To think the canary isles are tacky?

[YaWeeFurryBastard]

Lighthearted and I’m definitely open to having my mind changed!

I’ve been to what my family call Lanza-grotty as a teenager and there were some nice volcanic bits. I did notice there was a lot of places serving full English/curry etc. and a very brits abroad vibe. I get the distinct impression that Tenerife/grand canaria are even worse and when people I know go there, they seem to be aiming to max out on the beer/all inclusive and return to the same place every year. There doesn’t seem to be much culture or things to do that aren’t very geared towards British tourists (banana boats etc.)

In my mind I group the canaries in with Benidorm/Tunisia/Cape Verde I.e. places I would not want to go. However I can see how they’d be good for an off-season bit of sun and now we have a baby on the way it’s going to be more challenging to go long haul in winter.

Am I being a judgy bitch and actually missing out on a perfectly nice destination?

DISCUSTING!

The parents spend all their money on booze so the kids have to play with homemade toys and tea trays????

Shouldn't be allowed hun xx

This is what I used to think but was won over and have had lovely holidays in Lanzarote, fuerteventura and Gran Canaria. I’ve found them less Brits abroad than Majorca and although there’s English people, many return year on year and it’s a bit of a community feel in the bars etc. we enjoyed it for dc who love pools and sea so I get to relax and swim (which I love) and dc swim all day long, with snorkelling being a highlight for dd3 who was blown away.

package holidays weren’t my thing but they have been good for the last few years with teens.

hopefully we’ll get back to the USA in the next couple of years but sometimes you just need a lay by the pool and sandy beach kind of holiday.

Yeah, stay away from Tenerife. Its full of piss heads who neglect their kids. Don't go there.

Yes you are being a judgy bitch about all of the destinations you don't want to go to. In some places you will find the destination that some tourists want - little Britian with sunshine. It is easy to avoid those areas and see the beauty and vibrancy of local places. I'll be back to Tunisia next year - nothing tacky about El Jem, the many medinas, the Bardo, Sidi Bou Said, Djerba, Carthage, Kairouan, the Berber villages.... there are literally thousands of fascinating places. But if you want to stay in Blackpool by Tunis, you'll miss all of that. Places are what you make them.

I have been to Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. I speak fluent Spanish, not your typical Brit abroad. I loved both places. The landscapes are stunning.

Post reminds me of an American person I met who said that ‘they’d done Europe’ - this was after a two week cruise stopping at five port cities for a day each.

It’s also like people who go to Benidorm or Magaluf and thereafter forever after declare that ( the whole of) Spain and Mallorca are downmarket and full of drunken tourists.

If you had only ever visited the worst slums in one U.K. city, would you forever after claim that the U.K. was poor, litter ridden and full of crime with no natural or man made beauties whatsoever?

That was my experience of Lanzarote as well. There are a lot of places of interest to see. I loved all the Cesar Manrique stuff.

It isn't the cultural desert that so many people think it is.

@EvelynBeatrice my friend's DH will only holiday in the US as he 'hates Europe' 😁

Thats amazing!!!

😂

I have been to Dubai lots and it's great if you want to lie very still in the sun, read your book and order drinks and snacks to your sun lounger. I advise people to go for a week if that's what they crave. Otherwise don't go. There are no untouristy delights to be found.

@CheeseWisely - I'm sorry I wasn't clear. The holiday accomodation which was all inclusive although we didn't eat there much was expensive. Getting about and restaurants were not.

YABU. I went for the first time a couple of years ago, last minute and with low expectations. I just wanted to go somewhere sunny and cheap, leaving in the next couple of days. I was honestly blown away by the people, culture and landscape. I’d never been on a resort holiday before and remember the scorn of the 90s with people calling it Lanzagrotty, but it was an amazing holiday and we had such great connection as a family. The island’s approach to tourism is interesting on its own, and there is lots to see and do.

I love the canaries and Lanzarote is my favourite. The landscape is very interesting and the government tour that you can do of the volcanoes is awesome. Also, look out for the architecture of Cesare Manrique. He aimed to build buildings that blend into the partivular environment of Lanzarote. You can visit most of them. They are stunning and super interesting including the oasis in the north which is very popular and does get crowded. Then there are the Wine fields. They have a unique method of using volcanic ash to protect their crop. It looks stunning. There is also a sulphur lake with an unusual toxic green colour if I remember right.

The interior of tenerife is very beautiful and you can take the cable car or hike up mount teide. The cities and the capital in the north are proper working cities and quite interesting.

La gomera is absolutely stunning. It's tiny and has no sandy beaches if I remember right but it's full of flowers.

La palma is also beautiful but I don't remember that much. Maybe because we went with the kids.

Fuerteventura was too windy for my liking but I did like the volcanoes.

Rhe food in the canaries is quite distinct and has lots of variety even for vegetarians.

Depends where you go, there are tacky places everywhere abroad. We go to Tenerife in a small resort, would avoid Las Americas like the plague though. Same with other parts of Spain, Majorca for example has some lovely small resorts, but avoid Magaluf.

Blackpool
Skegness
Benidorm

Now Tenerife

God so many snobs in here!!!

Lanza-grotty... Jesus Christ, thats next level snobby and privileged.

Did you really need to start a thread to realize its tone deaf and stuck up?

I've had an apartment in Tenerife for 15 years. There are touristy bits but also absolutely beautiful Canarian villages and Towns with a lot of local culture, food and some beautiful places to visit. North of the island is absolutely stunning but the weather is less reliable in Winter. You probably wouldn't want to be anywhere too hot with a baby anyway so it is definitely an option.

The canaries are very varied. I've been to a lot of places and they are not tacky- Puerto de Mogan and Costa teguise for example.

I would agree with that need to avoid the tourist hotspots and explore independently in most places - but Dubai? There is literally nothing to see outside of the Tourist hotspots!

If you're going to judge somewhere, at least make sure you've got the name right.

Grand Canaria 🤣🤣🤣

I’m just waiting for social services to get me as I’ve left my kids home alone

spoiler-they’re all in their 20s

I'd already been thinking I'd like to do some landscape and wildlife exploring in Tenerife, but this prompted me to look up the Cathedral in case I needed some indoor stuff, and wow - it has a museum of Icons as well as all its own fantastic art. I definitely want to go to Tenerife, even if that makes me tacky.

brits abroad vibes. You hear this a lot:

“I voted for Brexit yeah. Didn’t think it would affect my business over here yeah. Can use the health service yeah”

south generic accent

Yeah sorry I think you’re being a big judgy. Come back to us when your kid is 3/4 and you want a holiday that will keep them entertained without bankrupting yourself. Maybe your kids will be more cultured than mine but unfortunately my low brow children just aren’t Interested in museums (unless they have trains), mountains, and history as much as I try. What they are interested in is pools with slides, making sand castles all you can eat chips and nuggets and ice cream, kids discos and entertainment etc. Am I looking forward to going to more “cultured” places? Yes absolutely but for 10 years or so out of what I hope to be a very long life I can deal with “tacky” holidays.

ps yes to we do expose them to culture and history but I wouldn’t inflict it upon them for a full week or two.

Over the years Tenerife is definitely getting more Benidorm vibes. We went to Costa Adeje last month and noticed it had definitely changed, more crime for a start, pickpockets everywhere, the looky looky men offering coke every night and everyone had genuine fake handbags and sunglasses. It's still a beautiful country though with lovely weather and people but that doesn't mean it hasn't changed. Las Americas is now a favourite with the younger generation and has more of a club vibe, reminds me of Ayia Napa back in my day, but that's a good thing for local businesses because it's bringing people in and after a dire few years thanks to covid they could probably do with it. Gran Canaria I find to be better, I love Maspalomas and Puerto Rico areas, I tend to avoid Playa del Ingles because it's a bit wild for me with all the pride/mardi gras going on, if I was younger it would be where I wanted to stay but I opt for a chilled out holiday now I'm older 😂 there's good and bad in every country, you just have to work out what's what.