Monday, June 30, 2008
Tenerife's tourism increases
Everywhere you look these days there's doom and gloom as, apparently, people can bearly afford to eat any more; then there's panic in the tourism sector because, it's said, numbers are dropping and there's a crisis on, yet ...
This report from ABC says that, during the month of May, in Tenerife, the total number of tourists accommodated in Tenerife was 413,524, a quite hefty 21.07% increase on the same period last year. Much of that increase was due to the rise in visitors coming from the Spanish mainland (a huge 33.73% more of them), but the number of foreign tourists was also up by 14.61%.
Year to date to the end of May, numbers were up by 5.5% overall.
The number of tourists staying in hotels (258,990) was up by 23.02%, while those staying in apartments and other types of accommodation (154,534) increased by 17.94%. Even so, accommodation on the island was only filled to 63.46% of it's capacity (3.33% up) during May, with the overwhelming majority, 307,723 tourists (21.9% more than in 2007), staying on the south of the island, while 85,132 (also a 21.4% increase on the previous year), holidayed in the north.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Güimar's traditional ribbon dance
The "Danza de Güimar" (Danza de las cintas - Ribbon Dance, somewhat like a Maypole Dance) in Güímar, dates back to the 17th Century. This article tells us that a letter exists concerning the event, which is from the year 1788.
The dance is traditionally danced by 12 boys (although in the early 20th Century, adults danced it), around one man holding the ribboned pole.
The dancers go out again in the procession at around mid-day today, June 29th, part of the ongoing Fiestas de San Pedro 2008: fiestas for the Patron of Güimar: San Pedro (Saint Peter). If you can't get there personally, I highly recommend browsing José Mesa's set of photos of this year's fiestas.
Photo: 51bP1080166, originally uploaded by Mataparda.Dealing with Anti-Social Restaurant Touts
Could you imagine ASBO's for restaurant touts?
It's a phenomenon I'd not come across much in my 16 years in Tenerife, being mostly on my own and trying hard NEVER to look like a tourist, until I walked around Puerto de la Cruz one lunchtime with my mother and we were accosted roughly every 10 paces. Did we look THAT hungry?
Anyway, after just one or two, it gets seriously annoying to have to keep saying, "No thank you, we've just eaten," or whatever excuse. Someone on holiday and faced with a whole 14 days of this is certainly going to get seriously pissed off.
Nigel Tisdall, writing in the Telegraph, says that, "The repeated harassment from restaurant touts is wearying." And the opinion from some on this thread at Holiday Truths, is that they're a pest and that, "If the Tenerife authorities want to stop the decrease in toursits (sic) then this should there (sic) first priority."
They have a point and the customer is always right, remember.
So, I was interested to read this article (via Londonist) saying that a curry touting ban had been introduced to Brick Lane in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London and that a persistent tout has been fined and handed an ASBO (Anti-Social Behaviour Order).
Could such measures ever be implemented in Tenerife, I wonder?
(On the other hand, you might like to get your mates one of these spoof ASBOs form Gadget Pages: if they're coming to the touristy bit of Tenerife, the chance that they'll disgrace themselves in public, is, we fear, quite high! :)
Saturday, June 28, 2008
With Heatwave, Comes Fire in Tenerife
View Larger MapFirefighters brought a small fire under control in the area known as Charca de la Mariana, in Tierra del Trigo, near Los Silos (info) in the north west of Tenerife on Friday afternoon.
The fire broke out just after 7 p.m. in a palm grove and was brought under control a little before 9 p.m., but the fire devastated a palm and some cane. (It's a matter of debate if this is was bamboo cane or sugar cane.)
Probably due to the proximity of the Monte del Agua laurisilva (laurel, cloud) forest and the general paranoia over fires after last year's experience, amongst other things, the response appears to have been rapid and numerous (as it should be). The Cabildo (Corporation) report details a long list of ground equipment, as well as a helicopter, being deployed.
There's no mention of the cause of the fire, but the heatwave, with relatively low humidity, of course, makes it more liable to spread rapidly.
Visitors and locals alike should take note of the recommendations not to travel into the mountains and fire bans in place during the current weather alert.
Labels: Tenerife Fire
Friday, June 27, 2008
Heatwave alert in Tenerife
Reports indicate that there's a Government pre-alert for a heatwave beginning tomorrow morning (June 28th) and lasting throughout the weekend. Temperatures of up to 34ºC are forecast in central and south Tenerife.
Commenters on the story in Spanish are asking, since when does 34º warrant an alert, as this is not really that hot for the time of year. The answer is, when the forecast (note: not the actual) is for temperatures equal to or above the 33 maximum and 23 minimum (the thresholds set for the Canary Islands) for one or two days. (The alert level would rise if the heatwave prolonged.)
More details on the alert levels and the recommendations can be found here.
If you're not accustomed to heat, we suggest you follow them.
According to the BBC, the temperature in Tenerife south at 12:00 GMT was 30°C (86°F), Wind Direction: S, Wind Speed: 3 mph, Relative Humidity: 40%.
The authorities are probably being over-cautious (rightly or wrongly), because of the recent fires in La Gomera and the massive fires in Tenerife and Gran Canaria last summer and, indeed have implemented a BBQ ban from today in forest recreation areas in the Corona Forestal, Anaga and Teno areas and, a ban on burning scrub or letting off fireworks in areas close to vegetation.
In addition, they're asking people not to go to the mountains while the alert is on and, if you do, stick to asphalted roads, avoiding forest tracks.
Get more Tenerife weather information and forecasts here
Labels: Tenerife Weather, Weather
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Jennifer Lopez in Tenerife Bikini Pictures
The international media up to its usual standards again.
When they're not poking fun at Marc Anthony's thinness or the alleged size of Jennifer Lopez' bum (which looks perfectly normal sized to me), they just can't imagine that anything else goes on in Tenerife, except, since they think it's only a holiday resort, people must be here on holiday.
Well, they could be, of course, but there is a lot more goes on and to the island, other than resorts, as we keep trying to tell people here.
Anyway, the celebrity couple, along with twins Max and Emme (and, it appears from the photos, Jennifer's sister, Linda) were not here in Tenerife merely on vacation, but were here at the start or Marc Anthony's Spanish tour, which began with a concert on the south of Tenerife last Friday.
Jennifer Lopez in a Bikini With Her Babies!!
Jennifer Lopez Bikini Pictures
Labels: Jennifer Lopez in Tenerife, Marc Anthony in Tenerife
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Famously in Tenerife ...
Queen Elizabeth 2 in Santa Cruz harbour on Friday, June 20th, 2008. (Photo: Maduroman) The QE2 made her last visit to Tenerife and a massive firework display marked the end of her final visit to Santa Cruz, last Friday.
Puerto Rican singer, Marc Anthony arrived on the island on Friday, to play Saturday night's concert in Arona and, was accompanied by wife, Jennifer Lopez and the twins. Sunday, the family hoped over to Gran Canaria.
Tenerife might prefer not to be in the international limelight quite so much as it has been in the last few days, over the "revelation" that "po-faced and hatchet-hearted" Heather Mills found true love / a toyboy on the island.
Jamie Walker's reported salary of "just £800 a month" ain't much, but it would be a lot more than many people earn in Tenerife. But I'm sure there could be other reasons for dating a famous, rich and newly single tourist ...
While Wayne Rooney spent £250,000 on his four-day stag party in Ibiza, before his recent nuptials in Italy, his bride-to-be, Coleen McLoughlin, had to make do with slumming it on a budget hen do in Tenerife.
Puerto de la Cruz is to have it's 15 minutes of fame in Paris, with the presentation of a documentary on the life of Agustín de Betancourt.
Palmair (website), the tiny airline that provides flights from Bournemouth airport to Tenerife, have again become famous as the third best in the world and the top rated airline flying from the UK, beating rivals including Virgin Atlantic and British Airways, because of its personal service and attention to details, such as putting flowers in the toilets of its Boeing 737.
In rather less positive news on the airline front, Tenerife hit the international news when a mechanic was sucked into the engine of an Airbus at Tenerife's south airport on Monday. The report is a bit detailed and gory.
And, internationally famous, Cuban hip-hop group Orishas, appeared in Tenerife again, on Las Teresitas beach, last night during the San Juan celebrations to dip the toe of their new album into the waters.
More Tenerife news and links ...
Labels: Jennifer Lopez in Tenerife, Marc Anthony in Tenerife, Orishas in Tenerife
Monday, June 23, 2008
For those Moments between Museums
In the Calle San Agustín in La Laguna - a World Heritage Site - and just 200 meters from the Bishop's Palace, is a new breed of shop. They don't like to call them sex shops now: the new store, Momentos, bills itself as a love shop.
Avoiding pornography and concentrating on the playful side of sex; eroticism, massage, etc., the light and airy store resembles a Moorish tearoom more than anything sordid you might expect. Nevertheless, the article does go on to say that the shops sells "luxury items", such as vibrators that vibrate to the rhythm of your iPod or when you receive a call on your mobile phone.
Could well provide you with a bit of light relief between museums! :)
See a video of the store interior: Por qué lo llaman sexo
Sunday, June 22, 2008
One of these is not like the others
One in 4 foreigners in the Canaries is as true as this Photoshopped image!
According to reports of the provisional data provided by Instituto Canario de Estadística (Canarian Statistics Institute), the Canary Islands population reached 2,070,465 by Jan 1st, a quarter of whom are foreigners.
But, apart from simply not being true, I think we should set the record straight, because xenophobia is rife enough as it is on the islands, without alarming the local population, whose attitudes can be mighty insular (you know, just like the British) into thinking they're virtually being overrun.
Having looked at the data myself and got my calculator out this morning, I think they can't be teaching maths to reporters these days, because, of that total of 2,070,465, the huge majority, of 1,788,461 are of Spanish nationality, leaving a balance of only 282,004 who are "foreign". This number is 13.62% of the population, about one person in every 7, not one in 4.
Of those "outsiders", 154,921 are from "The rest of Europe", from which I deduce that actual "foreigners" (that is non-Europeans) resident in the Canary Islands only amount to 127,083 (~6%). This last figure can be confirmed by adding up the subtotals for the various continents:
Those from Africa, most notably include over 16 thousand Moroccan nationals, meaning that very few are the "Africans in boats" that the media likes to talk about daily. Non-European Residents in the Canary Islands Africa 27,804 America 85,521 Asia 13,614 Oceana 72 Stateless Persons 72 Total Non-European Residents: 127,083
The huge majority, of course, are from South and Latin America, with 21,541 people from Colombia, 11,868 from Venezuela, 11,006 from Cuba and 10,065 from Argentina, being the largest groups from that continent.
The most significant contributions to the, really quite small, Asian total are around 6 thousand Chinese and only ~3 thousand people from India.
In the European league: EU citizens, not foreigners; the Germans (39,376) just outnumber the British (37,789), with Italy coming in third at 24,090.
(An order that probably won't be repeated any time soon in European football! :-)
Friday, June 20, 2008
Orishas choose Tenerife's Las Teresitas beach for the world premiere of their new album
Cuban hip-hop group Orishas (authors of the official Santa Cruz Carnaval tune and, who we saw in Los Realejos in May), have chosen to launch their new album, Cosita Buena, to the world in general on Tenerife's Las Teresitas beach on Monday, June 23rd.
The presentation and first live performance of some of the tracks from the new album, will take place during the traditional fiestas for the Noche de San Juan (Night of Saint John the Baptist), celebrated with hogueras (beach bonfires).
There's also going to be various local groups performing, kite flying demos and beach volleyball, according to the report; in total a really grand fiesta - entrance is free - to welcome in the summer.
UPDATE: A few more details on the 9 hour spectacle (Via MojoPicon), with 30,000 watts of sound and 50K of light that's being sponsored by Cruzcampo (beer) and Coca-Cola, that will also have environmental workshops; diving; therapies on offer, such as massage and an exhibition of sandcastles.
The live music starts at 6 p.m. and Orishas are billed to appear at 11 p.m.
This report also mentions that Santa Cruz town hall have announced that Hip Hop Conga (which appears on the new album - their 4th - as a bonus track), is to be retained as the official song for Santa Cruz Carnaval 2009 as well.
In a separate article, Roldán and Ruzzo talk (in Spanish, naturally) about the making of Cosita Buena, which they say, they have taken the risk of arranging and producing themselves - without someone to act as referee. Asked who always got the last word, Roldán replied, laughing, that it was a secret!
Ruzzo also reveals that Santa Cruz mayor, Miguel Zerolo, had asked them personally to produce a song for the Tenerife Carnaval, literally to rescue it (after the bitter Rafael Amargo disaster the previous year.) Roldán then goes on to say that they researched Tenerife traditions and the culinary culture, in order to come up with lyrics that really had some relevance for the population.
Nowadays, Yotuel lives in Madrid, Ruzzo in Milan and Roldán in Paris, but in Tenerife, says Roldán, they feel at home. (Don't we all?)
NB: According to the concert program, Orishas have one more stop in the Canary Islands during the summer; in La Palma (no venue given yet), on July 26th.
Possibly related posts
Tenerife Calendar for the Month of May 2008 - Orishas give Santa Cruz Carnaval a bonus boost - Orishas in the Plaza Weyler, Santa Cruz - Life is a Carnaval - Tenerife Carnaval: Sábado de Piñata - Britannia Rules Tenerife - Be a magician! It's easier than you think! - And now for some good news from Tenerife - The secret - to Santa Cruz Carnaval 2008 - has been revealed and ... - Gloria Estefan to perform in Tenerife
Labels: Orishas in Tenerife
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Will Jennifer be coming this time?
Last time Puerto Rican singer, Marc Anthony played in Tenerife (in October 2006), he was accompanied, both on the trip and on the stage, by the wife; Jennifer López. Here they both are, singing No me ames in Tenerife.
This weekend, the El Cantante star begins his Spanish tour with a concert in Arona, Tenerife on Saturday, as part of the Aguaviva Canarias 2008 festival.
But the question of everyone's lips (well, it was on mine and is certainly on those of the staff of 20minutos.es), is whether the wife (and the young twins even) will also be coming along on the tour. It's said that Marc Anthony will be arriving to Tenerife in a private jet and trailing along a staff of more than 50 people, so you'd imagine he could run to the expense of a babysitter.
For those of you who don't know much of his work, here's an early one; a long haired Marc Anthony in a duet with La India - Vivir Lo Nuestro. This duet, with Gloria Estefan (who is also slated to be playing in Tenerife, later in the year), singing Gloria's, Mi Tierra, is stronger than the original with el flaco's help.
And above is a video of a young Marc Anthony singing something you're bound to recognize: Hotel California and he's certainly not making a shoddy job of it!
Y Jennifer, ¿vendrá esta vez?
Labels: Jennifer Lopez in Tenerife, Marc Anthony in Tenerife
Monday, June 02, 2008
Half a ton of gofio in the form of Mount Teide
To celebrate Día de Canarias (Canaries Day) on Friday, May 30th, the Tres de Mayo shopping center (in the avenue of the same name) in Tenerife's capital, Santa Cruz, offered a giant pella (sorta like a cake) of gofio to customers.
The 500 kilos of gofio, mixed with water, raisins, almonds, honey and sugar (in a very big mixing bowl, I imagine), formed into a model of Tenerife's Mount Teide, was made by staff of the Monkey Beach Club restaurant, in Playa de Las Américas.
There seems to be no precedent for a "world's biggest pella" and it probably deserves a mention in Guinness World Records. But, as Lo que pasa en Tenerife, tell us, being a bank holiday, there weren't too many people in the shopping center, so had we known, we're sure we'd have been able to get a piece. 
Gofio: This toasted, milled grain product that was first eaten by the Guanches, the original inhabitants of the Canary Islands and, still is by many residents today.
Gofio can be served sweet, as the giant pella was, or savory, as an accompaniment (and filler) to fish or meat dishes.
The secondary school in Garachico show you how to make a Pella de gofio, step by step in photos, on their blog.
It's so simple, you hardly need a translation and, no cooking is required.
Here's lots more about gofio and the various ways it's served (in Spanish), with photos and, a video, which shows all sorts of images from the local gastronomy. Watch that while you're hungry and you'll be drooling on your keyboard! :)
La Despensa will tell you even more about gofio (in English) and, you can now buy gofio online with delivery locally, nationally, or to all of Europe.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Tenerife weather for June 1st, 2008
The Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (State Meteorological Agency), report Canarias24horas, forecast for this Sunday, June 1st, 2008. Cloudy intervals (note that in Spanish, the intervals are cloudy, not sunny) except in the peaks of the islands with greatest relief (Tenerife and La Palma), where skies will be clear.
Temperatures without significant changes and with a moderate northeast wind.
English reports show those same scattered clouds, current temperatures are around 75 °F / 24 °C and, the good news, for anyone coming to the island, is that the forecast for the next week is pretty much more of the same.
Weather conditions in Tenerife now ...
What's on in Tenerife in June 2008?
On June 16th, Hed Kandi's flying disco makes one of three visits to Tenerife this summer. Never mind that it's the same banging tunes you could hear in London or Manchester. They don't get the weather in those places, for some reason! :) 
Meanwhile, June gets off to a flying start here with the Romeria San Isidro Labrador y Santa María de la Cabeza (folk festival in traditional Canarian dress) in La Orotava, held, this year on Sunday, June 1st.
It's been hailed as The Prettiest Fiesta in the Canary Islands and is probably the biggest of this type, in which, around 75 carts and 25,000 people take part.
More photos: first here's a set from the Romeria en La Orotava Junio 2007 and this (with an excellent description, in English, by an American who took part), was from the previous year. Going a bit further back in history, a wonderful b/w image of a bygone Romería de San Isidro en la villa de la Orotava.
Santa Blues Festival 2008
Santa Cruz' annual blues festival, includes; The Robert Cray Band (06/06), EvilMrSod (13/6 and 27/6), Keiko (13/6) and the Orange Blues Band (27/6)
The Santa Blues Festival takes place in and around the Calle La Noria area in the capital city's old quarter. 
Fiestas de Granadilla de Abona 2008
The fiestas that started on Friday in Granadilla will be going on for most of the month. On Sunday, June 8th, they have their traditional Romeria. On Saturday, June 14th, Tenerife's own reggaeton duo, K-Narias in Concert. The festivities all culminate with the Granadilla Rally on the weekend of the 21st and 22nd June.
Zucchero in Concert
Italian singer, Zucchero is in concert as part of his ?All the best 2008? tour, at the Pabellón Municipal de Deportes de Santa Cruz (Municipal Sports Center) in Santa Cruz, on Friday, June 6th.
Aguaviva Canarias 2008
Marc Anthony (King of Salsa, Mr. Jennifer Lopez, June 21st) and Jamiroquai (June 14th) are among the artists at this year's Aguaviva Canarias 2008 festival, which runs from June 1st to 22nd. See our calendar for more details.
Siente 2008 Festival
Digital images and electronic music (not to mention alcohol and other substances probably) mix to create a bunch of sensations you couldn't have had before new technologies got into music and art. Friday June 20th and Saturday, June 21st in the Plaza de la Constitución, in La Orotava. More ...
The Night of San Juan
Spend the night of San Juan, June 23rd, at Playa Jardín, Puerto de la Cruz, by the light of the bonfires. Read more about June's high days and magic nights and, about that and the June 24th goat dipping tradition in A Midsummer Night?s Dream. More Solstice silliness and Midsummer madness here.
The Circus Came to La Laguna Town
Actually, the Gran Circo Mundial is at the La Laguna university campus, from May 29th to June 22nd. Advisory: This circus seems to still employ animals if that bothers you.
Wine Fiesta in Los Cristianos
Also on Friday, June 6th, in the plaza del puerto (square by the port) in Los Cristianos, there is to be a wine festival. Presumably you'll be able to try some samples. Hic! 
And if you like bargains, this is an essential date for your diary! 5 days of fuddling (June 11th to 15th) at Exposaldo 08, at the Centro Internacional de Ferias y Congresos de Tenerife (International Fairs and Congress Center), in Santa Cruz. Annual fair dedicated to liquidation of merchandise, sales and stock clearance. Textiles, shoes, jewellery, electrical appliances, furniture, toys, kitchenware, other seasonal and miscellaneous items ... as well as well as 1,000 sq. m of vehicles (second hand, ex-showroom, special offers.)
There are more fiestas in Tenerife this June than we could possibly list here.
Canarias Fiesta appear to have three pages of them. Currently, many of them are without details and just listed as happening in June, so we have no more info to give you, except to say, that I'll bet there's one near you at some point! 
And, still we're only scratching the surface. If you consult our calendar, you'll find that there are loads more events; music, exhibitions, guided walks, sports, etc. People add links to their own events on our MySpace page (which is what we set it up for), so you may see something there, before we can and add it to the calendar or write about it here.
For the next couple of weeks or so we suggest you do keep an eye on those sources, because we will be without an internet connection, so we won't be here to post much new stuff (and we won't be able to answer your emails either.)
And here's where you'll find all the Tenerife related news that didn't fit ...
Labels: Jennifer Lopez in Tenerife, Marc Anthony in Tenerife, What's On?
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