Tenerife packs 2014 with plenty of fiestas

Tenerife packs 2014 with plenty of fiestas

20 January 2014 – Not only does Tenerife boast spring-like temperatures all year round but it also
hosts a wide range of events and traditional festivals every single month of the year. 2014 will see
new editions of popular outdoor events such as the Arona Summer Festival, sporting competitions
including the Tenerife Bluetrail and the Canarias Infinity Xtreme, and music festivals such as
Fimucité. There are also plenty of local fiestas on the calendar, including Easter celebrations and the
wacky ‘Boards of San Andrés’, without forgetting the unmissable Tenerife Carnival, the world’s
second largest of its kind.

Some of the key events and festivals that will take place in Tenerife in 2014 are the following:

FEBRUARY

Tenerife Carnival
23rd February – 9th March 2014
The Tenerife Carnival, the island’s most awaited event, will be taking place from late February to
early March 2014. Most of the island’s towns and villages will be celebrating with lively street
parades and parties. The capital city of Tenerife, Santa Cruz, will be hosting the main celebrations –
in fact, its carnival is considered the world’s second largest of its kind, just after the one in Rio de
Janeiro (Brazil). Tourists will have the chance to enjoy events such as the Carnival Queen Election
Gala (26th February) and “el Coso” (4th March), the carnival’s main parade which will have a
“cartoon” theme this year.
www.carnavaltenerife.es

MARCH

Canarias Folk Fest, Arona
Thursdays and Fridays until 15th March 2014
Twice per week until 15th March 2014, different folk groups will be performing at Playa de los
Cristianos and Playa de las Américas (Arona) to bring the best of the islands’ music closer to both
tourists and locals alike. One of the most popular is the isa, a cheerful and lively type of song and

dance which is usually played with the famous timple, a small plucked string guitar popular in the
Canary Islands. Samples of typical local food, including the “wrinkled potatoes”, will be available to
taste during the festival.
www.arona.travel

APRIL

Festival Santa Cruz Extreme, Santa Cruz
11th – 13th April 2014
The island’s first big sporting event in 2014 will take place in the surroundings of Santa Cruz from 11-
13 April. The Festival Santa Cruz Extreme involves three disciplines – trail running, cycling and
swimming – and is carried out in Tenerife north, the island’s greenest area. The Anaga Rural Park,
with its lush laurisilva forest, will be the base of two of the event’s disciplines: participants will trail
run from 10 km (Anaga Trail) to up to 85 km (Anaga Ultra Trail) and will cycle up to 18 km to reach
the ‘Pico del Inglés’ (992 metres high). Finally, the swimming part (2 to 5 km) will take place in the
idyllic sand beach of Las Teresitas.
www.festivalsantacruzextreme.com

Easter, La Laguna
14th – 20th April 2014
As well as being a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, the town of La Laguna, in northern
Tenerife, is famous for hosting one of the Canary Islands’ most popular Easter celebrations. During
the “Holy Week”, as Spanish people call Easter, a number of artistic religious floats are paraded by
penitents through the streets of the town. There are several processions from Maundy Thursday to
Easter Sunday, with the “Procesión Magna” and the “Procesión del Silencio”, both on Good Friday,
being the two that attract the biggest crowds.
www.hermandadeslalaguna.com

Pinolere Cheese Fair, La Orotava
April 2014
Pinolere Nature Reserve, in La Orotava (north Tenerife), hosts every year a popular fair to showcase
the best of Tenerife and Canarian cheeses. Exhibitions, competitions as well as tastings of some of
the islands’ cheeses take place during the two days of the fair together with workshops to learn how
to make cheese. Together with wine, Tenerife has a great cheese-making tradition that originally
comes from the indigenous “guanches”. The island’s cheeses are distinguished by their tenderness
and special aorma and are characterised by their slightly acidic salty flavour.
www.villadelaorotava.org

MAY

Fiestas de la Cruz, Los Realejos
1st – 3rd May 2014
For over 300 years, the northern town of Los Realejos has been celebrating the “Fiestas de la Cruz”
(“Holy Cross”), a festivity that sees the town being decorated with more than 300 crosses (indoors
and outdoors) made by beautiful flowers and other attractive adornments. The main attraction of
this festivity is on 3rd May, when a fireworks competition between two of the town’s streets, ‘Calle
del Medio’ and ‘Calle del Sol’, takes place – the largest pyrotechnic exhibition on the Canary Islands.
www.losrealejos.es

‘Carboneras’ de Vilaflor
May 2014
Every May Vilaflor, Spain’s highest village at 1,400m, celebrates a peculiar tradition which makes the
village come to a halt just for a day, when groups of locals start the “carboneras” (charcoal piles) to
recall how traditional charcoal was produced, an art that is almost forgotten. This is followed by the
‘Vilaflor de Chasna Food Fair’, which is devoted to a different product each year. Vilaflor makes the
perfect visit in May for those who want to taste the local cuisine and learn about ancient traditions.
www.webtenerife.co.uk

JUNE

Fiestas de San Juan, Puerto de la Cruz
23rd-24th June 2014
The tranquil fishing village of Puerto de la Cruz becomes alive on the eve of 23rd June (St. John),
when locals get together on the beach to set bonfires alight, party and welcome summer. However,
the most curious activity of this fiesta is the “bathing of the goats”, an indigenous tradition where
shepherds bathe their goats in the sea as it is believed that salt water helps purify and increase the
fertility of livestock.
www.puertodelacruz.es

Corpus Christi, La Orotava
26th June 2014
Since 1847, La Orotava has been celebrating this traditional religious festival which sees different
local people and members of the island’s Government parading the streets of the town, which are
decorated with carpets made with flower petals and coloured sand from the Teide National Park.
The most impressive carpet, which shows different scenes from the Bible, is exhibited in ‘Plaza del
Ayuntamiento’. Once the procession is over, a fiesta of music and traditional dances takes place in
the town.
www.villadelaorotava.org

JULY

Fimucité – Tenerife International Film Music Festival, Santa Cruz
4th – 12th July 2014
Every summer since 2007, Tenerife becomes the world’s capital of film music with Fimucité, a
festival that celebrates the most popular soundtracks in the film industry with concerts, workshops
and debates. This year’s edition will be devoted to the music of great international TV series as well
as to Batman, one of the biggest superheroes, in the 75th anniversary of its creation. The Tenerife
Symphonic Orchestra and the Tenerife Film Choir will also be joining the festival with a couple of
concerts which will pay tribute to composer James Newton Howard (13th July) and to Universal
Studios (14th July) at the iconic Auditorio de Tenerife.
www.fimucite.com

San Benito Abad Pilgrimage, La Laguna
13th July 2014
A “romería” (pilgrimage) is one of the most traditional expressions of folklore and culture in the
Canary Islands and, the one honouring San Benito Abad, is one of the most emblematic of its kind.
The pilgrimage takes place on 13th July and sees many people parading through the streets of the
historical centre of La Laguna (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) in a festive mood. Its origins go back
to a ceremony held by farmers to thank the saint for their summer harvest. Tourists who visit the
town during the day will be able to see people in traditional garbs, folk music groups playing and
dancing and also to taste typical local food and drink.
www.aytolalaguna.com

Festival of the Virgin of Carmen, Puerto de la Cruz
15th July 2014
The Virgin of Carmen, the patron saint of fishermen, is honoured in many of the towns in Tenerife.
However, the most important celebration takes place in the fishing village of Puerto de la Cruz, in
the north of the island. Here, locals carry the statue of the “Virgen del Carmen” from her chapel to
the beach in the fishing harbour. After the release of doves, the statue is put on a boat and taken
out for a trip around the bay before it is carried back to her chapel. The celebrations end up with a
great firework display.
www.puertodelacruz.es

Canarias InfinityXtreme, Puerto de la Cruz
July 2014
The Canarias InfinityXtreme is an exceptional opportunity to see some of the best professional and
amateur athletes from the Canary Islands. This is an extreme race with a wide range of obstacles for
the most adventurous participants to overcome: swimming in mud, going through concrete pipes
and tyres and under barbed-wire fences, steeplechase, climbing tough walls… to mention a few. The
prize? Being hosed down (and a diploma!).
www.canarypol.com

AUGUST

Professional Windsurfers Association World Championships, El Médano
4th – 10th August 2014
El Médano, Tenerife’s longest beach with its three-kilometre stretch, welcomes annually the world’s
best male and female windsurfers at the Professional Windsurfers Association (PWA) World
Championships (wave discipline). This golden sand beach in south Tenerife is known as the island’s
kite boarding and windsurfing capital due to its regular trade winds that act as a magnet for surfers,
ideal conditions for hosting the wave discipline. As well as the competiton, there will be music
concerts and recreational activities for the hundreds of people who pop by to see the best
windsurfers in action. Last year’s winners were Philip Köster, Víctor Fernández and Alex Mussolini
(male category) and by Daida Ruano, Iballa Ruano and Karin Jaggi (female category).
www.pwaworldtour.com

‘Corazones de Tejina’, La Laguna
24th August 2014
Using beech, fruit, flowers and other items, the “Hearts of Tejina” festival sees the locals competing
to build the town’s biggest and most beautiful hearts – most of them are two metres long as they
are made by several smaller hearts linked by a stick. These are paraded through the streets and then
taken to the church to be offered to Saint Bartholomew, the town’s patron saint. A lively open-air
party closes down the festivity.
www.corazonesdetejina.com

Arona Summer Festival, Arona
August 2014
The Arona Summer Festival, regarded as one of the top 15 summer festivals in Europe, will be
celebrating its fourth edition in August 2014. The best DJs in the international dance music industry
will be performing non-stop for more than 12 hours at the Olympic Stadium Antonio Domíngez
Alfonso (Playa de las Américas). The line-up for 2014 is still to be confirmed but outstanding artists
such as Alesso, RedFoo and Michael Calfan took part in last year’s edition.
www.aronasummerfestival.com

SEPTEMBER

Festival of the Christ of La Laguna, La Laguna
14th September 2014
Every 14th September, Tenerife’s former capital hosts the Festival of the Christ of La Laguna, the
island’s oldest religious image. This day starts with a statue of Christ being carried along the streets
of the town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and ends with a great fireworks display. However, since
early September, the whole town is immersed in the festivities which include a comprehensive
programme of music, sports and activities for children as well as religious ceremonies.
www.aytolalaguna.es

OCTOBER

Tenerife Bluetrail
18th October 2014
Year after year, the Tenerife Bluetrail has become the island’s most popular long-distance mountain
race – and the most extreme. It has four different trails: Trail (51 km), Ultratrail (101 km), MediaTrail
(23 km) and an adapted trail so all types of people and abilities are welcome. One of the race’s
highlights is the variety of landscapes and contrasts it goes through, including the dryness of the
south, the lush green vegetation of the north and the Teide National Park (UNESCO World Heritage
Site) and its volcanic landscapes.
www.tenerifebluetrail.com

Teide Xtreme
October 2014
For the ever-increasing number of triathlon fans, Tenerife organises every year theTeide Xtreme
(previously known as ‘Tri Tenerife Sur Half Endurance Triathlon’), one of the island’s most popular
sporting events. It takes place in south Tenerife and includes three disciplines: 1.9 km swimming, 90
km cycling and 21 km running. All three stages will pass through the Southern part of the island,
including popular places such as Los Cristianos, Adeje and the Teide National Park, where the cycling
route reaches 2,200 metres above sea level. The next edition will be in October (day to be
confirmed).
www.teidextreme.com

NOVEMBER

‘The Boards of San Andrés’, Icod de los Vinos
29th November 2014
The ‘Fiesta de San Andrés’ (Saint Andrew) celebrates the arrival of the new wine and many local
wineries open to offer their new vintages for tasting. Wine is usually accompanied with snacks
including roasted chestnuts, sardines and sweet potatoes. Nevertheless, one of the funniest
activities of this festivity is what is known as “the boards”, where daring youngsters on wooden
boards greased with tar slide down the steepest streets, reaching great speeds.
www.icoddelosvinos.es

La Orotava Short Film Festival, La Orotava
November 2014
This festival’s aim is, in a nutshell, to spread out film work and particularly short films. Every year, a
wide range of short films – less than 30 minutes long – compete in several categories to win one of
the festival’s accolades at the awards ceremony, which is followed by a closing party with live music
and DJs. The ninth edition of the festival will also include parallel activities such as music concerts
and exhibitions.
www.festivalcortosorotava.com

DECEMBER

K42 Anaga Marathon, La Laguna
December 2014
Anaga Rural Park, a large protected area with laurel trees close to the town of La Laguna, is the
setting for the K42 Anaga Marathon. The race has two different trails (44 km and 21 km) and is a
great opportunity to see the laurisilva forest, a type of forest formed by laurel trees and ferns which
disappeared in the Tertiary Era and today only remains in the region of Macaronesia, in which the
Canary Islands are located. The K42 Anaga Marathon is part of the K42 Adventure Marathon Series
which includes races in other countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica and Morocco, amongst
other locations.
www.k42anagamarathon.com

Tenerife Symphony Orchestra’s Christmas Concert, Santa Cruz
25th December 2014
The Tenerife Symphony Orchestra’s Christmas Concert is one of the most awaited events on the
island. Due to the island’s mild climate, the concert takes place every 25th December on the quay of
Santa Cruz, outdoors. The Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1935, is considered to be one
of Spain’s best symphony orchestras and it is one of the main cultural ambassadors for Tenerife
outside the island.
www.ost.es

For a full list of events and festivals and the latest up-to-date information, please visit:
www.webtenerife.co.uk/events

Tenerife is just over a four hour flight from the UK. Direct flights operate from many regional airports
in the UK and Ireland and holidaymakers can plan their break with the help of:
www.webtenerife.co.uk.

                                                  -Ends-

Notes for Editors:

    1. The Tenerife Tourism Corporation is a membership led independent body, supported by the
       public and private sectors, which markets Tenerife overseas as a tourist destination.
    2. For general tourism information on Tenerife please visit: www.webtenerife.co.uk.
    3. For media enquiries, please contact Cristina Cunchillos or Richard Hume at Hume
       Whitehead: cristina@humewhitehead.co.uk / 0771 049 0570;
       richard@humewhitehead.co.uk / 0845 498 9981.