, you’ll come to observe that they tend to use palabrotas (cusses) openly in their daily conversation. Words like ‘coño’ (cunt) don’t contain extremely vulgar connotations, and so are used commonly by most people here in Spain."

tags: tenerife
Britons better off in Tenerife according to research

"Britons will be better off in Benidorm and Bulgaria than Brighton or Brittany this Easter, according to new research. Spain offered best value-for-money for 10 typical holiday items in a table of 14 popular tourist destinations compiled by Post Office Travel Money."

tags: tenerife
Craig David & Unsafe Resorts in Tenerife News of the Week

"Tenerife Magazine’s round up of some of the most interesting news stories of the week "

tags: tenerife
CD Tenerife, The Corpse Is Still Twitching

"The torrential rain didn’t matter, walking down the hill into Los Cristianos I was in my own little bubble of sunshine thanks to the good news coming through my earphones, CD Tenerife were 2-1 up at Alcorcon. Sadly it didn’t last, the home side clawed their way back to win 3-2 and despite a fighting performance the drop still looks odds on."

tags: tenerife
Bienmesabe or You Could Call it Ambrosia

"This, my friends, is bienmesabe, or as near to heaven on a spoon as you can get! " Yup, I'd agree with that - and confirm that I can finish whatever size portion of it that you care to put in front of me! :)

tags: tenerife
Sinking Fast, CD Tenerife Are Shaming The Shirt

"They say that when you drown your past life flashes before your eyes, in CD Tenerife’s case it would be a parade of this season’s coaches, all wagging their fingers and saying I told you so. "

tags: tenerife
Musical Treats And Wet Dreams In Santa Cruz

"Santa Cruz council are definately on a winner with this street entertainment, hopefully it will become a regular thing, it all helps to enliven the capital and add to the diversity. What a pity the football wasn’t as entertaining."

tags: tenerife
Tourist figures so far this year “spectacular”

"Lovely to have some good news about tourism for a change, and this news has been called “spectacular”. The number of tourists coming to the Canaries in March is up over 20%. The figures were good at the beginning of the year anyway, after disturbances in Egypt and Tunisia, but it seems it can no longer just be a case of tourists diverted from North Africa."

tags: tenerife
James Blunt, Ministry of Sound & Wrath of the Titans

"The singer, whose songs provoke a love-them or hate-them reaction, will be at the Auditorium in Santa Cruz at 9pm on the 28th July. Tickets are €40 and €50. Whether you happen to like James Blunt or not, having an artist of his calibre on Tenerife is good for the island….even if his audience are likely to feel depressed for a few days after the concert."

tags: tenerife
Opting for Some Color in my Life

"It struck me, not for the first time, that living in a sub-tropical climate is living in technicolor, which is cheery and positive. I suppose it’s possible to overdose on it, but after 40 years of mainly monochrome UK living I doubt that I’ll do that! "

tags: tenerife
PC City closing all out outlets in Spain including 3 branches in Tenerife

"PC City has announced that it is closing all its 34 shops in Spain with the loss of 1,224 jobs nationally. The chain says that the closures are the result of the fall in sales due to the economic crisis. "

tags: tenerife

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Dolphins

2011-04-24T06:20:00.000+01:00

Off the Valle Gran Rey in La Gomera.

Photo By ingo.ronner

Laurisilva Forest in La Gomera

2011-04-23T06:17:00.000+01:00

Photo By hai_hui

Teide from La Gomera

2011-04-22T06:15:00.000+01:00

Photo by: gedome1

Rincones de Chipude

2011-04-21T12:26:00.000+01:00

Video of views around the village of Chipude in the municipality of Vallehermoso in La Gomera – area most famous for its pottery – set to the tune, also called Chipude, featuring the music of the timple of the late, José Antonio Ramos.

Cat from La Gomera

2011-04-21T06:14:00.000+01:00

Photo by: photohans

Easter in Tenerife

2011-04-20T18:01:00.001+01:00

Latest reports indicate that Tenerife is the location to spend Easter this year, so we won’t mention that rain is forecast in Santa Cruz, while parts of Britain are basking in sunshine. When will they get properly organised and guarantee weather, eh?

Anyway, come rain or shine, most towns will have mainly solemn and religious (they keep trying to bring that into Christmas too) Easter celebrations, however, as in previous years, two events stand out as worth seeing, even if you’re not:

The first, on Good Friday, starting at around mid-day in the town of Adeje, is The Passion play, or Vía Crucis (Way of the Cross), to give it it's Latin name. We’ve written about it before, so I won’t repeat myself, besides Tenerife Magazine do a much better job and have excellent photos. (More images)

Or, you might like to watch, or at least dip into highlights of the Passion Play from 2008, which comes in no less than 11 parts (like a mini-series), here.

Alternatively (or as well as, if you make a dash up the motorway), you could go to see one of the traditional processions in La Laguna, on Good Friday, which are the most important and reverent on the island. Again, we’ll turn to Tenerife Magazine for their explanation and superb photos of this event.

Alternatively, there is this documentary (in only 6 parts), which will both show and tell you the entire history of these Holy Week celebrations.

Both sets of videos have only Spanish commentary, but even if you don’t speak the lingo, you’ll be sure to grasp the concepts from the visuals.

Finally, since we’re no good at figuring out the phases of the moon and the date of Nisan, here’s a list we made earlier giving you the dates of Good Friday, right through to Friday 8 April 2050, should you have missed it this year.

(Easter procession at Garachico, Tenerife Photo by simonsimages)

Waterfall in La Gomera

2011-04-20T06:11:00.000+01:00

Photo by mundo_imag

View of a deserted beach

2011-04-19T06:07:00.000+01:00

“The view after walking for 45 mins from San Sebastian”, says the description, which looks like it was a very worthwhile three-quarter hour walk indeed.

Photo by: jjr3333

All politicians look the same in Tenerife

2011-04-18T19:06:00.001+01:00

If you can’t tell one politician from another (and much less their policies), rest assured, you are not alone …

Two 15 year-old girls in Tenerife bumped into the leader of the opposition, Mariano Rajoy (pictured left) - who has been visiting La Gomera and Tenerife today – and asked to have their photo taken with him, convinced he was prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (pictured right and more usually confused with Mr Bean.)

The girls recognized the leader of the PP (or People’s Party) as a famous politician, so they wanted to take a picture with him. After posing with Mariano Rajoy, the girls commented enthusiastically: "We've taken a photo with the Prime Minister. "

"Not yet …" Rajoy said the teenagers, to which they replied: "But aren’t you Zapatero?". Rajoy and his party laughed and continued walking.

Via GomeraVerde Image borrowed from wandenbergh

Torre del Conde

2011-04-18T06:38:00.000+01:00

The Torre del Conde (Count’s Tower) is a castellated fortification from the 15th Century in San Sebastián de la Gomera. It was constructed by the Count of La Gomera, Hernán Peraza (the elder), between 1447 and 1450.

The tower was probably only originally intended as a representation of manorial power, lacking modern armaments, but was nevertheless used as a refuge by the local nobility during the 1488 “Rebellion of the Gomerans”.

It is the only tower of it’s type from the time of the conquest of the Canary Islands that is still standing. It is used as the symbol of the San Sebastián town hall and is probably the most recognizable symbol of the island of La Gomera. It is also the most southerly known example of medieval (Gothic) construction.

Photo by: gedome1

Earthquake of 3.9 degrees north of Tenerife

2011-04-17T17:16:00.002+01:00

On Saturday, April 16th, the National Geographic Institute detected an earthquake of 3.9 magnitude, a hundred miles northeast of La Palma (or, directly north of Tenerife, by to our calculations), according to the Ministry of Development website.

The epicentre of the quake, which was registered at 12:00, was located in the Atlantic Ocean, at latitude and longitude 29.4330 north, -17,145 west. The earthquake was not strong enough to be felt on land.

Via: Europa Press Image: Instituto Geográfico Nacional

Gomera Sunset Drumming

2011-04-17T12:19:00.000+01:00

The Playa Calera in the Valle Gran Rey in La Gomera has long been a place of (almost) pilgrimage for hippies. The music they bring with them may not have been native to the island, but has become as much a part of life there.

Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

2011-04-17T07:31:00.001+01:00

Los Gigantes beach reopens after extensive works following tragedy where two women died

"The Los Gigantes beach, Playa de Los Guíos, is to re-open at noon today now that works for its renovationa and improvement have finished. "

tags: tenerife
Storm approaching Canaries will arrive with beginning of Easter week this Sunday

"Aemet has announced a storm expected to hit the Canaries on Sunday. At the moment, the forecast is for the bad weather to last until Thursday 21st with an area of low pressure approaching from the west bringing rain and thunderstorms."

tags: tenerife
Feel The Passion In Adeje On Good Friday

"No flash mob can match its impact, no computer game can outdo its intensity and no history book can deliver its raw emotional power. The Passion tells the harrowing story of the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus and you can experience it in all its glory in Adeje on Good Friday, 22 April from noon."

tags: tenerife
Feet nibbling centres are”health risk” and must be properly licensed says tourism councillor

"Adeje Ayuntamiento has declared the municipality’s feet nibbling outlets a health risk. In a press release today, the concejal de Turismo de Adeje, Miguel Ángel Santos, said that the centres lacked regulation and specific rules and therefore should not be allowed as a public activity."

tags: tenerife
A Dogs Dinner Of A Game As CD Tenerife Roll Over And Play Dead

"The Grand National had just finished at Aintree but in Santa Cruz 22 cart horses took to the pitch and served up one of the worst games we have witnessed, and we have seen a few stinkers. In their defence Huesca came for a draw and probably couldn’t believe their luck to go away with a 1-0 win, CD Tenerife have no such excuse. "

tags: tenerife

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Hautacuperche

2011-04-17T06:24:00.000+01:00

The statue of Hautacuperche in the Valle Gran Rey in La Gomera. Hautacuperche, who was killed by the Spanish in 1488, was the aboriginal, Gomeran warrior who killed the feudal Lord of the island, Hernán Peraza (the younger).

Photo by: Dielens

Weather Warnings: Orange Alert for wind and rain

2011-04-16T10:13:00.001+01:00

There is an orange alert declared, at high altitudes on the islands of Tenerife and La Palma for tomorrow, Sunday, April 17th, according to the Spanish Weather service, AEMET, website, for high winds and rainfall.

Possibly not a good day to visit the mountains, special care should be taken on all mountain roads because of the increased risk of rock falls.

San Sebastian de La Gomera

2011-04-16T06:28:00.000+01:00

A street in La Gomera’s capital, San Sebastian.

Photo By yoga-galaxy

Agricultural Terraces

2011-04-15T06:26:00.000+01:00

Agricultural terraces in the steep-sided valleys of La Gomera.

Photo By kingofevidences

Chipude

2011-04-14T13:22:00.000+01:00

By Edward Walsner

Overview

The village of Chipude is situated on the plateau of the mountain and is La Gomera's oldest settlement. The inhabitants of the village that is located near the cult mountain appreciated the fertility of the land even prior to the Spanish era. At present, a number of hikes start from Chipude.

History

Chipude had the highest population in the island as long as 200 years back. In 1540 Our Lady of Candelaria was built at the center of the town which is the village square.

Art and Culture

1. La Fortaleza - the Old Cult Site: before the conquistadors (Spanish Soldiers) arrived, the inhabitants looked at the table mountain as a holy place of sacrifice; this mountain is an eroded volcanic vent and its summit plateau is 1241 M. The Spaniards used this mountain as a fallback from the enemy. This mountain was named by ancient Canarians as Argoday that means powerful.
2. Table Mountain's imposing Plateau: the mountain plateau is 500 M high and one can easily see it from far off distances. The original inhabitants erected stone circles as well as sacrificial altars on the table mountain's flat part.
3. Hikes to the Cult Site Fortaleza de Chipude - you could visit the cult site - Gomera's La Fortaleze de Chipude by hiking along historical tracks.

Cuisine

The cuisine of Chipude is determined by the crops that grow in this region - yams, vines, palms, tropical trees; the types of fish available in the sea - parrot fish and also the goat.

Whistled language of the island of La Gomera

2011-04-14T12:13:00.000+01:00

Video about silbo, La Gomera’s whistled language, which was given the UNESCO declaration as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción

2011-04-14T06:14:00.000+01:00

The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Church of Our Lady of the Assumption) in San Sebastián de La Gomera is where Columbus and his men supposedly came to pray before setting off for the New World.

Photo Wouter Hagens

Pozo de la Aguada

2011-04-13T06:45:00.000+01:00

The Pozo de la Aguada (Aguada Well) in the Casa de la Aguada (house of the same name) in San Sebastian de La Gomera, it is said, is where Christopher Columbus drew water for the voyage in 1492 and, with which Columbus is reputed to have *baptised* America, according to folklore, say Lonely Planet and this sign.

It’s a lovely romantic tale, but like so many others, of course, is doubtful since Columbus never actually set foot on mainland, north American soil. It would be doubtful he would have drawn water himself either – he was probably far too busy with infamous medieval nymphomaniac, Beatriz de Bobadilla.

The public can visit the house and see the well, whatever it’s history.

Says the Lonely Planet review: “Just off Plaza Constitución, which is shaded by enormous Indian laurel trees, is Casa de la Aguada, also referred to as Casa de la Aduana or Casa Condal, since at different times it served as the customs house and the count's residence. The tourist office fills one side of this traditional Canary home, but the back of it is dedicated to the exhibit 'La Gomera & the Discovery of America', an interesting account (though all in Spanish) of Columbus' trip and Gomeran culture in those times.”

Photo by: turquoise07

Scale Model of La Gomera

2011-04-12T06:16:00.000+01:00

This model of the island at the visitor centre for the Garajonay National Park shows you why there are no roads going around the island of La Gomera. With such steep ravines fanning out from the middle of the island, getting to a point just around the coast always involves a drive up into the centre and then back down again.

You’ll spot the model again in this video aimed at helping you discover La Gomera:

Photo by: ahfraser

Los Organos

2011-04-11T06:59:00.000+01:00

Los Organos rocks on the northern coast of La Gomera, so called as they resemble organ pipes. This basaltic rock formation, which reaches a height of almost 700 meters, is a natural monument and can only be fully appreciated from the sea.

Photo By Tiokiko64

Tenerife News & Events (weekly)

2011-04-10T07:31:00.001+01:00

Tenerife Goes Hollywood Crazy

As thousands of hopefuls queue up to apply to become extras for the filming of "Clash of the Titans 2", here's a report from someone who was amongst them.

tags: tenerife
La Gomera - Pearl of the Canary Islands

Nice video tour of the island of La Gomera, with place names, titles and snippets of information, usefully, provided in English.

tags: tenerife gomera
El Garajonay

Wonderful video in the Parque Garajonay in La Gomera; the sounds of the running water and the birdies singing give you the nearest to an authentic experience as you will get, other than being there.

tags: tenerife gomera
Sanidad sets up “preventative action protocol” after adult measles outbreak in Tenerife

"The Public Health Department is following established guidelines and procedures as for any other outbreak of an infectious disease in order to prevent its spread. "

tags: tenerife
Easter Traditions

"In Tenerife, as all across Spain, Holy Week is a deeply sombre affair featuring masses, blessings and processions, the most important and reverent of which take place in the former capital of La Laguna. But you’ll find events taking place right across the island in Santa Cruz, Los Realejos, La Orotava, Puerto de la Cruz, Garachico, Arona and Adeje."

tags: tenerife
Tenerife Resort Report, Los Cristianos

"Just over fifty years ago Los Cristianos was still a small fishing village, then a Swedish broadcaster suffering from MS found its climate had curative effects, shared his discovery with the world and the rest, as they say, is history. Nowadays the resort has grown into a thriving holiday destination. Although it has been outgrown by it’s newer neighbours, Los Cristianos has one quality that Playa de las Américas and Costa Adeje don’t; it’s still a Canarian town at heart."

tags: tenerife
Commercial property sales upturn in Spain and Tenerife

"Opportunistic investors chasing cut-price prime commercial property in recession-hit Spain have helped push the sector’s total returns into positive territory for the first time in two years, a survey has found."

tags: tenerife
Canary Infinity Extreme Racing

"This year, BMX, motocross, climbing, graffiti, skateboarding, live music and children's activities will compliment the leisure and sports event, which has become a huge success with full media coverage, revitalising the area and promoting Puerto de la Cruz as a desirable tourist destination."

tags: tenerife
Traffic density map of Tenerife roads

"Here’s a unique map we recently found hidden on the Cabildo website. It’s a traffic density map of Tenerife showing the average number of cars per day on each road (numbers marked in bold). "

tags: tenerife
Weather Forecast for Tenerife from 4th April to 10th April

"It was another good week for weather on Tenerife with many parts experiencing lots of sunshine and temperatures that rose into the mid twenties towards the end of the week especially, as predicted, on Thursday when it felt more like summer temperatures than spring."

tags: tenerife
On Holiday Snobs Seek Culture Whilst Ordinary Folk Seek the Beach

"The secret that the pool dwellers don’t realise is that travellers like us don’t just enjoy the cultural experience…we get the beach and bars as well as stockpiling some great memories that live on way, way, way after the suntan has faded. "

tags: tenerife

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Old Houses in La Gomera

2011-04-10T06:57:00.000+01:00

Photo by: rainyren

Going Postal

2011-04-09T15:43:00.001+01:00

This report, which I spotted in the Spanish press recently will either have my friends, frequent users of the service, seeing red (though not on the post boxes) or else laughing like drains at the utter absurdity of it.

The post office in Tenerife is congratulating itself – which it did in a press release - on the fact that, as it says, without increasing staff (so, just by bullying and whip cracking then), they were able to achieve that 71% of the 124,500 customers who were attended during the first two months of the year, were attended in less than 5 minutes.

My impression is that waiting times so far exceed that in some offices as to make customers wonder if perhaps they should have bought a packed lunch. Or a tent.

The Post Office has created an “improvement group” (a term I usually equate with kids at the bottom of the class) from among the main Post Office in the Plaza de España in Santa Cruz and others, including La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz and Los Cristianos. They say they’re harvesting good results. Wonder if users agree?

Protest against La Orotava town Hall in Tenerife, for humiliating People who are without resources

2011-04-09T15:12:00.001+01:00

Members of the Asamblea Canaria por el Reparto de La Riqueza (Canarian Assembly for Sharing of Weath), it is reported here, protested before the full council at La Orotava town hall in Tenerife, on March 29th because of what they allege is the humiliating treatment to which people in social exclusion are subjected, whilst merely claiming what is rightfully theirs.

They say that the town hall is treating those without resources as criminals, always under suspicion, and forced to overcome absurd obstacles of bureaucracy and red tape, merely to receive small grants of money, which do not in any way alleviate the situations of poverty and exclusion in which they live.

Does this scenario sound at all familiar to anyone?

The report continues, “people who come to the town hall for something as basic as food have to endure repeated interviews with Social Work Units (one visit per bag of food per month) so as to be provided with a ‘certificate of poverty’ to go to church institutions, not public or municipal, to seek food.”

(NB: Unemployment benefits in Spain are paid dependant upon how long you had worked before becoming unemployed. (Sickness is covered by employers, or rather, it isn’t, because most make short contracts and “massage” the system to get rid of any employees they feel are likely to become a burden, which is what happened in my case, back in 1995 and 1997.) Once dole runs out, the only resource is to go begging to your local town hall for discretionary hand-outs. If you’re single, don’t bother, because your family must legally keep you.)

Video of La Gomera

2011-04-09T11:11:00.001+01:00

Not sure what the Brazilian music (though it’s certainly pleasant) this video is set to has to do with the island, but it shows you some beautiful images. So, grab yourself a coffee (or other refreshment) and put your feet up to watch them for 9 minutes.

Hermigua

2011-04-09T06:52:00.000+01:00

Banana plantations in the valley of Hermigua in the north east of La Gomera.

Photo by: Dielens

Parque Garajonay

2011-04-08T06:43:00.000+01:00

A path through the laurisilva forest in the Garajonay National Park in La Gomera.

Photo: by by: mirka0077

Christopher Columbus House

2011-04-07T06:34:00.000+01:00

The house where Chris Columbus reputedly stayed when he visited the island of La Gomera on his way to getting lost in the 1490s, although rumour also has it that this isn’t the original house which stood then, but one that was rebuilt later.

Photo: by: ahfraser