After the Rio de Janeiro Carnival there is the Tenerife one. For enthusiasm, fun, folklore, spectacle the Tenerife Carnival it has nothing to envy to the Brazilian one.
On the small Spanish island, nearly 30.000 people gather to celebrate carnival every year. The life of the party is in the center of the city, but the biggest celebrations are in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Puerto de la Cruz where party people bring passion and enthusiasm typical of Latin American populations. Different shows and performances fill the city with shouts and joy and musical groups with dancers moving to the rhythm of salsa and merengue animate every evening.
The party starts in the late afternoon, on Wednesday preceding Shrove Tuesday is the first of the events of the Canarian Carnival: "theelection of the queen of the Carnival”: The most beautiful girls of the island challenge each other by parading with extravagant and exaggerated dresses. The Friday evening "la opening parade”With floats and marching bands that give the real start to the party and proclaim the two wildest nights of the party. After the wild and fun weekend at 16 pm on Shrove Tuesday the highlight of the whole party begins: the "Thing"Or"Great Parade”With floats, bands, dancing groups and street actors who parade to the rhythm of music for about 5 hours.
After the iffireworks kick off another night of celebration. The Ash Wednesday the events continue with "theEntierro della Sardina”(Burial of the sardine) which over time has turned into a joke event during which everyone dresses up in mourning (originally marked the end of the Carnival) and awaits the following weekend to finally conclude the Carnival.
In 2013 the Tenerife Carnival will take place from 6 to 17 February and there are numerous tour operators that sell ad hoc holiday packages for the occasion
