Tenerife in July 2018

Traditional decorated tractor in Ravelo, El Sauzal. Image: El Sauzal Town Hall.

July has no public holidays in Tenerife, however there are a few municipalities that have local holidays, mostly for the celebrations and fiestas in their district:

• 10 Jul 18 - Festival of the Virgen del Carmen in Puerto de la Cruz
• 16 Jul 18 - Festival of Ntra Señora del Carmen in Santiago del Teide
• 25 Jul 18 - Festival of Santiago Apóstol in Santiago del Teide
• 26 Jul 18 - Festival of Santa Ana in Candelaria & Garachico

The biggest events in July are the Fiestas del Carmen, the biggest of which is the Embarcación Virgen del Carmen (The Fishermen’s Fiesta) in Puerto de la Cruz, which this year takes place on Tuesday 10 July 2018.

 
Something delightfully different for Sunday 15 July 2018, the paseo “romero” (romería) con carros (tractores agrícolas) engalanados (decorated tractors) in the neighbourhood of Ravelo, El Sauzal, part of the Fiestas en honor a la Santa Cruz de Ravelo 2018. The procession begins from around 11am and when it arrives at the church square, will be followed by dancing to Grupo La Calle.

There are various Romerías taking place during the month, and on July 25, the city of Santa Cruz will, once more, celebrate the trouncing of British Admiral Horatio Nelson, who tried unsuccessfully to conquer the island.

Carros Engalanado - Ravelo 2012

Tenerife in June 2018

Making the Corpus Christi carpets in La Orotava

There are no national public holidays in June, but a few municipal public holidays where individual districts have a day off, mostly because of local celebrations:

• 7 Jun 18 - 8th Day of Corpus Christi in La Orotava
• 13 Jun 18 - Festival of San Antonio de Padua in Granadilla de Abona
• 25 Jun 18 - Festival of San Juan Bautista in San Juan de la Rambla and Guía de Isora
• 29 Jun 18 - Festival of San Pedro Apóstol in El Sauzal and Güímar

The Día de las Alfombras (Day of the Carpets) for Corpus Christi in La Orotava is Thursday 7 June 2018, with the Romería on Sunday 10 June 2018.

Sunday 17 June 2018 the Romería de San Isidro Labrador in Tacoronte, in the early afternoon, starts from and returns to the Santa Catalina Church.

On Thursday 21 June 2018, watch the sun at Solstice at the Güímar Pyramids.

Saturday 23rd June 2018, the Eve of San Juan, brings together pagan rituals with a free open-air festival of music and bonfires on Playa Jardin, Puerto de la Cruz. And on the morning of Sunday 24 June 2018 watch as the goats get their annual, ritual bath in the old fishing port in Puerto de la Cruz.

Tenerife in May 2018

Fiestas de mayo (May Fiestas) in Santa Cruz. By Koppchen [CC BY 3.0]

May in Tenerife starts and ends with public holidays. Tuesday 1 May 2018 is Fiesta del Trabajo (Workers’ Day) and Wednesday 30 May 2018 is Día de Canarias (Canaries Day), when the islands mark the anniversary of the first session of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, held on 30 May 1983.

May 3, Día de la Cruz (Festival of the Crosses) is a municipal public holiday in Los Realejos, Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz de Tenerife - in the case of the last for both the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and Commemoration of the Founding of the City. The May festivals are, together with the Tenerife Carnival, the most important dates in the calendar of the city of Santa Cruz, as that is when the founding of the city is celebrated with flower crosses, dancing and street food while streets are filled with the rhythm of folk music. Los Realejos celebrates the Day of the Cross with a spectacular display of fireworks.

May 5th is the anniversary of the eruption in Garachico in 1706.

Sunday 6 May 2018 is Día de la Madre (Mother's Day), celebrated on the first Sunday in May, since 1965 (previously, it was 8th December).

Other celebrations to look out for in May include: the Romería de San Alejo in El Tanque; the Fiestas of San Jose Obrero in Arico; Fiestas of La Virgen de Fátima in Valle San Lorenzo (Arona); Fiestas of San Isidro Labrador in Granadilla de Abona; Fiestas in honour of San Isidro Labrador and Santa María de la Cabeza in Valle de Guerra and Las Mercedes (La Laguna); as well as numerous other romerías (see our Guide to Romerías in Tenerife 2018).

The Beatles in Tenerife May 1963

Ringo Starr, George Harrison and Paul McCartney in Puerto de la Cruz

Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr spent their holidays in Tenerife between 29 April and 9 May 1963, just after recording their first album, LP "Please, Please Me" and La Orotava is celebrating the 55th anniversary with an exhibition creatively entitled Los Beatles en Tenerife, which will include photos, records, paintings and drawings. The exhibition is at the Casa de la Cultura de San Agustín, C/ San Agustín, Nº 2, La Orotava (see map), from 9am to 9pm, Monday to Friday, between 20 April and 20 May 2018.

Meanwhile, on Saturday 21 April 2018, from 8pm in the patio of the same Casa de la Cultura de San Agustín, will be a Beatles concert with the group Alma de Goma (Rubber Soul). Entrance is free and the first 100 attendees will be entered into a raffle for a package containing a DVD, 2 CDs, a book and 8 exclusive photographs of the Beatles in Spain.


THE BEATLES IN TENERIFE MAY 1963

Tenerife in April 2018

Romeria Tegueste Photo: By MOISÉS PÉREZ [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Easter having been early, April is quiet in Tenerife, with no public holidays falling during the month. There are just the following Municipal Public Holidays:

On Monday, 23rd April 2018, Vilaflor is celebrating the Festivity of Hermano Pedro (Peter of Saint Joseph de Betancur) who was born in the town in 1626, became a missionary in Guatemala and was canonised in 2002.

Wednesday, 25th April 2018 the towns of Icod de los Vinos and Tegueste celebrate the Festivity of San Marcos Evangelista (St. Mark the Evangelist).

The biggest celebration of the month then is the Romería de San Marcos in Tegueste, on the last Sunday in April each year, thus 29 April 2018. The popular pilgrimage itself is what makes these somewhat profane fiestas striking. It is a procession of floats decorated with the natural produce of the countryside, carts, folklore groups from all the Islands, flocks of livestock, yoked oxen, dancers, etc. all accompanied by crowds of people in traditional dress.

Sunday 29 April 2018 the Romería en Honor a San Marcos Evangelista takes place in Tegueste, as part of the Fiestas de San Marcos Evangelista en Tegueste. This year sees the 50th edition of this popular romería, which has been celebrated in the town since 1969.

Headed up by the image of Saint Mark, there will be 23 carts and floats, accompanied by the four boats that are customary in the Tegueste celebrations, as well as the groups of musicians and dancers, including the Danza de las Flores (floral dance), symbol of the town.

April is Wine Month in Tegueste

As if wine needs it's very own month! One of the first events in Tegueste's wine month is the Ruta del Vino y la Tapa (Wine and Tapas Route), from 2 to 25 April and in which 20 bars and restaurants in the town are taking part. There are also special tourist events, as well as a Craft Fair in the Farmers' Market of Tegueste on 21 and 22 April.

ROMERIA 2017

Guide to Romerías in Tenerife 2018

Romeria de Las Mercedes Photo: Jose Mesa Some rights reserved

As every year there is an ample programme of Romerías in Tenerife in 2018 - one of the most colourful to enjoy the island's traditional fiestas and immerse yourself in some Canarian culture. January's have, of course, already taken place. This still doesn't include every single Romería in every town and village, many of which take place over the summer months, so watch out for them.

January

• 14/01/2018 – Romería in honour of San Antonio Abad – Tigaiga – Los Realejos
• 14/01/2018– Romería in honour of San Antonio Abad – Arona
• 28/01/2018 – Romería in honour of San Antonio Abad y Ntra. Sra. la Virgen de la Esperanza – La florida – La Orotava
•  28/01/2018 – Romería in honour of San Antonio Abad – Buenavista del Norte

April

• 29/04/2018 – Romería de San Marcos – Tegueste 

May

• 13/05/2018 – Romería de la Virgen el Buen Viaje – Santa Cruz de Tenerife
• 13/05/2018 – Romería de Ntra. Sra. de Fátima – Valle San Lorenzo, Arona
• 20/05/2018 – Romería de San Isidro – Guía de Isora
• 20/05/2018 – Romería in honour of San Isidro y Santa María de la Cabeza – Valle de Guerra
• 26/05/2018 – Baile de Magos – Los Silos – Trasera del Antiguo Convento de San Sebastián en el casco histórico.
• 27/05/2018 – Romería San Isidro Labrador y Santa María de La Cabeza – Los Realejos 

June

• 03/06/2018 – Romería de San Antonio de Padua – Granadilla de Abona
• 08/06/2018 – Baile de Magos de Tacoronte
• 10/06/2018 – Romería de San Isidro – La Orotava
• 14/06/2018 – 01/07/2018 – Fiestas patronales in honour of San Pedro Apóstol – El Sauzal
• 17/06/2018 – Romería de Tacoronte

July

• 08/07/2018 – Romería San Benito de Abad – La Laguna
• 10/07/2018 – Embarcación de La Virgen del Carmen – Puerto de la Cruz
• 15/07/2018 – Paseo “romero” con carros (tractores agrícolas) engalanados – Barrio de Ravelo

August

• 05/08/2018 – Romería in honour of la Virgen de La Esperanza – El Rosario
• 14/08/2018 – Romería de la Candelaria
• 15/08/2018 – Pilgrimage to the Basílica de Ntra. Sra. De Candelaria
• 16/08/2018 – Romería in honour of San Roque – Garachico
• 19/08/2018 – Romería Barquera in honour of San Casiano – Las Galletas – Arona
• 24/08/2018 – Corazones de Tejina – Tejina
• 25/08/2018 – Romería in honour of San Agustín y posterior Baile de Magos – Arafo

September

• 01/09/2018 – Romería in honour of San Isidro – La Victoria de Acentejo
• 07/09/2018 – Bajada de la Virgen del Socorro – Güímar
• 23/09/2018 – Romería de San Miguel de Abona

Guía de romerías 2018

Tenerife Rally Calendar 2018

Come in Number 40

For all you rally fans, here is the calendar of fixtures for this year:

Rallies

• 7 Apr - Rallye Sprint Atogo
• 12 May - Villa de Adeje Rally
• 2 Jun - Orvecame Norte Rally
• 23 Jun - Villa de Granadilla Rally
• 28 Jul - City of La Laguna Rally
• 17 Nov - Isle of Tenerife Rally
• 8 Dec - Rally Sprint Santiago del Teide

Hill Climbs

• 10 Mar - El Tanque Hillclimb
• 24 Mar - Los Loros Hillclimb
• 9 Jun - Guía de Isora Hillclimb
• 7 Jul - Mirador de Güímar Hillclimb
• 6 Oct - Tamaimo Hillclimb
• 20 Oct - Arona - La Escalona Hillclimb
• 3 Nov - Icod - La Guancha Hillclimb
• 1 Dec - Arico Hillclimb