There are so many locations around the world that are associated with spectacular fireworks displays, London, Sydney and New York all spring to mind when we think of fireworks. Somewhere you probably didn’t think of however is Tenerife.
The largest island in the Canaries, Tenerife doesn’t just celebrate the New Year with fireworks; they’re a part of everyday life on the island for a large part of the year.
If you’re jetting off to Tenerife in the near future and you’d like to know when you can catch a display, then here’s everything you need to know.
When to Go to a Display
Although there can be events on any given day of the year, Tenerife has what is known as “fireworks season” and this spans from May right through until September. During this period, there are a huge number of displays on the island on a weekly basis, meaning you have no excuse to miss out if you’re visiting soon.
Most fireworks displays on the island will be in conjunction with a fiesta of some kind, so if you find out that there’s a particularly big one whilst you’re away, you should look out for when and where the fireworks will be taking place.
Fiestas de la Cruz
The Fiestas de la Cruz offers up one of the best firework displays on Tenerife and the event also has a wonderful backstory. Taking place on the 3rd of May every year in Los Realejos, the display is actually a battle of sorts between two neighbourhoods that stretches back hundreds of years.
The competition takes place between Calle del Sol, a street that is traditionally home to working class families and Calle del Medio, a nearby road which was favoured by land owners and rich professionals. This naturally bred an atmosphere of rivalry and competition back in the old days and new residents have continued the tradition by competing to see who has the best firework display. The event gets bigger and better every year as each neighbourhood tries to outdo the other.
La Orotava Valley
Located on the most northern tip of the island, Orotava Valley provides a perfect natural setting for a fireworks display. The large basin-shaped valley echoes with the sound of fireworks and the effect has been known to rattle windows miles away. La Orotave Valley is a fantastic tourist hotspot, with many restaurants and bars situated in the hills where you can relax with a drink or a meal and take in the stunning views and even more stunning fireworks.
Puerto de la Cruz
One of the first tourist areas on the island, Puerto de la Cruz holds its fiestas patronales throughout July, so if you’re spending a summer holiday there around that time you will be hard pushed to miss the festivities altogether. A fiestas patronales is a celebration of a particular town’s patron saint and in Spain they are observed universally.
This is a great time to be on the island and the fireworks displays are jaw dropping. During July you can expect to see a display almost every day and no expense is spared by organisers during this period.
