We all know that carnival on Tenerife means madness, mayhem and over the top parades. But  the carnivals that take place outside of Santa Cruz, Puerto de la Cruz, Los Gigantes and Los Cristianos rarely make it onto visitors’ radar. And yet it’s at these where you can find some of the most unusual ways to celebrate carnival.

Each year Güímar produces one of the most stylish and sexy carnival posters on Tenerife and 2012 is no exception. The poster by Luis Marrero, titled The Transformation, illustrates one of the town’s main celebrations, Las Burras de Güímar.

Mysticism and Güímar, the home of the much debated pyramids, are no strangers. Neither is superstition or tales of witchcraft. So a carnival street event involving satanic dances, witches who transform themselves into donkeys to cause mischief and destroy farmers’ crops and a full on battle between the forces of good and evil seems quite an appropriate way for the young people of the town to let their hair down and have a bit of fun.

Las Burras de Güímar has become one of the highlights of Güímar’s carnival, growing in popularity each year since the first witches took to the street in 1992.

The question in some people’s minds will be ‘do the witches actually ‘dress up’ like the one on the poster?’

You’ll have to go along to Plaza de San Pedro Apóstol de Güímar at 9pm on Friday 24th February to find out for yourself.

Tenerife Magazine’s round up of some of the most interesting news stories of the week in Tenerife.

The Anniversary of Santa Cruz as Capital of the Canary Islands
Ignore the fact that 190 years isn’t exactly a landmark number to celebrate. Ignore the fact that although the anniversary was celebrated on Monday, the date King Fernando VII decreed Santa Cruz de Tenerife to be capital of the Canary Islands was the 27th January 1822. What is really interesting is the politician who is recognised as being the driving force behind it happening – José Murphy. Tenerife increasingly looks to its Guanche past for its pride and character yet it was a son of two Dubliners who was responsible for Santa Cruz achieving status in the eyes of Spain.

Progress at Last for Las Gaviotas Beach
It is welcome news to hear that Santa Cruz council have allocated €400,000 to make the naturist beach of Las Gaviotas safe again for sunbathers. The beach has been closed to the public since December 2010, so the funding allocation is a step in the right direction. Now comes the bureaucracy and contracting process to determine who carries out the work. No dates have been suggested for when it’s expected to re-open but with any luck lets hope that by the summer it’ll be more than just the local fisherman on the rocks who’ll be able to get their tackle out at Las Gaviotas.

Spain Enters a Period of Drought
Those people who know Tenerife well will have registered that there has been a lack of rain so far this winter. There have been only a couple of days when there has been anything close to decent rain with little difference between south and north coasts. Whilst an absence of rain is what we all want when we take a holiday, it is potentially disastrous for the island. Scientists acknowledged this week that the pattern of a dry autumn (30% less rainfall than normal) followed by an equally dry December and January that has occurred across Spain is a rare and worrying combination. The conditions have also resulted in a lack of snow on the mountains; another valued source of water when spring arrives. Mount Teide has been noticeably devoid of the white stuff so far this winter. The situation isn’t critical yet but if the seasonal February/March rains don’t fall it could be. Still, it’s Carnaval in a couple of weeks and we all know what that means… there will definitely be a downpour of monsoon proportions.

Where Does a Prince Spend His Birthday?
On an island that is still experiencing an undersea volcanic eruption apparently. Spain’s Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia spent the Prince’s 44th birthday meeting with the people who were most affected by the eruption off the coast at La Restinga on Tenerife’s neighbour, El Hierro. Thankfully the volcanic eruption behaved itself during Prince Felipe’s visit; this was one birthday party that no-one wanted to go off with a bang.

And finally the TIT (This Is Tenerife) of the week award goes to…The University Hospital of the Canary Islands (HUC)
This week the HUC managed to ‘misplace’ a patient for 11 hours. Worse, not only did they misplace the patient, a woman suffering from mental health problems and a brain tumour, they informed the patient’s relatives that she had actually left the hospital. The woman’s family, being seriously concerned for her safety, reported her disappearance to the police who advised taxis, buses and trams in the area to be on the lookout for a confused woman wearing a hospital gown. Meanwhile the woman’s sister scoured the hospital whilst another family member stood watch at the hospital entrance… but with no success.
Eleven anxious hours later the family received a phone call to inform them that the woman had been found sitting in a wheelchair in Emergencies where, it was claimed, she had been all the time. It’s a claim that the woman’s sister, having searched the hospital’s public areas, disputes. HUC has admitted that there was a mix up in information between different departments in the hospital which led to confusion to her whereabouts although they still insist she was never actually ‘missing’. Could someone let us know the Canarian word for ‘not knowing where someone is’ because it’s clearly very different from the English one.

Starring: Mickey Rourke, Henry Cavill, Freida Pinto

Plot: King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) threatens to send the world spiralling into chaos by setting free an army of Titans to challenge the gods. Unable to use their powers to directly interfere in the destiny of man, the gods give Theseus (Henry Cavill) the task of stopping Hyperion and his muscle-bulging army.

TM Rating: Despite some dodgy scripts and creaky acting, movies involving Greek Mythology have been performing well at the box office – otherwise the critically panned Clash of the Titans wouldn’t have a second instalment coming out at the end of March. Although The Immortals storyline also revolves around Titans, the style and tone of this particular slice of mythological hokum is probably closer to 300 than Clash of the Titans.

It’s another tale of man taking on the gods in super stylish fashion (i.e. cinematography and effects rather than in the clothes sense) and there’s no denying The Immortals is stunning to look at, featuring gore galore as Theseus takes on overwhelming odds in a bid to save the world.
Like the Greek myths it’s based on, The Immortals is suitably epic in scope but unlike Greek mythology, not in substance. However, it’s a decent enough offering of its kind and people who were thrilled by 300 should lap it up as should people who get excited by any film involving that involves lots of gleaming breastplates and flashing blades.

7/10 – The Immortals is diverting enough, exciting and is visually stunning. But in terms of satisfying film fans’ cinematic appetites it’s a snack rather than a slap up meal.

Screening Times: 3.30pm daily till 2nd February

Tickets: €6.50 Buy Your Tickets Here

Seven years after sarcoma cancer cut short the promising career of Marcia Garcia Estrada, 40 teams of golfers gathered at Abama Golf Resort, Tenerife to raise 95,000 euros for continued research through the foundation set up to honour the Santa Cruz born player. On 14 January the teams of three amateurs with one professional played golf battled it out before pro star Miguel Angel Martin and his team, Justo del Castillo, Juan Manuel Rodríguez and Luis Bunueri emerged victorious.

The Marcia Garcia Estrada Pro Am is more about the competing than the overall result, and raising awareness of this aggressive form of cancer that killed Maria in September 2005. It was a gripping finale to the action as the winners shared a score of 53 strokes with teams led by Paula Martí, José María Cañizares and Josh Jenkins from North America. All the players and spectators that headed to the west coast course in Guia de Isora enjoyed the day and the boost it gave the foundation.

The on course play was backed by some sterling fund raising efforts and star-studded contributions before the tournament, resulting in a pre-match balance of 21,250 euros. A special auction featured a team shirt and ball from Spain’s World Cup winning football team which alone raised an amazing 7,500 euros. Other big names were also generous with unique offers; Rafa Nadal gave up a pair of his tennis shoes signed by footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and basketball player Pau Gasol, tempting a bidder to part with 4,000 euros. There was also a bag of 14 golf balls from Pablo Larrazábal and VIP tickets to a Grand Prix.

The search for answers to beating sarcoma cancer is not publicly funded and relies on the generosity and dedication of organisations such as the Maria Garcia Estrada Foundation. Thankfully in Tenerife there are plenty of major companies willing to support the Pro Am tournament. This year the organisers were very grateful to Abama Golf Resort, Turismo de Tenerife, Gobierno de Canarias, Ayuntamiento de Guia de Isora and DISA.

Scampering up one of the 200 foot masts of the sailing brig Stavros S Niarchos, second officer Ben Wheatley made it look easy. Having climbed the rope ladder, and worked along one of the slats holding the sails, Ben was just below the 12 metre high Up And Over platform, one of the initial challenges to crew members signing on for a Tall Ships Adventure to build character and team work.

Santa Cruz and Portsmouth, the home ports of Stavros, are forever linked in history by a certain Horatio Nelson but these days there’s no need for press gangs. Up to 48 raw crew members of all ages pay to join the ship for week long voyages from its three month base in Tenerife. There are also 10 volunteer crew in key positions and six permanent paid crew who have worked their way up to Captains and Skippers.

I caught Stavros between a Sea Shanty and a Wildlife Watch week as Ben explained. “We had two professional musicians on board to teach traditional sea shanty’s, when we came back into Santa Cruz from our tour around the Canary Islands we entertained a bar full of people. On the wildlife trip we have an expert to educate the crew about the animals we see.”

It’s not all music and mammals, Happy Hour is a jolly name for scrubbing the decks to music. There are also long watches to keep the ship manned around the clock, maintenance, steering, and hauling the sails. “Climbing the masts to set the sails is a small part of the job, they are controlled by hauling on ropes that are coiled on deck. We have a motor but like to use wind power for as much of the voyages as possible. On a good week the sails are our sole source of power for two thirds of the trip.”

Topside the ship looks and creaks like a well worn eighteenth century rig but down in the modern hull the maker’s plate gives the true version, built in Appledore, Devon in 2000. The mess has a modern stainless steel kitchen, not a ship’s biscuit in sight, but the table area is cramped and the six cabins, each with eight bunks are best described as cosy. Sailors’ possessions are limited to a locker and a small box. Ages on the voyages range from 18 to 75 and each work team (watch) is a mixed bag of ages and both sexes. No sailing experience is required for the adventures, it’s a big learning curve that includes map reading, course plotting, and lots of team work.

Ben has been riding the waves since dipping his toe as a raw crew member but seven years on he is dedicated and very happy with a routine of five weeks on and two weeks off. “We tell our new recruits you will learn a little about sailing but a lot about yourselves.”

If anyone fancies a nautical challenge there’s more information at www.tallships.org

Tenerife Magazine’s round up of some of the most interesting news stories of the week in Tenerife.

Tenerife – One of the Top Five Places to Live in the World
This week Tenerife, or Santa Cruz at least, was chosen by the Guardian Newspaper as one of the five best places to live in the world. Tenerife’s capital was described as being ‘..Tenerife. But not that Tenerife. ‘ and ‘sexily exotic’. The other destinations on the list were Portland, Oregon; St Pauli, Hamburg; Maui, Hawaii and Cihangir in Istanbul.

The travel article was light-hearted but some readers took it too seriously and reacted with quite venomous comments. Santa Cruz escaped lightly with only a few barbed remarks about its inclusion.

“Devoid of real charm, decent food and culture…” wrote one, whilst another classed it as “…a sprawling shanty town overshadowed by a massive CEPSA refinery…”. Interestingly both comments were from people who actually lived in La Laguna, so no bias there. However, the person who commented “…this city is so far away to be in a 5 best places to live…” actually lives in Santa Cruz (clearly time they relocated).

Whether Santa Cruz is one of the five best places in the world to live is purely subjective but it is a great little city with a lot going for it. The article was positive and different from the usual Tenerife stories that normally make it into the UK travel press. But isn’t it strange that all of the detractors actually came from people who live or have lived on Tenerife? With friends like that…

Bruce Springsteen Plays the Canary Islands…Or Not?
There have been reports over the last week about Bruce Springsteen performing on neighbouring Gran Canaria on 15th May. Before anyone books plane tickets to hop across to Las Palmas,  it’s worth waiting for the deal to be done and dusted. The Boss’s gig has not been officially confirmed yet according to his publicists. At present there are no dates for the Las Palmas concert on Bruce Springsteen’s official website and there are no tickets on sale. Negotiations are still proceeding for the concert to take place. Watch this space.

Throwing Light on Electricity Bills on Tenerife
After a constant stream of complaints since monthly electricity bills were introduced in Spain in 2008, the new Spanish Government are re-introducing bi-monthly bills in a bid to ensure that consumers ‘pay only what they use’.  ‘Only what they use’ – What the hell have we been paying for the last three years? Basically there has been complaint after complaint due to incorrect charges caused by the ‘complexity’ of the monthly billing system – i.e. it was a complete shambles.

Delays on the Ring Road
The controversial ring road linking Costa Adeje with Santiago del Teide is in the news again with latest reports estimating that it will be 2013 before the road is ready; almost three and a half years behind schedule. As it happens the current road up through the mountains is a much nicer drive anyway, so no great hardship for those amongst us who actually enjoy driving on real country roads.

Tenerife Beach to Re-Open
It might not be well known to visitors to Tenerife but the long black sand beach of Playa de la Arena in Tacoronte is a popular R&R spot with locals in the area. Like many beaches backed by cliffs on Tenerife it has been closed because of fear of falling rocks whilst safety measures have been introduced. Playa de la Arena’s closure isn’t as long as some on the island and when it opens again in mid February it will only have been closed for five months.

Something for the Weekend?
This weekend is a big one for Tenerife’s animals with San Abad fiestas in their honour taking place across the north of the island. It’s appropriate that the Neotropico Foundation Rescue Centre has chosen Saturday, 28th January as the date for releasing two rehabilitated loggerhead turtles back into the briny where they belong. The release of the turtles will take place at Playa de la Nea in Radazul at around 11am.

And finally the TIT (This Is Tenerife) of the week award goes to…Police/Politician Relations
Relations between the police and the mayor of Buenavista del Norte are going through a sticky patch after a union official claimed the mayor had suggested on Facebook that four officers who all fell ill over the same weekend may have not been as sick as they claimed. The weekend in question was Tres Reyes (three kings); a holiday period that appears to be such a bad one for sickness that they should name a virus after it – Tres Reyes Syndrome perhaps. Thankfully Tres Reyes Syndrome doesn’t normally last long and clears up completely after Tres Reyes is over.

This breakdown in police/politicians relations isn’t quite as serious as the one between a senior politician from neighbouring La Gomera who, after an ‘altercation’ involving the police outside a nightclub in Madrid was arrested on the charge of assaulting law enforcement officers. The politician has since resigned from his position because of the incident. Probably wise; getting into a scuffle with police in Spain’s capital is probably not the smartest way to act as an ambassador for La Gomera on the mainland.

There’s been a church here since the beginning of the 17th century and although there are a lot of fine churches around Tenerife, this one has the added bonus of a mature drago tree to add to its appealling good looks, something that should act as a clue to help identification…but only if you’ve been here.

This baroque building is located deep in farming country where potatoes and tomatoes are the main crops…but where on Tenerife is it?