In the courtyard of the modern Palace of Art and Culture on Avenida de San Sebastián in Santa Cruz, visitors are treated to a real feast for the eyes: the most beautiful woman on the island this carnival season is tiptoeing through the arcades of the „Tenerife espacio de las artes“ on her dainty heels.
On a 100-metre-long, lavishly decorated stage, she won the competition against 30 other contestants, cheered on by 6,000 spectators and the delegations from 60 carnival societies. Now she is smiling for the tourism board’s photo shoot, posing for dozens of cameras. And every now and then, she leans on her companion’s arms for support. This is because the costume, supported by rolling frames, can weigh up to a hundred kilograms in all its splendour at gala events.
She is the „Reina Adulta del Carnaval„, the adult Carnival Queen of Santa Cruz on Tenerife, which suggests that there is also a children’s queen and a teenage queen. For Carnival on Tenerife, it is not just the lifeblood of a single generation; it is a festival of joy celebrated by the entire population of Santa Cruz, the island’s capital with its 220,000 inhabitants. At the same time, celebrations are taking place in many villages, with no less enthusiasm. The second carnival stronghold is Puerto de la Cruz (population 47,000) on the west coast.
Carnival on Tenerife, just like in Rio de Janeiro
An island in a frenzy of joy, often compared to the samba revelry in Rio de Janeiro. On 10 February, the confetti-strewn festivities kick off in Santa Cruz with the election of the Carnival Queen; three days earlier, Puerto de la Cruz had already proclaimed its Children’s Carnival Queen to mark the start of the colourful celebrations.
Around 50,000 participants will be dancing in the open-air parades in Santa Cruz until 21 February, in squares and streets where the celebrations continue well past midnight. 250,000 people make up the carnival crowd on each occasion. They are kept in high spirits by the ‚murgas‘ (singing groups), the ‚comparsas‘ (dance groups) and the drummers.
There is just one occasion when the lively „Fiesta“ in Santa Cruz is briefly interrupted: on Ash Wednesday, a funeral procession comprising mourners, monks, nuns, popes and widows forms for the „Entierro de la Sardina“, the burial of the (papier-mâché) sardine. But no sooner has it gone up in smoke and flames than a spectacular carnival finale follows. You can find more information about the carnival on Tenerife here.
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