Tenerife Trams – Line Two is open for Business

From midday today, travelling across the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz just got easier. Tranvia’s second line line runs between La Cuesta, Taco and Tíncer and if you want see for yourself how smooth a ride it is, all journeys are free during today and tomorrow (Sunday 31st May).

Flights from Tenerife – Miami Bound

From 20th June Air Europa will be operating a service from Tenerife Norte to Miami. That’s the good news. The bad news is that when I checked the price of a one-way ticket it was almost two and a half grand.

They clearly definitely want you to come back to Tenerife as the return ticket was a not-quite-so-bank-busting €620.

The Guanches and the Sea – Exhibitions on Tenerife

Anyone who’s interested in the history of Tenerife, especially in the guys and gals in their fur Speedos and bikinis that lived on Tenerife prior to the conquest, will find the new exhibition at the Museum of Man and Nature fascinating.
“Los guanches y el mar. La pesca en el mundo antiguo” explores the relationship between the Guanches and the sea and fishing in particular and asks questions about the mysterious origins of the enigmatic aborigines.

If you’ve never been to the museum, it’s located in a beautiful building in the capital and is definitely worth a visit.

Location: El Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre (the Museum of Man and Nature), Santa Cruz

Dates: Until 28th June

Events on Tenerife – Last Chance to see the Circus

There are a number of good ways to grab the attention when trying to advertise an event on Tenerife, but you'd be hard pressed to beat turning up a street to come face to face with a fully grown elephant.

There are only a few days left to go and see the best circus in Spain at Santa Cruz. A couple of elephants, a troupe of trapeze artists and some clowns that were actually funny reminded the people of Puerto de la Cruz this lunchtime that going to the circus is quite a magical thing to do.

Click Here for more details if you fancy time-travelling back to your childhood.

Fiestas on Tenerife – The Second International Agatha Christie Festival

Agatha Christie one week, Corpus Christi the next, spooky eh? The timing of the Second International Agatha Christie Festival in Puerto de la Cruz couldn’t be more timely coming as it does a couple of weeks after the ‘Queen of Crime’ posthumously entered the Guinness Book of Records for the world’s thickest book in which all Miss Marple stories are published in one volume.

The festival in Puerto might not break any records, but with screenings of adaptations of many of her books and theatre performances of The Tea Dance and The Man From the Sea (set in Puerto itself) in Spanish, German and English, crime fiction aficionados will have a job solving the mystery of how to catch as many of the shows as they can.

Location: Puerto de la Cruz

Dates: 5th to 14th June

Events: click on image below for full details, or visit www.agathachristie.es

Fiestas on Tenerife – Corpus Christi in La Orotava

The Flower Carpets of La Orotava should rate highly on anyone’s list of ‘must sees’ on Tenerife. The main sand tapestry outside the town hall is in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest sand painting in the world.

The closely guarded secret which is the subject matter of the main tapestry has recently been disclosed. The centre piece will be an image of St Paul whilst the satellite sand paintings will be dedicated to the spirit of human dignity. It looks as though it’s going to be as poignant as 2007’s solidarity with Africa.

The programme of Corpus Christi celebrations runs from 22nd May until 30th June (when does anyone find time to do any work), but the highlight is the completion of the Sand Painting and the laying of the floral carpets on Corpus Christi.

Location: Streets around the Town Hall and the Iglesia de la Concepción, La Orotava

Date: The flower carpets are laid on 18th June

Time: The carpets are prepared from early morning, but some aren’t fully completed until mid afternoon. The Corpus Christi Procession leaves from the town hall and wantonly destroys the beautiful carpets at around 21.00.

Concerts in Tenerife - The Original Wailers

Summer is the perfect season for chilling out to some cool reggae. Grab a beer (it should be Red Stripe, but I suppose Dorada will do) and mellow out to the sounds of Junior Marvin and The Original Wailers in Tenerife’s capital, Santa Cruz.

If it’s like any other reggae concert I’ve been to you can guarantee there’ll be a spliffing good atmosphere.

Venue: tba Carpa Dorada en Vivo, Santa Cruz

Date: 13th June

Time: 22.00

Tickets: €18 on sale here

Concerts on Tenerife – Big Noize

With a name like that and featuring Joe Lynn Turner (ex of Rainbow and Deep Purple), Phil Sousson (formerly with Ozzie Osbourne’s band), Carlos Cavazo (Quiet Riot) and Simon Wright (AC/DC) you don’t have to be a genius to figure out that this is no a cappella group.

You’re going to get exactly what it says on the packet; head banging rock. You’ve got just over a week to grow your hair long and find T-shirts with death’s head skulls emblazoned across the front if you want to fit in with the rest of the HBs.

Venue: Sala Dreams, Santa Cruz

Date: 28th May

Time: 21.00

Tickets: €15 from Entrada Directa

Golf on Tenerife – III Golf Circuit Tenerife - La Gomera

All you golf widows on Tenerife are going to have a lot of grieving over the summer. The III Circuito de Golf Tenerife-La Gomera tees off at Golf Las Américas on the 30th May. See the rest of the competition dates below:

13th June – Tecina Golf, La Gomera
4th July – Buenavista Golf
18th July – Golf del Sur
1st August – Golf Costa Adeje
22nd August – Abama Golf

The competition finishes and everyone can retire to the 19th hole por fin appropriately on the 19th September at Amarilla Golf.


See Isladegolf for full details

Fiestas, Food and Drink on Tenerife – Potatoes and Coal in Vilaflor

Really want to do something completely different this weekend? Then spend a night with the charcoal makers in Vilaflor for the 5th Charcoal & Potato Festival. The festival keeps alive this old custom where carboneras would bring branches of retama from Las Cañadas del Teide and, after smoking them for a day and a half under earthy mounds, turn them into charcoal. The agenda involves re-enacting the preparation of charcoal, nocturnal walks to see the stars (and up there this is something special – shooting stars are common) and probably the consumption of lots of potatoes at some point.

Venue: Albergue Municipal, El Salguero, Vilaflor

Dates: 23rd to 24th May

Price: €10 (includes accommodation in the hostel)

Click image for Full Agenda

Concerts on Tenerife - Eólica 09

Is it or isn’t? It didn’t look like there was going to be an Eólica festival this year, but a report on the Spanish site ‘Look Closer’ has cast doubt on the doubt so to speak. The official website has a teasing page which simply anounces ‘Eólica 09’, but the MySpace site shows that it’s due to take place on the 18th July 2009 from midday, but then that’s followed by the ominous three little letters…TBC.

The plot thickens…vamos a ver.

Shows on Tenerife – Hansel & Gretel

If you think things are ‘Grimm’ for you, then think about the sweet and sour tale of poor Hansel & Gretel and their experiences with an evil stepmother, house made of sweets and cakes and a child eating witch.

If you can’t remember exactly what happened, now’s the chance to refresh your memory with the all singing and dancing version at the Civic Centre in Cabo Blanco.

The kid’s will love it.

Location: Civic Centre, Cabo Blanco

Date and Time: 24th May, 19.00

Entrance: Free

Films on Tenerife - Son of Rambow

The eighties are back in this great little British flick which at first seems to be ripping the mickey out of the Rambo movies, but turns out to have quite a poignant message about family, friendship and machine gun wielding flying Labradors.

A mismatched pair of kids finding they have something in common in their hero worship of John Rambo, team up to make their version of a sequel to Rambo: First Blood.

You’ve just about got time to catch it at the TEA (Tenerife Espacia de las Artes) as part of the International Museum Day programme.

Location: TEA, Santa Cruz

Date: Monday 18th May

Time: 20.00

Tickets: Free Entrance; the film is in English with Spanish subtitles

Events on Tenerife – It’s a Kind of Magic – 3rd Arona Magic Festival

“Look into my eyes, look into my eyes – you will go to the Magic Festival in Arona in June…”

Wait a mo, that’s hypnotism not magic.

It’s rabbits in hats, card tricks and women being sawn in half galore in Arona during June. An illusion of magicians are set to descend (or mysteriously appear) around Arona for municipality’s 3rd Magic Festival.

Tricksters on the streets of the south of Tenerife’s tourist resorts? Now there’s a novel concept.

Dates: 5th to 7th June

Location and Times: 5th June, 21.00, Civic Centre, Cabo Blanco: 6th June, 21.00, Cultural Centre, Los Cristianos: 7th June, 19.00, Ramblas de Las Galletas

Events on Tenerife – Blooming Lovely – Arona Flower and Plant Fair

Anyone with green fingers should head down to Las Galletas next weekend for the Flower and Plant Fair where they can pick up some ‘blooming’ bargains to spruce up the garden for summer.

As well as displays of plants and flowers, musical performances and photographic exhibitions there are workshops about the use of plants and flowers in traditional Canarian remedies – knowledge worth having if it cuts out hours wasted in doctor’s waiting rooms.

Location: Cultural Centre, Rambla de Las Galletas

Dates: 22nd May (17.00 – 19.00), 23rd May (10.00 – 19.30), 24th May (10.00 – 19.00)

Going Native in Tenerife - Now on Sale in Tenerife

“Tenerife is an island that attracts over 6 million visitors a year, many of whom believe they know it like the back of their hands and few of whom know it at all.”

Tenerife’s newest and most honest guidebook might not be to everybody’s liking. A warts and all descriptive tour of Tenerife, including many gems overlooked by other guidebooks, it doesn’t pull any punches about mostly the good, but also the bad and the ugly of Tenerife and some people might not like some of the things it has to say.

It’s been available from major online bookstores since January and at long last ‘Going Native in Tenerife’ is now available to buy on Tenerife itself. There is only a limited supply available on the island so there are only two outlets selling it. These are:

The Bookswap on the 1st floor of the Marina at Puerto Colón

And

Barbara’s Bookshop, Calle Amalia Frías, 3; Los Cristianos

Send an email to editor@realtenerifeislanddrives.com telling me what the man is carrying in the photograph on page 89 of the book and I’ll email you a free copy of ‘A Captivating Coastline’, our short guide to the best coastal walks on Tenerife.

Concerts on Tenerife – Yousso N’Dour

Rod Stewart might grab all the headlines this month, but for anyone looking for something a bit different musically speaking, you can almost always find a fantastic choice of exciting and interesting musicians playing somewhere on Tenerife.

One of Africa’s most famous singers, Youssou N’Dour brings the haunting sounds of West Africa to Santa Cruz at the end of the month.

Many people will remember him for the wonderful ‘7 Seconds’ with Neneh Cherry voted world song of the year back in 1995 and ‘Shaking the Tree’ with Peter Gabriel a few years before that; however it’s when he vocally explores his Senegalese roots that he really gets the hairs on the back of the neck tingling.

World Music at it’s best.

Venue: Plaza Alisios beside the Auditorio de Tenerife, Santa Cruz

Date: 29th May

Time: 21.00

Tickets: €20 Click here to buy tickets

Eating and Drinking on Tenerife – You Got to try a Tapas or Two

May’s an important month in the Canary Islands, with Dia de Canarias falling at the end of the month and lots of traditional celebrations taking place in towns across the island.

In Puerto de la Cruz there are a few events taking place throughout the month which will have foodies salivating.

Between the 20th and 24 May there’s an artisan’s fair with typical Canarian products in Plaza Europa. There’s also the ‘Papeando Por El Puerto’ between the 8th and the 17th of the month. This is being billed as the First Canarian Tapas route. How this differs from the other tapas route at the end of the year who knows and, as a tapas lover myself, who cares?

€3.50 gets you a ‘tapa’ and a glass of beer, wine or water to wash it down with.

There are 19 restaurants participating and some of the goodies on offer include:

For the adventurous – Octopus with a Canarian cheese and coriander fondue:
For the curious – “Entre el mar, mi Puerto y las brumas del Teide” (between the sea, my port and Teide’s clouds).
And for the conservative – Canarian Chicken with papas arrugadas (come on, show a little imagination).

Personally I’m looking forward to trying the rabbit, potatoes and banana chips; now there’s an interesting combo.

Participating Restaurants, opening times and Tapas Dishes: Click on the image below:


Restaurant Locations: Click on the image below:

Events on Tenerife – Gran Circo Mundial (The World Circus)

I know they’re not particularly fashionable these days, but there’s something magical about the idea of the old fashioned three ringed circus with ringmaster in top hat, lion tamers, acrobats and clowns whose bright make-up hides a tragic secret (okay I’ve just descended into a 50s melodramatic movie plot). If you’ve ever dreamed of running away to join the circus now’s your chance.

The Gran Circo Mundial is in Santa Cruz during May. Marvel at the ghostly white lions and Sumatran tigers, gasp at the nerves of steel displayed by the woman of ice in the ring of death, cower from the gigantic Russian bears, cheer the death defying leaps from the flying trapeze artists and laugh at the antics of those crazy clowns (okay, laughing at clowns…that may be asking too much).

It all sounds like good old fashioned fun.

Venue: Parque Marítimo César Manrique, Santa Cruz

Dates: 10th – 31st May

Times: Monday to Friday 17.30 & 20.15; Saturday 16.30 & 19.30; Sunday 11.30, 16.30 & 19.30

Tickets: From €12 to €35

Music on Tenerife - The Pretenders

Thanks to Colin Kirby for alerting us to the fact that another big name is soon to be coming to Tenerife's shores. The Pretenders are due to play the Auditorio in Santa Cruz on the 6th July (well it’s confirmed on The Pretenders' tour dates website anyway).

This is much more music from my generation and it’ll be time to Stop Your Sobbing the day Chryssie Hynde travels 2000 Miles to play on Tenerife and Don’t get me Wrong, but as long as I’ve got some Brass in Pocket, I’ll be there.

Venue: Auditorio, Santa Cruz

Date: 6th July

Time: 21.00

Tickets: From €30 buy here