Secret Tenerife

Tenerife in the news and around the web

2008-11-21T12:49:00.002Z

Laguna se suma a la campa�a de la DGT sobre control del tel�fono m�vil y distracciones al volante

Posted: 20 Nov 2008 01:14 PM CST

Pay attention on the roads, especially in La Laguna. After up to 25% of accidents over the last couple of years have been shown to be caused by driving without due care and attention - particularly the use of mobile phones and other distractions, such as; lighting or stubbing out cigarettes, changing CDs or poor use of Sat Nav devices - local police in the town will be mounting special controls from now until November 30th.

Call That Parking?

Posted: 20 Nov 2008 12:16 PM CST

... another incredible example of the Canarios interpretation of what's considered acceptable parking.

Gran Fiesta de los Vinos en Tenerife

Posted: 20 Nov 2008 11:52 AM CST

Grand Wine Festival in the Calle La Noria, Santa Cruz, November 21st. Tastings and tapas at silly prices!

Tenerife Off The Beaten Path | Venere Travel Blog

Posted: 20 Nov 2008 11:51 AM CST

... if you want to see a totally different side to Tenerife, it's only about half an hour up the road. The northwestern side of the island is like being on a completely different island altogether. Gone are the hoards of sun-burnt tourists screaming for Eastenders and gone are the poor locals having to make a living by putting up with their abuse. Up in the north, you have the real Tenerife.

TEA, a cheery brew of Tenerife arts

Posted: 20 Nov 2008 11:42 AM CST

Do you remember boring school trips to stuffy art galleries, where the highlight of your day was noshing your curled cheese sandwiches and thinking that at least it was a day free from the classroom? Art has come a long way since then ...

Going up market in Santa Cruz

Posted: 20 Nov 2008 11:40 AM CST

... nice to see traditional markets thriving in the heart of the big hi tech capital that Santa Cruz has become. The African market is open every day from 7 am to 6 pm, and is just a short walk from the main bus station.

Tilting at Tenerife's windmills

2008-11-15T17:17:00.001Z

There are ruins of windmills dotted all around Tenerife and, according to this article, it appears, at last, these are going to be restored. Recently, the Tenerife Island Corporation began restoration work on the old windmill in the Barranco Grande, which had consisted merely of burnt out remains. Along with watermills, these windmills stand as a testament to the industry of the past and could be fun to visit (maybe you should bag them like lighthouses?)

Time for TEA: new arts space in Tenerife

2008-10-25T00:32:00.000+01:00

If Prince Charles thought the Central Library in Birmingham, England, looked more like a place to incinerate books, then goodness knows what he'd suggest is the likely role that this building in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, will play with the arts. We must assume that all the beauty shall lie within. :)

The Tenerife Espacio de las Artes, or TEA for short (which will either make it attractive or confusing to English speakers), is yet another work by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, is scheduled to open on October 31st, with open days on November 1st and 2nd, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The building is to house the museum of contemporary art Instituto Óscar Domínguez (Tenerife's famed surrealist); the Centro de Fotografía Isla de Tenerife (Tenerife Photography Center) and the island's central library.

Russian Tall Ship in Tenerife

2008-10-24T16:40:00.001+01:00

If you go down to Santa Cruz port today, you'll be in for, not just a big surprise, but a tall treat: a chance to cast your eyes over the second largest sailing ship in the world, the training ship Kruzenshtern, of the Russian navy.

As citizen reporter, Juan Campos, suggests, it must be well worth a look at the 114.4 m (376 ft) four masted barque and tall ship. She was built in Germany, in 1926, but passed into Soviet hands after the Second World War. (The Wikipedia article about her, here has some beautiful images of her in full sail.)

Apparently, this is not the first time the Kruzenshtern has visited the island either, because last year she was seen off the south of the island, close to the port of Los Christianos taking part in filming some sequences for a film.

Don't hesitate though: the ship arrived in Tenerife on Tuesday and is scheduled to set sail tomorrow, Saturday, October 25th, at 4.pm.

Tenerife's Trilingual Pigs

2008-10-22T16:27:00.001+01:00

This pretty much qualifies for the "oddly enough" category, so it was impossible to resist. In this image, taken from the car park of the petrol station close the Playa del Soccorro in Los Realejos, we see a family of little piggies, who gather daily to frolic in a pool alongside (not visible in the photo.)

They must be very clever little piggies too, because they appear to be able to read no less than three languages; Spanish, English and German!

Para hablar idiomas hay que ser cochino

The bread delivery ...

2008-10-22T01:38:00.001+01:00

Special for Tim. Taken La Orotava, on a "carpet day."

Is bread in Tenerife expensive?

2008-10-20T15:31:00.001+01:00

One of the foodstuffs that has increased in price most notably in the last year in the Canary Islands, is the bread. Currently, many supermarkets are selling a large barra de pan (230-250 gm baguette) for 45 cents (about 35 pence), which still seems like very good value to me, but it is relative, both to the previous prices and to the wages and purchasing power of the Canarian family.

The Canary Islands achieved a top place in September, becoming the most inflationary region in Spain in the last year, where prices rose by 5.4%, compared to 4.5% nationally. Meanwhile, the price of bread in the islands, shot up by 14.5%, almost double the national average increase of 8.6%.

So the nice folk of Lo que pasa en Tenerife went out onto the streets of Santa Cruz on Friday, October 17th and reported back various bread prices:

Almost coinciding with the publication of the September figures, Mercadona reduced the price of their bread from 52 to 45 cents.
French owned hypermarket, Carrefour, also sells their bread at 45 cents.
The best price they found was at Alcampo, selling for 43 cents.
The traditional bakeries were the most expensive, selling for between 65 and 70 cents in those they visited in Santa Cruz, but as they point out, the quality is usually that much higher; often more natural and less mass produced. (If you're looking for nice bread in Santa Cruz, I recommend the bread from the stall in the Nuestra Señora de África municipal market.)
Supercor, which belongs to El Corte Inglés, priced their bread at 66 cents.
Last Friday, the least economical was Hiperdino, ironically the one that advertises on the tele all the time saying "Siempre los mejores precios de canarias" (Always the best prices in the Canaries), at 85 cents.

And, of course, the best thing about the bread in Tenerife is the fact that you can still have it delivered daily to your door, fresh and warm and so natural and devoid of nasty chemicals that it bearly lasts until lunch time.

Now that's something you cannot buy at any price in Britain.

¿Has notado la subida del pan?

Upcoming in Tenerife

2008-10-19T11:44:00.001+01:00

Currently, I'm having numerous difficulties with other commitments and with hand and wrist pain that I'm trying to avoid becoming a larger (carpal tunnel) problem, so meanwhile, here's an agenda of upcoming events:

For the time being, I'm piping (sporadic) news snippets and calendar additions through our main feed so that you can stay as up-to-date as possible.

You can subscribe to the calendar itself, or subscribe to our news feed (add it to My Yahoo!, Bloglines, Feedster or Google Reader); follow us on Twitter or get daily, weekly or monthly newsletters, mobile version and more.

What's on in Tenerife W/E 05/10/08

2008-10-02T23:29:00.002+01:00

Subida a Tamaimo (Tamaimo Hill Climb)

This year's 34th Subida a Tamaimo (Tamaimo Hill Climb), according to the 2008 rally calendar issued by the island's motorsport federation, will be held this coming weekend, on Saturday 4th October.

The "subida" is one of the most popular events on the island's annual sports calendar and usually attracts a crowd of around 30,000. According to TenerifeMotor, there are 77 cars and drivers participating in the spectacular climb, which will be 350 meters longer than in previous years.

Tenerife Second Hand Car Show

While we're still on motors, the 2º Salón del Vehículo de Ocasión (2nd Second Hand Car Show) is on this week at the International Fairs and Congress Center, in Santa Cruz, with 12,000 m² and more than 400 vehicles for perusal between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m., Thursday to Sunday, October 2 - 5.

Adeje Lan Party 2008

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 3rd, 4th and 5th October at the Casa de Juventud in Adeje. Limited places and pre-inscription necessary.

Adeje Lan Party (Via Mojo Canario and Blog Tenerife.)

Beach Volleball Champions Cup

Also being held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 3rd, 4th and 5th October, is the Tenerife Beach Volleball Champions Cup. Not content with over 200 miles of coastline that has many beaches and coves in Tenerife, the event is being held at Siam Park in Adeje. Teams from Spain, Russia, France, Italy, Britain, German y Poland will be taking part and it's to be covered by Spanish and Canarian TV. The publicity won't harm the new park any, will it? :)

Colin Kirby has more details and tips on what to watch here

Bargain Hunting in Los Cristianos

Who isn't looking for a bargain in these crunch times? Head along to Expo Outlet at the Los Cristianos Exhibition Center (alongside the "El Grillo" municipal sports center) on Saturday and Sunday, 4th and 5th October, the object of which is to give local companies the chance to ~~liquidise~~ liquidate some stock (of non-damaged goods). Open to both the public and trade, you'll find fashion and accessory items, decoration and home, children's items, gifts, and jewellery.

VI Festival Rock & Roll 50s

On Friday and Saturday, 3rd and 4th October, Tenerife celebrates the 6th Annual 50's Rock 'n Roll (Rockabilly) Festival with various groups and DJs and, undoubtedly, many a brace of Ducks' Arses on show, at the Hotel Panorámica Garden, Los Realejos.

Tenerife Tattoo Fest

The event that has been getting the most coverage this week is the upcoming Tenerife Tattoo Fest, being held at the Parque Maritimo, in Santa Cruz on Saturday and Sunday, 4th and 5th October.

Attractions include around 100 of the world's best tattooists showing off their talents live; a chopper bike exhibition; a skateboard championship; art, graffiti, body painting, rock concerts (Halagoogoo + G. A. F. + Mistake + Marvell Hill) and chats with sociologists, celebrated tattooists and other experts.

Entrance is 14 euros per day or 20 euros for both days. Open midday to midnight Saturday, midday to 10 p.m. Sunday.

There will also be restaurant areas with typically Canarian food to savor.

Quite why there's a photo of the man who looks least likely to have a tattoo anywhere; the mayor's "First Lieutenant" and councillor for Economy and Tax, Ángel Llanos (he who managed to confuse us over Elton John), on the festival's website baffled us. The poster also mentions a "Freak Show".

Tenerife Tattoo Fest MySpace Via: Blog Tenerife

El Pequeño Deshollinador / The Little Sweep (Benjamin Britten)

For something completely different, why not take the kids to the opera?

The coming week sees three performances, on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, October 5th, 6th and 7th, of Benjamin Britten's opera from 'Let's make an Opera', an entertainment for young people, El Pequeño Deshollinador, The Little Sweep (1949) at the Auditorio de Tenerife.

Voices from the Santa Cruz' Conservatory of Music and music from the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra (who are difficult to beat for quality.)

Ah, this takes me back: I remember going to concerts at the Royal Festival Hall in London when I was a kid (and the hall was still fairly new!) and Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra still sticks in my brain today - I mean, I can still hum bars of it to this day! I should imagine this will be just such a memorable event and, tickets are a measly 6 euros (around £4.70).

Football: CD Tenerife v Alicante

If none of that appeals, why not give some moral support to Tenerife's football team, CD Tenerife, who are at home to Alicante, at the Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López, on Saturday, October 4th. K.O. is at 5.30 p.m.

If you're looking for the traditional Canarian stuff, this week, you'll find it in the Fiestas de Arona 2008 and a varied program of daytime and evening events.

You want more? Other events, exhibitions, etc., listed on our calendar.

Want To Get Our News Faster?

2008-10-02T23:08:00.001+01:00

Last minute announcements of events in the press - even on the very day that they're happening - are nothing unusual for Tenerife. In fact, until relatively recently, all published information was after the fact and I'd come to the conclusion that you needed to be related to someone on the organizing committee of a fiesta before you'd hear about any of them in advance.

With the advent of the internet it's becoming easier to gather news, but even if more Canarians than average use computers and the internet, other than a notably select few, sites don't seem to "get" the concept of regularly updating anything. Actually publicising events in advance just doesn't appear natural and I often wonder if this stems from the idea that, since "everyone" (born in the relevant town or village) already knows, there's simply no need.

It's all just part of the "charm" of the laid back Canarian culture.

Yes, it's infuriating and, one wonders why the authorities themselves aren't publishing more of this information, in English, especially when it relates to tourist events and, even ironically, for World Tourism Day. They can't really believe that all tourists speak Spanish, or do they? Or maybe they only want Spanish speaking tourists?

But then you hear how these villages want to keep traditional events going and how they see them as tourist attractions and how they want visitors to come and share them ... and yet they still don't publicise them outside of a few local posters, seen by those who already know and, only in Spanish. It's at this point I begin banging my head against the nearest wall for relief. :)

Honestly, I couldn't even begin to explain how difficult it is to bring you "local activities that are about to happen, and not after they have happened", or how much I appreciate that finally, someone has noticed that I do. :)

Without giving away my "trade secrets" (that aren't really secrets, but the detail would be excessively boring), basically to maintain this blog, I monitor and skim read headlines from literally hundreds of sources, many of which are themselves digests summarized from many more sources, on a daily basis.

Details of events with dates, I then add to this calendar, translating snippets or whole articles (where these have particular relevance), as I go along.

It is this information - that has been gathered, fact checked (as far as is humanly possible, which it isn't always at all) and translated, all manually - that then goes together to bring you selections of upcoming events.

However, I should point out that there is only one of me.

And circumstances are constantly contriving to diminish the amount of time I have. This site is a personal effort (plus odd guest articles); it's not run by a company or corporation, as many people who write to me seem to think.

So, can you have information in a more timely fashion, as I've also been asked on various occasions? Nope, sorry! It would take a staff to do that, but the meager amount of revenue that the site has ever generated, has bearly covered its running costs and has never paid me, let alone anyone else. Even if it did, it wouldn't be possible to do, because event organizers, town halls, local media, etc., wouldn't publish the original information any sooner.

What I can do ...

Through the miracle of technology, however, I can offer you a variety of ways to get the news and events I can manage to cover, as fast as possible.

weekly newsletter

As well as a monthly newsletter, published since the site began, I've just added a new weekly newsletter option. This will still be just a roundup of our headlines (and it can't round 'em up until AFTER they've been published), but it will be delivered more frequently - once weekly, on a Friday - so (when possible) it will bring you a list of the coming weekend's entertainments.

In addition to dated events, I save various links, photos, or news items that may be of interest. Rather than translating all of those - very often just the headline is enough information for most purposes - access those here.

As well as subscribing by email, you can also get our updates to your mobile; subscribe to our Google calendar (rss), follow us on Twitter or add our updates to; My Yahoo! Bloglines Feedster Google Reader More options ...

Wine, food and crafts this weekend

2008-09-27T15:52:00.001+01:00

Tacoronte and Garachico town halls are celebrating, today and tomorrow this suddenly popular Día Mundial del Turismo (World Tourism Day), with an ample program of activities, write Diario de Avisos in this report, published today.

Tacoronte: scenic beauty and richness of the wine sector

The first you'll have missed as it happened this morning and I'm only mentioning it at all, because there are regular jaunts along the Ruta del Vino Tacoronte Acentejo. This spot of enoturismo (routes of wine and wineries), in the Tacoronte Acentejo wine region, began at 9.30 at the Drago, on the Tacoronte-Tejina main road and the guided tour was to take in the "scenic beauty and richness of the wine sector", visiting El Sauzal and, La Matanza.

In those latter localities, visitors were calling into the Farmers' Market and the installations of the Bodega La Palmera, where a tasting was being offered.

Today's tourist trip terminated with the customary Almuerzo de la Vendimia (Harvest Luncheon) in an [unnamed] establishment in the district. Places were limited anyway, but the cost (including transport and visits, but presumably excluding food) was an amusing 5 euros per person (under £4).

More details on The Wine Route Tacoronte Acentejo, wine route tour, includes visits to vineyards, bodegas, museums and monuments, tastings and food.

Garachico: Canarian crafts, traditional food and pastries

Meanwhile, the odd tourist finding themselves in Garachico can enjoy events taking place on Sunday morning, from 10 a.m., in the Plaza Juan González de la Torre (a.k.a. Plaza de la Fuente (Fountain Place)). In this pretty little square, visitors can try a wine tasting, traditional food and pastries, plus sample typical Canarian crafts, with folk groups providing the day's musical entertainment.

Aptly for tourist day, alongside this plaza, was the Doña Gregoria Boarding House (now a grocery store) that, in times past, provided accommodation to the "odd tourist from England". Is there any other type? :)

Playa de Fa�ab� gets a defibrillator

2008-09-27T12:18:00.002+01:00

The Playa de Fañabé (it means Dolphin Beach, by the way) on the Costa Adeje, now has the first defibrillator on the Canary Islands coast.

It's mildly amusing to read that the apparatus, a Semi-Automatic External Defibrillator according to the report in Diario de Avisos, was "inaugurated" yesterday, with the usual contingent of Canarian politicians in attendance, but having one available to the emergency services right there at the busy beach aims to shorten the response time in the event of cardiac arrest and will surely improve the chances of saving a life if it's ever needed.

The news report also tells is that Tenerife already has 4 defibrillators (apart from ones in hospitals, ambulances, etc., presumably), situated in 3 sports centres; Santiago Martín, Ríos Tejera and Francisco Peraza (La Laguna) and, at the Intercambiador (bus / tram terminus) in Santa Cruz.

There are 25 more defibrillators that are shortly to be distributed throughout the archipelago, destined for the most crowded public spaces where lots of people are to be found. One is to be placed in the Loro Parque, another in the Basilica in Candelaria and others in various ferry ports of Tenerife.

If you know you have a heart problem, at least you can enjoy a day out and relax a bit more, knowing where these life-saving devices are.

Photo: LeoSynapse

Tenerife celebrates 20 years of paragliding

2008-09-26T22:48:00.001+01:00

This weekend paragliders in Tenerife are celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the arrival of the sport to the islands. (20 years, my how time flies! :) A group of paragliders was to have set off by bus to go to Izaña for a flight early on Saturday morning, but because of adverse weather conditions, has been postponed at the last minute, with the hope that it will place on Sunday instead.

You know you're a paraglider pilot when ... It says here "On cloudy/windy days you go to your favourite site anyway and bitch about the weather."

Nevertheless, a group intend to go up under their own steam, so there may still be flying to watch. Where they will land, depends on the weather too, but the intention is they'll come down on the Playa de El Socorro, in Güímar.

On Saturday afternoon, there's a program of diverse activities including; archery, sack races (remember these from school sports day?), a kite making workshop and more. These activities continue on Sunday.

More details (in Spanish) from the Club Parapente Izaña, whose video is set to Orishas "¿Que Pasa?" Those of you paying attention, will of course, realise the connection, as we saw Orishas perform at the Festival Internacional de Parapente (International Paragliding Festival) FLYPA in May.

XX años de parapente en Canarias se celebran en Güímar

More events for World Tourism Day

2008-09-26T20:44:00.001+01:00

Tourist information offices in Puerto de la Cruz, Garachico, Icod de los Vinos, Santa Cruz, Los Realejos, Güímar and Candelaria, as well as in the arrivals halls of both of the island's airports, will apparently be giving out leaflets from the Tenerife Tourism Corporation, highlighting some of the various areas and activities that tourists can visit, along with 5,000 luggage lables in honour of the Día Mundial del Turismo (World Tourism Day.)

LosGigantes.com report that Santiago del Teide council are organising several fun events today and tomorrow in Playa de la Arena and Los Gigantes to celebrate International Day of the Tourist there. Full details here.

And, Diario de Avisos tell us that Icod de los Vinos is opening it's doors to celebrate tourism day too, with guided tours throughout the weekend (from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) of the Parque del Drago, the Iglesia de San Marcos (church) and it's Museo de Arte Sacro (Museum of Sacred Art) and the Casa de los Cáceres (the house of the Cáceres family) and the exhibition of paintings inside the house. There's also a walk around the town's old centre and the shopping area. Set to strolling folk music players and the Band of Cornets and Drums, it all culminates with tasting of the produce of the local Ycoden-Daute-Isora wine region.

All of these events are worth a look, but the Museum of Sacred Art particularly, to see first hand the breathtaking filigree silver cross (whether you're religious or not, you will not fail to be moved by it's workmanship). Made in La Habana, Cuba, between 1663 and 1668, it's the largest filigree cross in the world, measuring 2.45 meters in height and weighing a hefty 48.3 kilos.

Canary Islands International Song Contest

2008-09-26T00:53:00.000+01:00

Thanks (I think) to our old mates over at Canarias Bruta for pointing this piece of pure entertainment out and, if it does nothing else, it may explain one reason why I often advocate going to hear Canarians playing Canarian folk music: it may not be something you'd want to buy or listen to at home, but it's authentic and, at least the performances are of what people know and do best.

This, by complete contrast, is the epitome of creative overstretching.

It's dangerous ground to criticize any artist, because I know first hand how hard it is to get on stage and "have a go", but then, some folk appear way too over-confident in their abilities and, putting this as diplomatically as possible, maybe they should be encouraged to find an alternative hobby.

Even this song's title, "May Seven Sunday" - has been written (or translated by Systran) into unintelligible English (though, not as you know it), then it's strangulated and pronounced through an old woolly sock. Mr Albelo, who clearly doesn't actually speak English, should stick to rica música latina.

But he didn't and this travesty was his entry into the equally over-ambitiously entitled Canary Islands International Song Contest, a.k.a. Universong.

Eurovision it was not! You didn't think there was anything more embarrassing and crap than Eurovision or X Factor, did you? See how wrong you can be! :)

As well as Universong, which took place in Los Realejos and, as Canarias Bruta point out, had "no media repercussion" - even we'd never heard of it - they have another contest for failed karaoke singers, called EuroSingers.

There's worse to come, Universong is going to be repeated in 2009 and you may be delighted to learn (or not) that you can register to participate (I can hear your excitement already) in either Spanish or English. Requirements (apart from being tone deaf) seem to be relatively few and old-tech and, the entry fee is a mere 80 euros (that can even be paid via Paypal.) :)

To end on a positive note, you'll hear much better and more authentic than this at any late night "knees up" at even the smallest village fiesta.

Twelve hours in Tenerife

2008-09-26T00:30:00.001+01:00

Lapping up this idea (via Chocolate & Zucchini), "If you had only twelve hours left to spend in ... (in this case, Tenerife), what would you do with them?"

Goodness, 12 hours can go so fast, but the island isn't that big, so I think we can do this - that is, eat well (probably too much), as well as take in some sights. For the purposes of this exercise, I'm taking a 12 hour day to include desayuno (breakfast), almuerzo (lunch), merienda (tea) and cena (dinner).

Actually, this would be do-able. You can start anywhere and take the road over the mountains to the village of your choice for lunch, then drop down into Buenavista del Norte for high tea. That also takes in lots of the unmissable scenery; mountains, villages and takes you along the north coast, still leaving you plenty of time to travel towards the larger towns for the evening.

Yet, still, as Clotilde in Paris says, "It goes without saying that difficult choices were made, and that for every item I included, there were about ten more looking at me with a crestfallen expression." We need more 12 hour slots!

All times are Canarian time anyway, by which I mean, leisurely. Don't have breakfast too early, because lunch is generally served around 2 p.m. and dinner is eaten late too. Or set your own schedule. Timetables shouldn't be for people on holiday and they're not for anyone who lives on Tenerife. :)

Breakfast: If there was time (or the technology) to hop over to the island of La Gomera (it's still in the province of Tenerife) to the state-run Parador hotel, then that's where I'd head for their "all you can eat" buffet breakfast. That hotel is so idyllic, I'd spend all of my last 12 hours (on earth) there, if I could and there's so much lined up on that buffet that you wouldn't want to eat again, but that wouldn't do at all, not even for a hypothetical exercise.

Instead, any good cafe (show me a bad one) is capable of serving you a more than adequate, filling and tasty tortilla de papas (potato omelette), which is, more often than not, the breakfast of choice in Tenerife.

Your healthiest and cheapest authentic Canary Island breakfast selection - as well as locally grown fruit - would be the Stone Age "Ready Brek" known as gofio. Better yet if you can get it direct from the village gofio mill.

Other items to take with you are honey, cheeses and beautiful crafts.

Lunch: Truly, one is spoilt for choice for lunch, but it's worth noting - for your benefit - that much of the best food is in smaller village restaurants and, many of those only open for the lunch trade and close in the evenings (even in Garachico), so make the most of them while you have the opportunity.

Among my personal favourites is the warm welcome and simple home cooking at the Casa Ramon, run by Doña Lola (the mayor's mum), on the Calle Esteban de Ponte, in Garachico. This is open for lunch only and the menu is just what's on the blackboard (fresh that day.)

As an added bonus, experience their authentic hole in the ground toilet! :)

Otherwise, any coastal village in Tenerife will provide stunningly simple, but superbly fresh and succulent fish dishes, like this cherne at La Cabaña restaurant, Calle del Puerto, Buenavista del Norte. There's the backyard-raised chicken or huge ribs at the Bodegón Patamero in Las Lagunetas. Or for a really special and sociable stew, you can't beat the Puchero at the restaurant Monteverde, just outside El Tanque and overlooking Garachico.

NB: Restaurants in Buenavista del Norte - ALL of them - close on Wednesdays. The Bodegón Patamero is closed Monday and Tuesday, serves goat (I mean, it serves goat meat to people, not that a goat eats there) on Thursdays and Fridays only and usually has a queue right out to the next valley for that better than finger-licking-good chicken on Sundays. :)

Afternoon tea: or Kaffe und Kuchen, if you prefer and I tend to take the Germanic point of view on this meal: that partaking is essential for one's (mental) health. You'll find a plethora of wonderful cake shops all around the island, but my favourite, acknowledged to be the best and draws customers from all over the ~~island~~ world, is the pasteleria El Aderno, on the Calle La Alhóndiga in Buenavista del Norte.

For the coffee, I recommend the Cafeteria Alhóndiga, which is just up the street, where you might also be able to try Dulce de Leche ice cream.

Dinner: After a sizeable lunch & tea, tapas would probably suffice and here's a run down of many of the tempting morcels available in Puerto de la Cruz.

But, as we are talking about a last 12 hours: a last meal, well, you may as well go out in style and there isn't any more up-market than the international food with a Canarian twist at Los Limoneros, Los Narajeros, in Tacoronte - that is reputedly patronized by the King of Spain when he's in Tenerife. He wasn't there on the night I ate there (once), but I can vouch for the grub.

But if that was "a little miracle in the middle nowhere", then even less well known, but equally a gem is the restaurant El Archete, Calle Lomo de Aroba, in Candelaria, with its fusion of traditional Canarian dishes in modern styles. It started as rustic "tasca" and has become a point of reference on the island's culinary map over the years. Gorgeous architecture and ambience too.

I'd be happy with either of those, before heading into the capital, Santa Cruz where, no matter the time, I'd find pavement cafes, theatre, opera, bars & clubs, or I could just take a stroll through city streets and plazas.

If you're really lucky and there's any sort of fiesta or carnaval going on, there'll be street food, otherwise if you should happen to get peckish, or for a late supper, I'd recommend finding an arepera or bar selling the Venezuelan fast food, Arepas that have become so integrated into Tenerife culture.

1. Best way to start the day, 2. Sea of clouds, 3. Bodegón Patamero, 4. Fish & Chips, 5. Casa Ramon, 6. Something Sweeter, 7. Fiesta Feeling, 8. Coso Puerto de la Cruz 2008, 9. Sunday Lunch, 10. Plaza del Adelantado, 11. Cafe Con Leche, 12. Teatro Guimerá and a sculpture by Igor Mitoraj in Santa Cruz.

Of course the reality, when one really is faced with one's last 12 hours in Tenerife, is that one would (did) spend it with very special friends.

Over to you ...

Now I happen to know, because we have this little poll going on that most of you are Tenerife residents or at least regular visitors. So, the question is this, where would you spend your last 12 hours in Tenerife? Or, to put it another way, if time was limited, where do you consider to be essential stops?

I'm sure we'll all have our own preferences, for a huge variety of reasons. Yours may be favourite restaurants, or sights that you feel, really must not be missed and, hopefully we can all learn of some new ones from each other.

Leave your thoughts and suggestions in the comments, please.

Government to pay prostitutes in Spain

2008-09-25T00:58:00.000+01:00

Well, you know an economy is in crisis when a government has to bale out whores as well as banks ... :)

No actually, what this report says is that the Spanish government has proposed that it will give economic help and legal cover to prostitutes, 90% of whom are foreign, who are victims of human trafficking, along with the promise not to expel them from the country within a month (as would be the usual procedure) while they decide whether to denounce their exploiters.

The announcement of the measure, part of a 3-year integral plan against "the new slavery of the 21st Century", was made to coincide with the International Day Against the Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of Women and Children, on September 23rd.

Fairly, or unfairly, Tenerife has been called "Europe's Brothel" in the past and, there's no shortage of potential customers looking for sex tourism on the island (yes, we know what you search for :) I certainly don't judge either party to a voluntary arrangement, but do remember there's another reality:

According to reports from the Civil Guard, more than 90 percent of women prostitutes in Spain are illegal immigrants, many of whom do not have the freedom to choose a better and more dignified life.

In Europe alone, more than 500,000 women and girls are victims of sexual exploitation each year and this second most profitable crime in the world is estimated at 32 billion dollars of annual volume of business.

Strawberry tart by ane. Prostitute Robots from the Future by revjim5000

Tenerife Celebrates International Tourist Day

2008-09-24T12:55:00.001+01:00

How many tourists / visitors knew that you had your very own International Tourist Day or World Tourism Day, held every year on September 27th? That's this coming Saturday and, in honour of the upcoming event, Los Cristianos in the south of Tenerife has organized a few activities:

Starting on Thursday, September 25th, from around 8 p.m., there are to be strolling players - of Canarian folk music, which is sure to be made colourful and fun with costumes and dance - around the streets, from the Plaza del Carmen to the Casa del Mar on the esplanade.

At the same time, there's to be an exhibition of Lucha Canaria Infantil (Junior Canarian Wrestling) by the Club de Lucha Chijafe, on Los Cristianos beach.

Can I just mention that Canarian Wrestling is lots of fun. On the one hand, it's a quite "gentlemanly" sport, like a martial art and, on the other it's OK to grab each others knickers, while the crowd goes as wild as the animated followers of Mexican Lucha Libre. This sounds paradoxical and even contradictory, but it's what makes it unique. There'll be lots of audience participation and, since this is youngsters, go ahead and join in the encouragement.

More folk music at 8.45 p.m. on the esplanade, with a performance by the Agrupación Verodal, along with a parade of traditional Canarian costumes, another performance by the Arona Municipal School of Folklore and, it'll all be rounded off nicely with a fireworks display at around 10 p.m.

On Friday, September 26th, at around 6 p.m., again at the Casa el Mar on the esplanade near the Los Cristianos port, there's to be the 7th Regional Coctails Contest, with a demonstration of cocktail making (think Tom Cruise here) and some musical performances (of unspecified genre.)

Saturday, September 27th, 8.30 p.m. outside the Los Cristianos Cultural Center is the opening night of a play entitled, "Los Putos, Los Habladores". A puta is a female whore, so a puto is the male version. It's also the name for those male cherubic things in classical art, while habladores are gossipers. Could be a soap opera, or could be social comment. Could be fun too!

Then on Sunday, September 28th, from 8 p.m., in the Plaza de Los Cristianos (by the church) is the 7th annual meeting of soloists, Cantasur.

This cultural initiative brings together Canarian folk artists - 7 voices of various ages from the youngest at 7 years, to the eldest at 78. The event is also going to be recorded by various local TV stations and Radio Arona for later broadcast.

Alternatively, on Sunday, September 28th, at 8.30 p.m. in the Plaza de la Iglesia (church square) up in the village of Arona, kids of all ages can watch an open air showing of the 2007 film Ratatouille (it will be in Spanish.)

Source: Gabriel at Blog-Tenerife

NB: World Tourism Day has been celebrated on September 27th each year since 1980. It's organised by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), whose headquarters are located in Madrid, Spain.

What price Tenerife's heritage?

2008-09-24T00:46:00.000+01:00

Just a reminder, to both residents and visitors alike, that picking up even tiny "natural souvenirs" in the Teide National Park, is strictly verboten. So is selling them, but it's not the first time that a piece of volcanic rock from Teide - obviously collected without permission - has been offered for sale on Ebay. Worse, this 280 gram specimen was being offered for less than 2 euros.

This report highlights the numerous cases where such items are being offered for sale online, or simply where people casually admit to having picked pieces of rock up, for example, just to decorate the bottoms of their fish tanks.

Imagine what would happen if all 3.5 million annual visitors to the park decided to take away a 280 gram "souvenir". By my calculations, a noticeable 980 metric tons of geological material would go missing every year.

If you love it, please leave it where it is!