I’ve never
been to Spain before going to Tenerife, so it was a totally new experience for
me, lifestyle related, culturally and also language vise. I speak Italian, so I
have always been able to understand a little bit of Spanish when they speak
slowly. Some words are very similar, some words are totally different. I always
feel uncomfortable when I don’t understand the language in a country, but
sometimes it’s inevitable, not this time. I didn’t understand everything, but
quite a lot and I was even able to order my food and drinks. Anyway, stopping
with the long introduction to this post now, here are some important things to
know about Tenerife.
-
The language: They obviously speak Spanish and a
lot of people speak English or even German, but not everywhere. It could be
that you get someone in a shop, who can barely speak English, so it’s helpful
to know a few Spanish words and expressions.
-
Sales assistants: They can very rude, arrogant and
annoying. All they want is sell things and they try to sell their clothes or
whatever in a very rude manner, not letting the costumer walk through the shop
normally without following. When you touch something, they start talking about
the piece of clothing and recommend more. It’s just too much. Of course there
is also the very nice kind, who reserves stuff for you and is very friendly.
-
Nature/weather: They nature and landscape can be
very different, depending on where you are on the island. Black sand, black
beaches with lava stones, brown hills, green mountains, cliffs, normal sand
etc. The variety is impressive and there is so much to see. The weather can
also be very different. Sun in the south, clouds and fog in the north, because oft
he mountains clouds sometimes can’t get through.
-
Wind: It’s always very windy on Tenerife. It’s an
island in the Atlantic, so it’s normal. They can also get a very warm wind
called Calima, it comes from Africa and brings lots of sand. The temperatures
then are very high, around 32°C.
-
Temperatures: The temperatures in average don’t
go over 25°C even in summer. Of course it can get a lot warmer, but that’s the
average. Even in January the average is 20°C.
-
El Teide: With his 3718 m above sea level, he
is the highest mountain of Spain, interesting, right?
-
North vs South: They say they are two different
worlds and it’s true. The landscape is very different; the weather can be
different. They also say the north is more tropical and wilder. However, the
south with Las Americas, Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos is more popular when it
comes to hotels and the question of where to stay.
-
Car: Hire a car to explore the island. It’s much
better than the excursions they offer. You can do your own thing, in your own
time frame.
- Tenerife is the
largest of the Canary Islands.
- The Tenerife
flag is the same as Scotland’s, this is because St Andrew
is the patron saint of the island.
-
A
lot of Italians and people from Eastern Europe or even South America live on Tenerife
and work there.
-
Tenerife
has a different time zone tot he rest of Spain. They are one hour behind.
The island is very fascinating, so it’s definitely worth a trip.
