TENERIFE
There are three major islands in the Canary Islands of Spain, and Tenerife is the largest.
Located off the coast of West Africa, the Canary Islands (Gran Canaria) are closer to West Africa than Spain's mainland, so technically it's not even in Europe!
The Island of Tenerife has a Northern and Southern region. All this information is based on the area I stayed in, the Northern side.
How To
Get There
Tenerife is an island, so you’ll have to fly there.
If you need a visa, a Schengen visa will grand you access to Tenerife.
I actually don’t know, a lot of my trip was spent at resorts.
LGBTQ+ FRIENDLY?
Tenerife is home to The Teide Volcano is the 3rd highest in the world , and the island has Black sand beaches.
Historical fact
100%
I spent most of my time on the resort properties but when I stepped out I did not feel unsafe at all.
feeling of safety
Ratio of Black People
0.
I was the only Black person everywhere.
UBERS?
LOL.
Not a chance! You’ll need the phone numbers of local taxi services. I relied on my hotel’s guest services to get me taxis to move around.
currency
Euros €
Wifi strength
ENGLISH | Spanish |
Hello | Hola |
Good Morning/ Afternoon/Night | Buenos días/tardes/noches |
Help | Ayuda |
Yes/No | Sí/No |
Thank you | Gracias |
I don’t speak Spanish | No hablo español |
Excuse me | Pardon/disculpe |
The bill, please | La cuenta, por favor |
Best Experience : Tattoo Artist
During my Tenerife trip, I looked up the highest-rated tattoo close by and found @cristian.monster.tattoo .
His wife Desiree was waiting for me downstairs when I arrived. Because my Spanish wasn't as fluent, his wife Desiree was our interpreter, and she was such as sweetie.
The design I had in mind was nothing compared to the brilliant vision Cristian had for me. He took my samples and made them a million times better than I envisioned. I was in awe of his brilliance and skill!
My phone was acting up, so they tried to call me a taxi to no avail. Desiree, his amazing wife, offered to walk with me to find a taxi; Her level of kindness moved me; I kept thinking to myself, damn, what a godsend.
After 15 minutes of no luck, she said they would take me to my hotel; I SAID WHAT????
Do you know that Christian and Desiree drove me back to my hotel? It was close to a 20-minute drive. I had to ask them if I could hug them because the thank yous I kept repeating felt inadequate.
It’s warm about 300 days of the most of the year, so light, breathable clothing is best.
How to dress
It’s warm most of the year so have your sunscreen on deck and a light gel-based moisturizer.
Skincare
It’s a colony of Spain, so they speak Spanish. Their official language is Canarian Spanish.
Language
Where To Stay
I stayed on the Northern side of Tenerife and I stayed at two hotels, The Ritz Carlton, Abama, and Santa Barbara Golf & Ocean Club.
Santa Barbara Golf & Ocean Club
The Ritz Carlton, Abama
Challenges
Moving around was really tricky as everything was far-spread and I couldn’t get public transportation.
Weird Experiences
None! People were warm and sweet.
(except for racist TAP Airline employees).