To be surprised Tenerife is overrun with tourists?

You went once 20 years ago and you think that qualifies you to run the whole island down.
😂

Cape Verde is beautiful but it's more like the Caribbean than the Canaries or the Balearics, as for people going back you must be joking there were people there in their 11th or 12th visit.

Sad to read all the negativity about Cape Verde, dh and I loved it!! We went to Boa Vista and went on 3 or 4 excursions, never got sand blasted, plenty of lovely time in the sun, had a couple of days at the hotel and walked from there along the beach and found a few local bars to have lunch and a few drinks. Also walked a few miles into the town, just really enjoyed our time there. In fairness if you wanted a party atmosphere you might have had to stick to the hotel entertainment but a few of the restaurants we went to in the evenings offered ‘classic Cape Verde style entertainment’ with singing/dancing/music etc but Dh and I had literally gone for a week of relaxation without the dc in mind.
Anyway, just chiming in to say we loved CV 😂

Imagine being a local and having to put up with the stereotypical Brit who visits there.

No thanks

I have only heard negative reviews of Cape Verde, sadly.

We visited Lanzarote in Jan 24, we definitely picked up on a hostile vibe from locals, on at least 5 separate occasions over the week, that we haven’t ever noticed before. Wouldn’t return right now or recommend. The protests are scary tbh. Goodness knows how this situation will escalate. We visited Greece in Oct 23, back to Greece in April 24. As a British tourist you feel welcome in Greece, especially at the IKOS, awesome resorts, excellent food and the service is unrivalled.

Just stay away and leave it to those who do appreciate it. I am amazed how many people go and stay in the all inclusive resort and not actually explore the beauty if the island.

Think it was mainly to do with water restrictions affecting locals but not tourists being perceived as unfair? Locals taps turned off while tourist pools full of water, hotel lawns watered etc. Plus huge amounts of building and no investment in water supply likely to exacerbate problems

Maybe a solution to the holiday home issue is to refuse planning for new apartments, and focus on hotels only for tourist accommodation. I know many prefer self catering, but if foreigners are the only people able to afford them, and then they are let out to tourists, it's no wonder the native population is going mad at the lack of housing for themselves.

Went recently and was impressed by how helpful and friendly the locals were. Very surprised to get home then see the following week all this tourists go home stuff in the news.

We just stayed in the tourist resort south Tenerife, nothing fancy but there was a laid back vibe, nice beaches, kids played on the beach and pool, I had some lovely long sea swims, found a fab restaurant and everything loads cheaper than UK.

There's nothing cultural in that area so it's a bit bland in that sense but we knew that before we went.

Coming from run down north west UK in winter, where nothing works and there's rubbish everywhere, it was bliss. Served by real people in the shops . Lifts and cash points all functioning. Etc.

It is true that there are some awful touristy parts but so much of Tenerife and the other Canary Islands are genuinely lovely. We stay at smaller boutique hotels or villas, spend lots of time at the beach, and explore the more cultural elements. The last time we were in Tenerife we did a beautiful hike, had a wonderful Michelin starred meal in a Japanese restaurant in the capital and saw more dolphins and whales than I’ve seen anywhere! We’ve been going to Lanzarote more recently - for us it’s the perfect winter sun destination with small kids - nice temperature, no mozzies, short flight but consistent good weather, good food (although we don’t eat out too much due to age/allergies of the children) and just easy. We like to travel and explore new places but the canaries meets our need for winter sun with small kids.

Yes, there's obviously a reason that the locals feel this way.

Their peak season is winter, October and February half terms especially, so maybe summer is cheaper than the Med?

Are you sure you weren't in Els Bells by mistake, OP?

We went to Tenerife and had a great time. We hired a car and explored island, visiting beaches, Mount Teide etc.

We’ve stayed in super luxurious resorts in the Maldives, Seychelles, etc but you can’t beat the Canary Islands for some sun closer to home.

If you have a miserable, sour puss time on a pretty big island then the only thing you have to blame is your own bitter disposition.

35 years ago!!!

I've never been to Tenerife. But it isn't difficult to imagine why it's popular, given its a short flight, there's year round decent weather and there's lots of British influence in restaurants, bars etc

There are also plenty of restaurants that have no British influence at all, thankfully. The hotel we stayed in last year was full of Spanish from the mainland over for their winter sun.

Went a few years ago pre covid , loved it plenty for the kids to do , lovely hotel great food locals were very nice . Went lanzarote last year again lots for kids to do people were lovely weather amazing .

It's popular because a fairly short flight gets you some sunshine in the winter. I don't know why anyone would go in summer

We love Tenerife. Going for fourth time in the summer. Lovely weather, loads to do, has some really lovely parts. Stayed in different hotel each time and all been lovely

I've been to tenerife a couple of times over the past 10 years and really enjoyed it.
However, having been to several Spanish resorts, they all tend to be very similar, so if the Tenerife residents don't want tourists I'm pretty sure they will oblige and take their money elsewhere 🤣

I've never been to Tenerife but I haven't especially enjoyed the two Canary Islands I have been to and I've not been keen to go to any of them since. The Balearics are so much nicer. That said, a good dose of winter sun only 4 or 5 hours from home is the main reason people go, and as long as you don't have unrealistic expectations beyond that, then I'm sure it's fine. I'm sure there are some lovely places in Tenerife but if your first experience was of a downmarket concretey resort with crap food and tacky bars then it is going to taint your opinion of the whole island.

This movement of 'Tourists Go Home' is everywhere across popular parts of Europe at the moment. We've seen anti tourist graffiti in Bordeaux and in Saint Sebastian. I think these people need to be careful what they wish for as many of these places owe their entire economy to tourism.

I hate the way some Brits behave on holiday. I loathe it. But we tend to tell ourselves we are the absolute worst and every other nationality is more civilised. It's not true. It's the Aussies being awful in Bali. The American youngsters behaving appallingly on their 'Spring Break' in Florida. The German drunkards are equally loathed and feared in some parts of Spain. The Russians I saw in Turkey and Egypt were not out of control, but just horribly menacing and thuggish, unbelievably rude and intimidating to staff and behaved like pigs at the dinner table.

I went to Fuertaventura once and it was awful. Barren, horribly windswept, soulless, charmless, everywhere looked like a glorified, white painted Butlin camp. You could fall into a coma from boredom. From what I can tell, Cape Verde seems to be exactly like that. But worse. And further away.

I went to south Tenerife for the first time last Christmas and was very pleasantly surprised. Chose it because of direct flights, no jet lag and good chance of nice weather.
There was a lovely chilled atmosphere, 23/24 degrees, no blaring music, no screeching humans. Would be happy to return. I speak passable Spanish and enjoyed practising it with taxi drivers and in shops/restaurants.
A pharmacist could not have been nicer or more helpful when I needed an emergency supply of prescription medication.

Only if you go to the parts of it that are rubbish.

Wow. You are one!