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.

Ps my friend La went to Cape Verde and said it was dire, nothing to do, they are back to the canaries this year. Not everyone has deep pockets for luxury long haul breaks

It's a typical brits abroad shit hole . The locals are welcome to have it back.

We go every winter for a week to get away from the cold and dark days here.
Sun sea sand and cocktails are a great way to recharge our batteries but know it's other people's idea of hell.. each to their own 😀

We went in March and had a lovely time. We only wanted sunshine and a complete break from cooking so it was perfect.
We didn't meet many locals because my arse was pretty firmly welded to my sunbed for most of the week but everyone we did speak to was friendly and happy to take our tourist money.
Our first family AI and it was bloody brilliant, made a change from the usual rainy tent holidays and all the washing up.

This! There are mass protests in the Canaries at the moment, locals don’t want so many tourists there. Not sure how economically sustainable they’d be without tourism, but it’s fair to say all these massive all inclusive hotels are usually not owned by local families, they’re owned by huge global conglomerates; the family run tavernas and bars are dying and I’d rather support them than some multi national.

Personally I’m not mad keen on the Canaries, and a relative went to Cape Verde and said it was pretty but dull. Give me the history and culture of mainland Spain, Italy or Greece any day!

Cape verde is grim
Tenerife is a big island and there are some of the most exclusive resorts in Europe based there, and 30 mins away there is chips with everything. We have regularly holidayed in a resort with the rich and famous there, but there is a junk side of Tenerife too, pretty much like most places have good and bad areas.

Wow. You are one!

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

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.

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'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 🤣

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

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

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 .

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.

35 years ago!!!

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.