The cover of our The Real Tenerife Guidebook hasn’t changed since it was first published in 2013. I like it so much, I kept it when we last updated the guide in 2020/21. Most guidebooks for Tenerife have Mount Teide, Playa de las Teresitas, or Masca on their covers. As The Real Tenerife is as insider guide, Andy and I wanted something different. Something that captured the spirit of the island rather than an iconic view everyone already knows. So, we opted for a man carrying a goat into the sea. We know it did the trick of attracting people’s attention because enough people told us so.
But it is time for a change. Once again, we want something that catches the eye while getting across an essence of the island that goes deeper than just a nice view. We’ve whittled down the possibilities to six potentials. Andy and I have our favourites. However, while they mean something to us, they might not to others, which is why we’d appreciate help.
These are the last six standing.
The Alfombrista
Alfombristas are carpet makers. The one in the photo is one of La Orotava’s. For weeks before Corpus Christi, an army of alfombristas painstakingly use sand and soil from Teide National Park to create enormous, evocative images in the plaza in front of La Orotava’s town hall.
The Caballero
This was outside a bar in Buenavista del Norte. It’s an image which is about as far from the tourist face of Tenerife as you can get. Caballeros (horse riders) and caballeras are a common sight in the north of Tenerife.
Carnival Queen
The biggest fiesta on Tenerife is carnival (carnaval). There are more than one. Most towns hold a carnival, and they all elect a carnaval queen. This was Puerto de la Cruz’s queen one year.
Oxen
These oxen say Tenerife to us. We’ve seen teams of them pulling decorative carts at romerías (like a harvest festival) in towns across the north of Tenerife. These ones were threshing wheat at an agricultural fair in the hills between the south west and north west of the island.
The Embarcación
The harbour in Puerto de la Cruz is a whirlwind of colour and activity mid-July. On the day the Virgen del Carmen is loaded into a boat and taking on an annual sea trip around the bay, fishing boats are spruced up, and the harbour becomes one big watery playground for locals.
San Abad
Each January, animals are brought to certain towns to receive a blessing from the local priest. While these are mostly livestock, all sorts of creatures turn up, from poodles in pink tutus to birds of prey, snakes, and lizards. This man was leading a pony carrying a Yorkshire Terrier, while he had a parakeet perched on his shoulder.
It would be great if you could help us choose the cover of the latest edition of the book by adding a comment (you need to scroll to the bottom of the page if leaving it on the website) letting us which image you think works best.
We’re aiming to publish the updated guide with its new cover sometime in September.
