To be surprised Tenerife is overrun with tourists?

[Whenwillitgetwarm]

Have seen in the news that there are mass protests in Tenerife against tourists. There’s lots of graffiti on walls telling tourists to ‘get out!’ etc.

Personally I’m surprised it’s such a popular destination given how awful the place is.

It is hands down the worst place I’ve ever been in my life. I went over 20 years ago. Never again. The locals were the rudest people I’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting. There were lots of high rise hotels, the beaches weren’t nice. However, it’s the attitude of the locals towards tourists even back then that made me vow never go back. Tourists were treated like barely tolerated cash machines.

If you want winter sun, I recommend Cape Verde.

Have to say I do agree with you. Me and DH went there 35 years ago. Never been back for all the reasons you stated, nothing appealing about it. I do know of plenty of people though who go back year after year , so there must be something about it they like 🤔.

It’s hard to beat from the U.K. for a combination of ease of booking, flight time, weather (hear and sunshine), price.

I took two 10 years old there a couple of years ago. Good price, hotel pool lovely, lots of hotel options, Siam Park, inflatable parks on the sea, wall-to-wall souvenir shops which the kids treat with the same enthusiasm that I treat a museum! Lovely weather to enjoy it all.

We also were able to dive in warmer water than the U.K., plenty of beautiful marine life very accessible.

We went a few years ago and didn't like it. Wouldn't ever return. I can see why people do but not for me. Maybe we stayed in the wrong place or wrong time of year, we had a car and went all over but I wasn't keen on it.
My daughter goes twice a year and loves it though!

I lived there for a year and the locals are nowhere near as unfriendly and hostile as the balearics (where I also lived so feel I can comment on)

Canarian people usually welcome tourism. Santa Cruz is a great city, La Oratava is very pretty. Los Gigantes is lovely too.

A small part of the south is a bit grotty but I don't understand thinking the whole island is awful 😕

I think if you like a sunbed and souvenir type holiday it absolutely fits the bill almost all the year round. Let's face it there's not much difference between any sun resort anywhere in Europe really apart maybe from places that have interesting side trips and delish food options.

Should people rethink booking there for the summer, I mean how bad are the protests? Don't want to go somewhere I'm not wanted!

i went in the 1980s

a holiday like that is really not my holiday of choice nowadays but i never blame people who want a sun sea holiday

Is this sponsored by the Cape Verde tourist board? 😂

I've been a few times (part work and part leisure) and haven't loved it, but went again recently with DH and we hired a car and explored further afield than the typical south coast resorts, this time it was much better.

If you go two weeks all-inclusive in a high rise hotel in Las Americas I imagine it can be utterly bleak, but make the effort to get out to see Santa Cruz and La Laguna and Masca and Mount Teide and it's much better.

If that sort of holiday is your cup of tea I guess you are more or less guaranteed good weather all year around so I can see why people would opt for Tenerife rather than the balearics or Costa brava.

😅

I was wondering the same thing.

Barcelo Royal corales is one of the nicest hotels we've been to.

La caleta is super child friendly, the restaurants were all delicious and faiy priced and the locals all love kids and are super sweet with them.

There are lpads of outdoor and water activities and siam water park is absolutely amazing....

The protests are against an outdated tourism model, not tourists per se.

Stupid comments, 'I went there 20 yers ago' etc

Places change you know 🙄

Thats a fair point and most likely it's different now to my experience then. But the fact is it put me off ever going again. We went to Greece the following year and had a totally different experience and been going back every year since. Like I said, I know plenty of people who go back to Tenerife year after year.

I went in 2019 and loved it, hired a car and explored inland and the coast, did plenty of walking, the locals were lovely and friendly
Going back in May and can't wait.

Tenerife is ok. I mean it’s fine for an AI holiday. What I’m most surprised about is the recommendation of Cape Verde? Now that is one of the worst places ive ever been. Absolutely nothing to do. So windy you can’t sit out without getting sandblasted and miserable if the weather is bad.
I’ve never heard a single person say they’d go back

May be I should give it another go as I do hear good things but back in the 90s all I remember is huge hotel complexes, black sand and baron countryside and lots of police driving around. Probably because I was in the resort known for partying. I went three times.
Then I discovered kavos and felt 100 times safer.
But as I child I did go with my parents once and remember a great day out driving up mount tid and building a small snowman on the car bonnet at the top,

Teide

You went 20 yrs ago and by that you assume it's terrible. You sound insufferable.

Went in February, took my mum because at 82 she needs a mobility scooter, and Tenerife has them easily available to hire because it's riddled with elderly brits enjoying life, that means plenty of Elvis impersonators, food establishments serving "English breakfast" and more importantly it has the sun. Never encountered any ill treatment or nastiness, quite the opposite.

No way am I recommending this place to a group of 24yr olds looking for a good time but for my 82 yr old mum and aunt it's heaven.

by all means stay in Cape Verde.

British tourists do behave appalling TBF. I live in a UK tourism hotspot and in the last few years shitting on the beaches seems to have become a thing.

We clearly don't go to the same Tenerife 😂 Parts of it are absolutely beautiful, lovely clean beaches, beautiful food - and Siam park and Lorro Park for the children! We haven't been for a few years but I remember it very fondly.

I’ve never been to Tenerife but I can confidently say that Cape Verde is the most soulless place I’ve ever been.

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

I find a lot of people in hospitality in Cornwall and Pembrokeshire incredibly rude, but they're both very popular with tourists.