You know it’s going to be a bit of a giggle fest when your knees are wedged between the large hairy legs of a German stranger on a cramped wooden train chugging through the streets of Puerto de la Cruz. My obvious itchy discomfort was a source of great amusement to Amy, aged 11 and Chloe aged 12, over on holiday with my friend Sarah, their infectious chuckles had already been fired up by our journey up from Los Cristianos on a TITSA bus.

Loro Parque’s well oiled publicity machine grabs most family’s imaginations as soon as they touch down in Tenerife and based on my past visits, I never hesitate to fuel their interest further. As we arrived at the grand entrance to this animal themed box of delights, I tried to share the first impressions of my guests and to see if it lived up to its billing as a family favourite. Estate agents would call it kerb appeal, and Loro Parque scores early with the imposing pagoda entrance backed by large metal parrot statues and even hedges trimmed into the shape of a pack of elephants linked trunk to tail.
On a very hot and busy day we spilled inside delayed slightly by the huge multi coloured Koi Carp as we were funnelled over the lake bridge and snapped with two pretty polly’s on the way into the main body of the park. With three good women to organise me we set our sights on ticking off the four big shows first and headed for the performing birds at the Loro Show in a tall central hall. With 10 minutes to the start of the show we got some of the last seats and barely had time to appreciate the standing room behind us that allowed child buggies good parking spots. With a whoosh multi-coloured parrots swooped overhead and landed on their stage perches below to perform counting tricks, bell ringing and other cute turns. Amy and Chloe were engrossed and even slightly bird phobic Sarah was won over.

Twenty minutes later we were back on our mission and heading for the Sea Lions’ show. Their small amphitheatre was stocking up well as one large, shiny, whiskered star was draped lazily over the performance area. Quite a few late-comers were kept at bay by a rope but as the park staff shuffled people to fill any gaps, we again had a good view, this time standing at the back. The music struck up, the trainers and the other sea lions slithered out and we were all caught up in a whirl of slipping and sliding as the sleek stars clapped, dived, rolled over and kissed their way into everyone’s hearts. The girls’ smiles confirmed the general feeling, another hit.
Next stop the dolphins. Although baking hot the park is designed with plenty of shady paths linking the attractions, Amy and Chloe led the charge as we did our best to keep up with their youthful enthusiasm. The venues were getting bigger now but the demand still called for sensitive stewarding. As new arrivals were fed up to the higher seats the front rows were filled with buggies and their eager passengers. The animation girls kept the mood light as they built the anticipation with competitive clapping between the various sections.

The dolphins wowed everyone with high leaps and general playfulness and one lucky child was selected for a close encounter at the pool side, that special memory of stroking a dolphin will stay in her memory for years to come. The only disappointment of the day for Amy and Chloe was not getting soaked at the Orca Whale show, we sat a few rows behind their places at the edge of the splash zone. After a build up of catchy music and cheeky video close ups of the crowd, the whales announced their arrival with a few jumps and tail flips to send waves lapping over the pool side. Even those who had bought 3 euro plastic coveralls had a refreshing wash and Amy and Chloe giggled as their legs got sprayed. The creatures and the thrills don’t come much larger than the Orcas, their size contrasted by their intelligence and sheer beauty.
Regrouping in a café, expect captive audience prices, we took a vote on the next stop, luckily Planet Penguin got the thumbs up, saving me from stamping my feet and having a bawling fit. I’m a penguin addict and was glad to see the girls also delighted in their waddling on ice antics and majestic gliding under the ice and water floes of their huge snow dome.
Always leave them wanting more would be a good motto for Loro Parque, there is so much to cram in, the second visit 10 euros ticket is a good idea. We flitted by many of the enclosures ogling otters, admiring apes and treasuring tigers before heading for home. It was tough trying to get the girls to name a favourite, they loved everything but Amy was smitten by the penguins and Chloe chose the dolphins and whales. When it comes to family appeal Loro Parque is still serving up enough holiday memories to cram Noahs Ark.

FACT FILE

• Loro Parque – Puerto de la Cruz
• Website – www.loroparque.com
• Open daily 8.30 am to 6.45 pm
• Adults 32 euros, residents 19.50 euros – includes all shows
• Children (ages 6 to 11) 21 euros , residents 13 euros
• FREE trains from Plaza Reyes Catolicos, Puerto de la Cruz seafront

Title: Baseball – Kings Cup Finals
Location: El Burgado, Puerto de la Cruz
Link out: Click here
Description: The final stages of the Copa del Rey at the home of 5 times Spanish champions Tenerife Marlins. FREE entrance.
Sat 7
2pm – San Boi v CD Navarra
6pm – Barcelona v Tenerife Marlins
Sun 8
10am – Semi Final
2pm – Final
Read about Tenerife Marlins

http://www.tenerifemagazine.com/sports/tenerife-marlins-the-big-fish-in-spanish-baseball.htm

Start Date: 2010-08-07
End Date: 2010-08-08

When I think of fishing and fishermen, I think idyllic streams in the Scottish Highlands where the gentle rushing of water over stones, the hum of bees and the swish of a lone fly fisher’s line blend imperceptibly into the silence; or a quaint Greek harbour where a bearded Adonis sits silently mending his nets to a background soundtrack of cicadas and the tide slapping the boards of lazily bobbing fishing boats.

Cut to Tenerife where these images are shattered by the audible battles of dance music blasting from the speakers of beer stalls and the open air rave; the screams of girls being cannoned by high powered water pistols or thrown from the harbour wall into the chaotic water below; the deafening cacophony of splashing as a thousand hands churn up the harbour waters and the horns of dozens of small fishing boats as the Virgen Del Carmen ( Our Lady of Mount Carmel) takes to the waters for her annual jaunt around the bay.
Welcome to the wild, wet, fishermen’s Fiestas Del Carmen in Puerto de la Cruz.

Puerto de la Cruz may be a thriving tourist centre and one-time premier resort of Tenerife but it has never lost its fishing village roots.  Arguably the prettiest natural harbour on Tenerife, Puerto is home to a strong community of fishermen and mariners. Annually they treat the Virgen Del Carmen and San Telmo (Saint Elmo), to whom they feel indebted for their livelihoods, to a trip around the bay in order to ensure safe voyages and full nets for the coming year.

It’s a tradition which takes place in many of the coastal resorts of Tenerife in and around the 16th July; Virgen Del Carmen’s Feast Day.
A feature of each of them is the central role played by the fishermen who carry the statue of their Saint on their shoulders to her embarkation point, sail her around the headland and then return her safely to her permanent church home amidst fireworks and celebration.
The difference with the fiesta in Puerto de la Cruz is that somewhere in the region of 35,000 – 40,000 people descend on the town for the day turning it into one of Tenerife’s biggest festivals.

I have a sneaky feeling that the weather God is a fisherman at heart because in all the years I have been attending Puerto’s Fiestas Del Carmen, it has always, without exception, been a red hot, cloudless day; regardless of how many days before or after have fallen prey to the cloud that trade winds bring to the north coast in early summer.
And yesterday was no exception.

With Tenerife at the tail end of a heatwave, the harbour saw temperatures tipping 34ºC as the sun beat mercilessly down on the thousands of revellers who took to the harbour waters in their droves to stay cool. Those who preferred to stay on dry land had running battles with high powered water pistols turning Plaza Charco, Calle Perdomo and the Muelle into an arena of water cannon cross-fire where escaping without a soaking was not an option.

With everyone heat exhausted and soaked to the skin (voluntarily or otherwise), the Virgen and San Telmo finally arrived at the harbour where they were given an emotional rendition of Ave Maria before being carried to their waiting boats. A few squeaky bum moments later they were both safely ensconced on board their vessels and heading off towards the horizon. While the party continued to rage, some of us trod our weary way homeward, safe in the knowledge that there would be fresh dorado (bream), cherne (grouper) and chiperones (small squid) for the coming year.

Fact File:
Fiestas Del Carmen take place in Los Cristianos, Bajamar and El Médano.
Some of the larger celebrations are in Santa Cruz and Las Galletas.

Santa Cruz – Friday 16th July 2010 – a full programme of music and concerts takes place in the city centre. Mass is held at 6pm in Iglesia de la Concepcion followed by a parade of the statue of the Virgen del Carmen through the city (Plaza de España, Marina, Avenida Marítima) to the harbour at Muella Ribera (near the junction with La Rambla) for embarkation and a trip around the harbour. Fishermen lay a wreath on the water in commemoration of fallen colleagues.
On the Virgen’s return, she’s paraded back through the city and is greeted in Plaza del España by the traditional firework display.
Another day of celebrations, concerts and festivities follows on Saturday 17th July 2010.

Las Galletas – Sunday 16th July 2010
Amidst a whole week of events which includes parties with live bands from 11pm on the nights of Friday 16th, Saturday17th and Sunday 18th July 2010, the Virgen is taken to sea on Sunday 18th July amidst a noisy flotilla of small fishing boats. On her return at 9.30pm there’s a large fireworks display followed at 11pm by the final party.

Listening to some people you would think that “Up North” in Tenerife was like flying to the moon. In reality little over an hour separates the two poles of the island but prepare to be pretty impressed by the contrast of lush green vegetation, towering mountain ranges and walks that will whisk you back to unspoilt vistas and charm packed villages.

Mind you that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy comfort and family-friendly pampering at your home base, that’s where Hotel Las Aguilas comes in. The spacious layout, friendly service and bright modern décor will make you think you are in a big city complex but the 10,000 square metres of gardens and valley views are a reminder of the unique location. Set on a mountain overlooking the bustling city of Puerto de la Cruz, a free shuttle bus links you to the modern shopping and back street cafes and restaurants of this ancient fishing port. If you want to explore further you will soon become aware of the culture and history of Tenerife via the wine regions of La Orotava valley, the volcanic legacy of  Garachico or the westerly mountain ranges of Buenavista.

Of course you may not want to stray far from the Hotel Las Aguilas and its two swimming pools, three tennis courts and three padel courts, kids mini club, and multi-function sports court. Meal time is always a tough choice, will it be the Amaltea buffet restaurant, snack bar, or volcano show bar with live music and professional shows. The tranquil setting provides the perfect backdrop for weddings, conferences and events, in fact the Hotel Las Aguilas is as diverse as the amazing attractions of north Tenerife.

If you want to know more about Hotel Las Aguilas there are many ways to keep in touch

Tel (0034) 922372806

Email reserves@hotellasaguilas.com

Website www.hotellasaguilas.com

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Competition and Rules

You will find the prices and frequent offers very competitive but thanks to Tenerife Magazine you could win a week’s half board holiday for two people. All you need to do is be a Facebook fan of Tenerife Magazine by the closing date of 31^st July. The draw will be made on 2^nd August, is not transferable and must be claimed within 2 weeks of the draw or it will be re-drawn. The prize voucher can be used until the end of 2010, not open to staff or relatives of Tochdocun or Grupo Gomasper.

Why do they call it Midsummer’s day?

Rapidly approaching, the night of June 23rd is the longest day and shortest night in nature’s annual cycle and as such, it has been a significant time of change since ancients all over the world lived their lives, planted their crops and tended their livestock in time to the rhythms of nature.
The point at which the sun reaches its zenith and appears to stand still for three days before switching direction on its solar journey, Midsummer’s Eve is the time to cast out the old and welcome in the new; a time of re-birth and a time of heightened magic.

Fire and water are two of the four ancient elements, the building blocks of existence itself and powerful symbols of  life and purification; all over the northern hemisphere bonfires will burn on the night of San Juan (Saint John) aka Midsummer’s Eve.
A tradition since the days of the Guanche, for many coastal towns in Tenerife that entails bonfires on the beach in which everything from old furniture to last year’s flip-flops are cast into the flames to make way for the new.
Any time of magic and tradition is also a time of celebration and San Juan is the perfect excuse to pack a hamper and head to the beach for some summer night partying.

By far the biggest beach party on the island takes place in Puerto de la Cruz where thousands of people descend onto Playa Jardín and Punta Brava late afternoon, armed to the sunglasses with food, booze and candles. While a huge bonfire burns on the beach, each family or group of friends creates their own ritual fire by placing candles in a shallow basin in the sand. Decorated with flowers and scented with incense, the candles turn the beach into a magical scene where you wouldn’t be too surprised to see Hobbits drinking tankards of ale and dancing around the flames.

A Health and Safety Officer’s nightmare, in San Juan de la Rambla, Icod and Garachico large balls are fashioned from straw stuffed into sacks, then doused with petrol, set on fire and rolled down the mountainsides trailing a fiery path of sparks that must surely goad the God of volcanic eruptions.
You’d think Garachico of all places would know better.

After the fire comes the water, and tradition dictates that bathing in the midnight waters on Noche de San Juan will cleanse ailments from the past and bring good health and fertility for the forthcoming year – talk about the good news and the bad.
That may be a mixed blessing for many humans but when it comes to livestock, fertility is paramount which is why the Guanche bathed their animals in the healing waters of San Juan. In various parts of the island horses are ridden into the sea on the morning of the 24th June to bless the animals and ensure their health and fertility.

Once again, Puerto de la Cruz gets the prize for the biggest celebrations where, on the morning of 24th June, goats driven down from surrounding towns and villages throughout the La Orotava Valley are dragged, kicking and screaming into the harbour waters. Joined by several caballeros on their magnificent steeds, the spectacle leaves visitors open-mouthed and the harbour beach pretty much assured of never achieving Blue Flag status.

So, with a time that so clearly denotes seasonal changeover and the official start of the summer, why, oh why is it called midsummer?

Fact file
Noche de San Juan 2010, Puerto de la Cruz

• 23rd June 2010 Beach Party from late afternoon  on Playa Jardín and Punta Brava. Fireworks display and entertainment provided by folk groups El Chirato and Portuense, and live bands Vocal 7, Jóvenes Cantadores, The Hits and Señor Natilla.

• 24th June 2010 Bathing of the goats in the town harbour from 8am to midday (ish)

Torviscas (Thursdays and Saturdays 9am to 2pm, opposite the Costa Adeje Gran Hotel)
One of the biggest markets in the South; clothes, jewellery, handbags, shoes, souvenirs, books…and even a fashion show. There are bargains to be had as long as you can tell The Real Thing from The Pretenders.

Los Cristianos (Sunday mornings 9am to 2pm, next to the Arona Gran Hotel)
Probably the largest market in the South with extensive stalls selling everything from crafts to clothing. Expect to be elbow to elbow with fellow browsers and feel free to practice your bartering skills.

Santa Cruz Rastro (Sunday mornings 9am to 1.30pm, around the African Market)
If you can sell it, you can buy it at the Sunday Rastro in Santa Cruz. By far, the biggest market on Tenerife. From African drums to Zinnia plants; browse the hundreds of stalls in air perfumed with patchouli oil and hot dogs. Not so much a market as a retail experience. Top shopping.

Tegueste (Saturdays & Sundays 8am to 2pm, Mercadillo del Agricultor – behind the PCAN station)
Fruit and vegetables straight from the farmer’s fork (often with soil still attached); mouth-watering home-made cakes and bread; hand crafted models and ornaments and best of all, local wine – all accompanied by Latino music. You may need to book a room, or at very least, salsa lessons.

El Médano (Saturdays 9am to 2pm – Plaza de Principe)
Neo-hippies and cool dudes selling handmade jewellery, clothing, African artefacts and all things Bohemian. Probably the coolest market on Tenerife; wear your best shades.

Los Abrigos (Tuesdays 5pm to 9pm, top of the harbour)
Tenerife’s only regular night market. CDs, DVDs, clothing, jewellery, belts and more, all a short stroll from the best fish restaurants in the south and perfectly timed to examine your purchases over a plate of seabass and a glass of white.

La Laguna (Every day to 2pm, Plaza del Cristo)
Air thick with the smell of spices, cut flowers and salt fish – La Laguna market is the most comprehensive food market on Tenerife. Whether it’s meat, fish or fowl, you’ll find it here; as well as cheeses, cakes, sauces, wines, plants, flowers…a foodie’s paradise.

Tacoronte (Saturdays and Sundays 9am to 2pm, Tacoronte – Tejina road)
One of the largest agricultural markets on Tenerife with over 100 stalls of produce. Cakes, pastries, wines, cheeses and herbs – trash the diet sheet before you go.

Flea Market, Puerto de la Cruz (Saturdays 9am to 2pm, outside Supermercado Municipal)
A colourful local market with a mix of new and second hand goods. Antiques, books, clothes, ornaments and lots of excellent crafts. Inside the mercado on the first floor is a really good farmers’ market too – that’s two markets for the price of one, ladies and gentlemen.

Feria Recinto (Avenida de la Constitución, Santa Cruz)
From cars to Christmas and babies to brides, the 40,000 square metres of Institución Ferial de Tenerife is THE place for trade fairs. This coming weekend (19th -21st March) is weddings. Check their website for details.
As markets go – this one’s MASSIVE.

We’ve been battered by hurricane xynthia and saturated by monsoon rains and in between we’ve had the warmest winter since the 1920s. The press have labelled it ‘the winter of storms’ and Tenerife’s weather has had more news coverage in the rest of the world than our camera shy little rock in the Atlantic is used to.
But I awoke on Sunday morning to the ‘hoop, hoop’ song of the hoopoe bird newly returned from his over-winter in Africa and my thoughts turned to long, lazy mornings over a pot of tea and the Sunday supplements in one of Tenerife’s park cafes.

So, in the fervent expectation that the wild extremes of winter are now safely behind us (was that a clap of thunder I just heard?), here at Tenerife Magazine we thought we’d join the hoopoe and trumpet the imminent arrival of spring with our guide to the best places to enjoy a cup of tea in the company of nature’s bounty.

Parque Los Lavaderos (Avenida Los Angeles, El Sauzal; open 08.00-19.00 in winter, 08.00-21.00 in summer; admission free)
Los Lavaderos clings to the side of the cliff in a series of terraces which lead down to the natural springs of a former laundry, with stunning views of Mount Teide and the lush north coastline. Quirky garden follies and giant structural plants characterise the landscape set around the Chocolaté café which serves speciality teas and bite-sized snacks in a deliciously bohemian setting.
Go now and you’ll get the perfumed benefit of the wall of jasmine right below the café.

Risco Bello (Parque Taoro, Puerto de la Cruz; open every day from 09.30 – 18.00; entrance free to café, €4 to water gardens)
Set alongside the gardens of the iconic former hotel and casino of Taoro, these decadent water gardens are Puerto’s version of ‘Through the Looking Glass’. Paths, steps and bridges weave their way through green tunnels to emerge at Monet-style lily ponds and hidden lakes set with cascading falls. Charming and intriguing in equal measure. Alongside the duck pond on a tranquil lawn where weeping willow trees bend to kiss the waterside is a small café with tea, sandwiches and a time warp to the 1950s.

Parque García Sanabria. (Rambla General Franco, Santa Cruz; admission free)
Set in the heart of Santa Cruz and known as ‘the lungs of the city’, Parque García Sanabria is an open air art gallery set amongst tropical landscaped gardens where Santacruceros come to relax and to play. Strolling through its 67,000 square metres of botanical gardens, you’ll encounter the bare bosoms of ‘Fecundidad’ and the green eyes of ‘The Cat’ amongst its many treasures. Head to the constantly changing floral clock on Calle de Méndez Núñez for the Gaudi-esque décor of its pavement café.

Sitio Litre (Camino Sitio Litre, Puerto de la Cruz; open every day from 09.30-17.00 (18.00 in summer); entrance €4.75)
Patronised in its time by such luminaries as Agatha Christie, William Wilde (Oscar’s dad), the explorers Richard Burton and Alexander Von Humboldt and the botanical artist Marianne North, you may consider ordering Earl Grey at the café outside the mansion in Sitio Litre. Tenerife’s oldest surviving gardens, Sitio Litre also boast an impressive orchid collection and a 300 year old Drago Tree; don’t forget to crook your pinkie for this one.

You have to think of ‘carnaval’ as a bit like Quentin Tarantino’s movie Pulp Fiction. The last scene in that movie was of John Travolta and Samuel Jackson walking, with frostbite-inducing coolness, out of a diner…but that wasn’t actually the end of the story. In chronological terms that scene really took place half-way through the film.

Similarly Santa Cruz holds its closing parade (Coso Apoteosis) today, but don’t pack away those fishnets and false boobs yet because it’s not the end of Carnaval. There are another five days of wild street parties and outrageous fun to enjoy at the island’s biggest celebrations in Santa Cruz and Puerto de la Cruz.

If you’ve never been before here are some essential tips worth knowing before taking the plunge into the hedonistic and bizarre waters of a carnival street party.

Street Party Preparation
Wrap a boa around your neck (I meant a feather one, but a constrictor would definitely have more impact) and stick a sparkly cowboy hat on your head and you’ll immediately feel part of carnaval. With a bit of creative thinking you can blast straight into the equivalent of carnaval’s premiership – when people want to have their photo taken with you. Face paint is ideal for achieving unique results. Think topical movies for an eye-catching look. At last night’s street party in Puerto a quartet decked out as N’avi from the movie Avatar were the stand-out costumes of the night.

When to Arrive
Don’t turn up at a street party much before midnight – even that’s a bit early. Street parties don’t hit their stride till between 1am and 2am. If you’re like me it can take superhuman effort to start getting into fancy dress at 11pm – last night it was touch and go. Going out to party at midnight on a Monday night just seemed to go against the grain. But once you arrive in the middle of carnaval’s in-yer-face-assault of colour, noise and ‘is that a he, or is that a she?’ costumes, time is banished to another dimension.

What to Drink
Surprisingly drink is very cheap from street kiosks at carnival. Cañas (glasses of beer) are usually €1 and combinados (spirit and mixer) around €3.50. It’s easy to get completely caught up in the carnaval spirit. A bit of pacing is advisable if you want to last the course as spirit measures are seriously potent. A couple of years ago a friend matched our beer-drinking glass for glass with vodka and tonic combinados . After about an hour and a half we could have poured her into a glass – for her the carnaval was well and truly over.

What to Expect
Street parties are loud, brash and seriously addictive fun. They are also a people-watcher’s Nirvana. At their zenith, around 3am, they can feel as though the whole world has put on fancy dress and joined the party.
Last night I was jostled, bumped, flashed at, hugged and kissed by all manner of odd looking creatures which shared one thing in common…they all had big beaming smiles splitting their surreal features. Watch out for hobbit-sized teenage Canarian girls who barge through the crowds at elbow level like Tasmanian Devils – they’re the biggest threat to the drink in your hand.

…And Finally – What Time do the Street Parties End?
Officially the music is supposed to stop at around 5am during the week and 6am at weekends, but that doesn’t mean the party stops.  I usually drag myself away from the multi-coloured madness somewhere between 4am and 5am. But I’ve known friends reluctantly stagger out of popular carnaval bars at 8am – clearly I’m only a lightweight.

¡Viva La Fiesta!

Title: FG Dixieland Jazz Band
Location: Centro Asturia Bambi, Puerto de la Cruz
Description: Get in the swing with some great music, starts at 8.30pm.
Date: 2010-01-30

Well that’s Christmas over for another year. Your belt buckle needs loosening, your wallet has become a black hole and the only turkey you want to see in the next twelve months is the one where people wear a fez, drink mint tea and beat your bare feet with bats if you try to smuggle hashish.

Except that here in Tenerife it isn’t over. In fact it’s only just begun. In this topsy turvy land, Christmas begins with a big feast on Christmas Eve and ends two weeks later when the Tres Reyes (Three Kings) hit town and children wake up on 6th January to find if they’ve been good enough to warrant any pressies.

The good news for visitors arriving on Tenerife this week is that they get to enjoy two Christmases…and the icing on the Christmas cake is that the second one comes stress-free.

The question is though, where are the best places to partake of some intoxicatingly sparkly Christmas spirit?

Here’s Tenerife Magazine’s photo guide to the four most Christmassy towns on Tenerife

Christmas in Puerto de la Cruz
In fourth place is Puerto de la Cruz. In truth, the Christmas decorations are a little disappointing this year in Tenerife’s first tourist resort. There’s a distinct lack of colour about the town, possibly because the giant wheel at the funfair nicked all the best lightbulbs. However, there’s still enough magic about to bring on some Christmas cheer.

Plaza Europa in front of the town hall: Gold, gold and more gold – clearly the colour theme in Puerto de la Cruz this year.

Thank goodness for the funfair and an injection of much needed colour.

Christmas in La Laguna
In third place is La Laguna. There’s a distinct Dickensian feel to the decorations in La Laguna helped by cobbled streets, historic buildings, Victorian style street lights and vendors selling hot toffee and baked potatoes from little carts.

Plaza del Adelantado, La Laguna: Pretty, if a bit understated.

This is much better: Street vendors and coloured sparkly balls – now we’re getting there.

Christmas in Santa Cruz
In second place is the island’s capital, Santa Cruz. Plaza España is remarkably understated, but the streets between Plaza de la Candelaria and Plaza del Príncipe are enchanting festive grottos featuring trees festooned with multi-coloured twinkling lights. The big bonus in Santa Cruz is that throughout the Christmas period, live music in the streets provides that special finishing touch. At any one time choir singing, jazz and even a Beatles tribute act add a musical soundtrack to the city’s festive scene.

The Circulo de Amistad building knows exactly how to dress for Christmas.

I bet you can’t walk down this street without humming Winter Wonderland – even if you are sweating at the time.

The Noria district: Palm trees and Christmas lights.

Christmas in La Orotava
The classiest town on Tenerife has come up trumps by also having the classiest Christmas decorations. For providing a healthy dose of good old-fashioned Christmas atmosphere, La Orotava wins by a nose. The life-sized belén in front of the town hall is hard to beat, but Plaza de la Constitución manages it with a gingerbread house bandstand, illuminated Christmas parcels and a tree-covered walkway with dripping icicles. A visit to the town is the perfect antidote for eliminating any Scrooge-like tendencies.

A life-size nativity scene outside La Orotava’s Town Hall. Can you get any more Christmassy?

….well, this might just about trump it.

The Iglesia de la Concepción at dusk adds the perfect finishing touch to the nativity scene.