Spain: Tenerife’s Wild Carnival
Shooting volcanos and the world’s best party in Tenerife, Canary Islands
By Paul Shoul
GoNOMAD Staff
It is Monday, midnight, Feb 27th, 2017 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on the Spanish Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa.
The world’s 2nd largest carnival celebration has been throbbing along for two days but tomorrow is a holiday off from work for the locals and I can feel the party building in the air.
More than 200,000 Partiers
Over 200,000 people will cram into the city center of Santa Cruz de Tenerife tonight to continue a tradition that has survived dictators and the church, enduring since the 1600s.
Historically, Carnival is the last chance to party for Catholics before 40 days of Lent, a time of penance, sacrifice, and reflection. There will be no abstinence tonight and much to atone for……
Photograph the Night
At 1:00 am I gear up to photograph the night, securing cords to my flash and external battery, and constructing a makeshift rain cover from a plastic bag and duct tape for my camera. The night before while photographing and dancing, a mojito was accidentally dumped on my lens and it has been “sticky” ever since.
I join the river of people heading downtown. I have no idea where we are going but am confident I will know it when we get there. The music grows louder. An ocean of people pack the town square and we are absorbed into the best party I have ever witnessed.
There are no gates, no entrance fee except a costume and a desire to party, mingle dance and drink. Small stands are selling tapas, rum and Coke and mojitos for 2- 4 euros. Many people bring their own. A stranger offers me a shot of rum as I squeeze forward, looking for a higher vantage point.
The crowd has adopted me as their official photographer and I am lifted on to the top of a small platform alongside two women dressed as 1960’s hippie go-go dancers.
Masked Faces
A sea of masked faces stretches as far as I can see. Costumes have always been part of Carnival and transform over time to reflect the moral and political questions of the day.
Many families, friends, workplaces, and civic associations dress together around a common theme.
One group of 20 people are dressed as Donald Trump and Mexicans who are building a cardboard wall shaped as bricks. There are pirates, vixen hotties in fishnets.
A large hairy man in a dress on another platform is whipping the crowd. Native Americans, clowns, cheerleaders, disapproving grandmothers lifting their dresses, and transvestite bullfighters. You get the idea.
This party will go on until the next morning. I make it until 3:00 am before I retire to get ready for the next day’s festivities.
Carnival in Tenerife is held every February during the week before Lent. During the day are the family events and spectacular parades and processions, but the real party is at night on the streets and the final night on Ash Wednesday was truly mind-blowing.
The Burial of the Sardine
The burial of the sardine (El Entierro de la Sardina) is the last ceremony of Carnival and celebration of the first day of Lent by symbolically burying the excesses of the past.
It has changed over time. Let me describe the undertones of the night this way:
“Father, I don’t care if you forgive me for I have sinned…..a lot. And as long as it feels good to me and whomever else I am doing it with, I will keep on sinning until all the sins are done”.
Imagine a huge paper mache cross-dressed sardine with engorged red lips on a mobile platform surrounded by thousands of people followed by a crowd of transvestite mourning nuns
I come across a mobile confessions booth, complete with a “glory hole”. Women in black wave large dildos at me.
The dead rise from coffins. Oh, there is the pope giving communion to a gigantic transvestite while squeezing the ass of a nun.
It’s a cathartic, flamboyant cross-dressing extravaganza. At the end of the procession, the sardine will be burned and a new year to sin will begin. The world needs Carnival. You need it too.
Stay eat and play
Twelve million years ago, volcanoes erupted giving birth to the Canary Islands. They are still active but quiet. The last recorded eruption of Mt Teide happened a mere 100 years ago.
As Tenerife arises over 12,000ft. above sea level, different microclimates have been established, influenced by moisture in the trade winds.
As you ascend the island the landscape changes drastically from the rocky beach, through thick pine forests and eventually rising above the clouds into the lunar landscape surrounding the sometimes snow-covered Teide volcano.
Teide National park is a registered World Heritage UNESCO site. There is a unique feeling of otherworldliness as you walk through the jagged rocky desert crater amongst ancient lava flows and towering rock cones.
The mars rover practiced here. Clash of the Titans and a host of other Hollywood films have used Tenerife as a setting. Even Dr. Who and the Tardis landed on this alien landscape.
There are many hiking trails and even a cable car that goes up to the volcano. This is a special place, leave the whole day to explore it.
Close to Teide National park in Vilaflor, the highest municipality in Spain is this lovely vineyard and restaurant. The wines were fantastic. we had lunch in the main room of the 1800s stone farmhouse overlooking the valley.
I tried both the Listan white and the red. Perfect companions to a hearty lunch of chickpea and pork stew, cheeses, sausages and barbecued chicken and pork.
Puerto Colon Whale Watching
Pier nº 5 Puerto Colón Harbour – Costa Adeje – Tenerife
The South coast of Tenerife around Puerto Colon and the Playa de Las Americas is the main tourist area of the island.
A resort area built in 1960’s it receives the lion’s share of the millions of Russian, British, Spanish and German tourists who are increasingly flocking to the Canaries every year for its perpetual spring climate, affordable prices and safety
I took a whale watch with Roulette Charters. The waters off the Island are home to a diverse marine environment. We sailed along with pods of dolphins and even spied a huge Fin whale rising from the depths. All while enjoying snacks and a glass of wine. 3-hour excursions are approx 50 euros per adult. Super cool and fun.
Masia del Mar, La Caleta de Adeje
Calle El Muelle, 3, 38670 Adeje, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
After the boat ride, we dined at Masia del Mar.
Right on the ocean, you would imagine that the seafood would be great and it was.
Perfectly fried sardines, sauteed squid, and a huge grilled fish for the table. Really delicious.
Starkly different than the craggy landscape around Mt. Tiede, Anaga Country Park on the northwest of the island is a lush protected biosphere reserve.
A trekker’s heaven, walking and running paths weave through thick laurel forests covering the mountains and valleys. Bring good shoes and a jacket.
Restaurante Cruz del Carmen
Parque Natural de Anaga, TF-12, 205, 38294 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Right by the main entrance museum and visitor’s center for the park, this is a great place to try the typical local fare. Stewed rabbit, baked pork loin with honey, local cheeses, salt boiled potatoes and a local must-try once specialty called “Gofio” (a thick lump of toasted cereal grains).
The former capital of Tenerife, the historic city center is a Unesco World Heritage site. It is a lively college town full of cafes, founded in 1496. Any visit to Tenerife must include a walk through these historic streets.
Where to stay.
Hotel Silken Atlántida Santa Cruz.
a Áurea Díaz Flores)
38005 Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Tel.: 0034 922 29 45 00
A comfortable hotel centrally located in Santa Cruz, and just a short walk away from all the Carnival celebrations.
The restaurant is very good and the breakfast buffet will fuel you up for the celebrations to come.
How to get there.
Iberia Airlines.
I have always loved flying Iberia. Good food, good people, and on time.
This trip was made with assistance from Spain.info
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Paul’s photography is rooted in first‑hand experience and human connection. He has documented everything from street food vendors in Mexico to musicians in Cuba, from small‑town festivals in New England to remote villages in the Balkans. His signature style — candid, close‑up, and emotionally honest — has made his work a defining visual element of GoNOMAD.
His images have appeared in newspapers, magazines, tourism campaigns, and exhibitions, and he is widely recognized for his ability to capture the spirit of a place through the people who live there. Paul’s travel writing combines practical insight with a photographer’s eye for detail, offering readers a vivid sense of what it feels like to stand in the scene he’s describing.
When he’s not on the road, Paul is based in Western Massachusetts, where he continues to shoot, teach, and explore the world through his lens.
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June 26, 2020 @ 6:03 am
Hello Paul Shoul, beautifully written story! Carnival in Tenerife is definitely something unforgettable! And a boat trip and a visit to the beautiful natural park of El Teide is also a must do! But don’t forget to take a break on one of Tenerife’s magnificent beaches: https://clubcanary.com/en/best-beaches-tenerife/.
April 25, 2017 @ 9:40 am
Awesome article, Great, & Informative..Wonderful article you wrote.