It’s on! All over the Canaries people start dancing to the catching rhythm of music while wearing colorful, eccentric costumes. The carnival on Tenerife, which takes place from 12th to 26th February this year, is next to the carnival in Rio the biggest on earth – and when it comes down to the exotic costumes and the hot-blooded samba dancers, the celebrations on Tenerife are acclaimed in equal measure to the Latin-American counterpart.

Whole Tenerife is in a buzz. Especially in the island’s capital, Santa Cruz, people use to dance and celebrate into the morning light at temperatures around 20 degrees. This year the theme will be “Flower Power”, the funky 60s. Which means there are no limits set on creativity and a variety of colors, the spirit of freedom and the music of the 60s will dominate this year’s carnival.

Well worth seeing are the big parade through Santa Cruz on 21st February and the so-called “Mascarita ponte tacon” on 24th February in Puerto de la Cruz. The latter is about men dressed as women, who need to cross a show-jumping course wearing high heels of at least 10cm. You also shouldn’t miss the parade on Ash Wednesday the 22nd February, the “Entierro de la Sardina” (“Funeral of the Sardine”). During this event thousands of people guised as widows, nuns or mourners bury an oversized sardine, which will be carried through the whole city to Plaza del Charco and finally to the harbour. There the sardine is going to be lit up and left to the sea, what leads afterwards to a big celebration and display of fireworks.  

To make sure that all carnival revellers reach their destination during this period of time, there will be extra busses assigned on the whole island. You can find more information about this service by following this link: www.titsa.com

But you don’t necessarily need to come to Tenerife to enjoy the Carnival on the Canaries, because there will be celebrations all over the islands. For example in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, at the “Dance of the devil’s masks” (Los Diabletes) on Lanzarote or in Gran Tarajal and in Puerto del Rosario on Fuerteventura.

So don’t waste time buying your costumes and let the joy of carnival begin!  

In this spirit: enjoy and “Helau” and “Alaaf”!!!

For more information about the program of the carnival in Santa Cruz and Puerto de la Cruz as well as the carnival on the other Canary Islands, please click on:

www.carnavaltenerife.es/programa-2012
www.sientecanarias.com/index.php=
www.lanzaroteinformation.com/content/arrecife-carnival-2012
www.fuerteventurarentaroom.com/en/fuerteventura-carnival-dates-2012