Von Marlis Zoschke
Tenerife never ceases to surprise me. It was probably clear to many who had visited the island that the south would not always remain a desert dotted with a few modest little villages. As early as 1970, and perhaps even earlier, plans were drawn up for Reina Sofia Airport. Anyone travelling along the bumpy track from Los Rodeos to Puerto de Santiago would occasionally see a cloud of dust. Yet nobody knew what was going on there.
The aim was to attract tourists here because of the consistently good weather in the south. It was a good idea, because in 25 years I haven’t used an umbrella once. And I’ve experienced every month from October to May.
Tenerife through the ages
The weather in the north of Tenerife was often so bad that large aeroplanes couldn’t land. On Gran Canaria it was possible. There, you’d then board a small plane with just a few seats and all sorts of things for Tenerife. Once, I felt as though I was in a flying chicken coop. The only thing missing was someone letting the hens out of their cage. But we made it there.
Tourists often came from Puerto de la Cruz. They actually found the south more beautiful than the north. By the time the Reina Sofia opened in 1978, a few houses had been built in our area too, and it was a lovely, peaceful holiday – although a lot had changed after Franco’s death. It wasn’t quite as safe and carefree as it used to be. No one had ever had to worry about their own safety before.
Year on year, Tenerife became more and more crowded, as a holiday there – complete with plenty of sunshine – was quite inexpensive by German standards. It was often possible to snap up a bargain on flights too. The number of tourists kept growing.
Is tourism on Tenerife changing again?
You’d often hear the islanders grumbling about it. The sun-worshippers have often behaved in a very condescending manner towards the locals. Nobody should forget that, as a guest, it is they who must adapt, not the other way round.
Even so, there are still plenty of lovely things to see in Tenerife. I recently heard from some young people that there are some very interesting places in Tenerife. I told them that was true. They weren’t interested in the beaches.
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