Teneriffa
Tenerife is the largest of all the Canary Islands at 2 057km with a population of 220,000.

The triangular shaped island plays host to thousands of tourists each year. Drawn to the year round warm temperatures they flock to the vast sandy beaches, bustling nightlife and more than enough restaurants and bars to choose from. Carnivals on Tenerife are said to be the best outside of Rio de Janeiro. The annual Mardi Gras at Santa Cruz, the capital city of the island, is the second largest in the world and takes place in February. Carnivals are not religious based just a chance for the islanders to let their hair down and socialise. Parades, stalls, music and folk dancing create a lively atmosphere guaranteed to start most toes tapping. The islander’s love of celebration is also well embraced during fiesta time; these are religious based celebrations and normally take place on saints days and religious dates. The fiesta of Corpus Christi takes place in June in La Oratova  for which islanders spend endless hours making dream carpets out of volcanic earth and flowers If sandy beaches, bars, restaurants, lively nightclubs and festival gaiety is too much for some then there is another side to Tenerife with quieter beaches and tiny fishing villages complete with pipe smoking fishermen varnishing their boats Tenerife is an island of contrasts from the dry and sunny south to the green and humid north. This means Tenerife has extremely varied plant life large woodlands in the mountains and vast areas where bananas, tomatoes, potato and other agricultural products are grown. In the mountains sits Mount Teide, Spain’s greatest peak and the third greatest volcano at 3718 metres. Tucked amongst the snaking roads leading up to the mountains there are tiny whitewashed hamlets where the odd authentic restaurant can be found nestling amid the unspoilt countryside. Tenerife has a rich culture of art, music, theatre and dance, there are many museums, theatres and galleries in Tenerife as well as historical villages and monuments. Teatro Guimera, in Santa Cruz is the focal point for classical music concerts and theatre, and the recently inaugurated Auditorium in Santa Cruz is not to be missed.. Art exhibitions are held at El-Tanque Cultural Space also in Santa Cruz which is well known for hosting controversial avant-garde performances. However there are many smaller exhibitions and galleries to be found all over the island. The contrasts to be found in Tenerife from desert landscapes to lush forests and lively nightlife to serene historical villages make this an island suitable for everyone’s tastes. FACTFILE Temps 18c (64f) to 24c (75) Population   700 000 Language   Spanish Airports   Reina Sofia International Airport Tenerife South (60 km from Santa Cruz)and Tenerife Norte Airport (9 km from Santa Cruz)

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