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The language of the Canaries is Spanish (Castilian), but their accent is more like the Spanish spoken in the Caribbean -Cuba, Venezuela, Puerto Rico- and not like the Spanish spoken on mainland Spain. They have not just the accent, but also a lot of words which are a living proof of the many links established through emigration between the islands and the Caribbean nations. The last "s" in a word is not usually pronounced and the "z" is not pronounced "th" as is Spain, but as an "s". A "c" before "i" or "e" is pronounced "s". Words are often curtailed, and are sometimes run together in a sentence, making the individual words difficult to understand. Many Guanche words have remained, particularly in place names. These often begin with the letters "gua", pronounced wah. Local dialects are heard on some islands and in the countryside. It is perhaps better to the visitor to avoid trying to learn the local dialect and to stick to mainland Spanish, although English, and most western European languages, are widely understood. Outside the main towns and resort areas, it's a good idea to take along a small dictionary or phrase book. |
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| Anyway, here are some expressions and words that could help you: |
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| Desayuno – Breakfast Comida (de Mediodia) – Lunch Cena – Dinner Camarero/Camarera – Waiter/Waitress Non comprendo – I don’t understand Cuanto vale/Cuanto cuesta? – How much is it? Escribamelo, por favor – Please write it down Si – Yes Non – No Buenos dias – Good morning Buenas tardes – Good afternoon Buenas noches – Good night Por favor – Please Perdóneme – Excuse me Habla usted Inglés? – Do you speak English? Dónde está?- Where is? A qué distancia? – How far? De nada – You’re welcome Gracias – Thank you Adios – Goodbye Bien venido – Welcome Bueno – Good Aeropuerto – Airport |
Cerrado – Closed Abierto – Open Officina de Correos – Post Office Farmacia – Chemist Finca – Farm Calle – Street Ciudad – Town Gasolina – Petrol Alquilar – to hire Alto/Pare – stop Camino cerrado – Road closed Ceda el paso - Give way Carro – Car Cruce – crossroads Cuidado – Warning Derecha – Right Izquierda – Left Arriba – Up Bajo – Down Good – Bueno Bad - Malo Salida departure - Exit Semaforo – Traffic lights Farrmacia - Chemist |
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DRIVING IN TENERIFE |
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Theoretically you require an International Drivers licence to rent a car in the Canary islands. However, in practice you can make a rental with a standard valid driving license. You will find most of the International car rental companies on the island and many Spanish companies. Generally, you will always get a better price if you book in advance and internet bookings are probably the most competitively priced. Rentals prices on the Canary Island's are considerably lower than on the mainland. Check out our car hire page for some great deals on car hire. Regardless of which company you use, make sure you understand what is included in the price you pay and what your liabilities are. Minimum age to rent a car is 21. In Tenerife we drive on the right hand side of the road and steering wheels are fitted on the left side of the car. Seat belts must be worn at all times and the blood alcohol limit is 0.25%. Breath tests are carried out randomly and non-residents are subject to 'on the spot fines' of up to 100.000 Pesetas. Motorcyclists must wear crash helmets on bikes of 125cc or above. Back to the top | Home Page | Essential Info Page |
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COMMUNICATIONS |
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AInternational telephone calls can be made from almost anywhere in the Canary islands. The distinctive blue booths are not easy to miss. You have the choice of using coins, phone cards and sometimes credit cards. Telephone calls made from bars, restaurants and hotels are usually a great deal more expensive than the street pay booths. Alternatively, you can call from a metered booth 'telefónica' where you pay after you have finished the call. Calls from the Canary Island's are not cheap and a call to other EU countries can cost around 350 Pesetas for 3 minutes. USA costs around 600 and Australia comes in at around 1100 Pesetas. The Post offices are open from 09.00 hrs to 14.00 hrs and close an hour earlier on Saturdays. There are no telephones in Post Offices! They do have stamps, but so do tobacconists and other shops that sell postcards.Post-boxes are yellow in colour but the service is quite laid back. If you have important or urgent mail, we recommend you use one of the International courier companies. There are a number of Internet Cafes on the island and access costs around 1000 Pesetas per hour. If you are travelling with your laptop and need access to a phone connection, be wary of using hotel room outlets - the PABX system could destroy your processor. Jacks like those used in the US are standard and make connecting your modem simple. Back to the top | Home Page | Essential Info Page |
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SENIOR CITIZENS |
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Senior Citizens are well taken care of in Tenerife. They receive long stay discounts and also pay less on the island ferries and hydrofoils. When using public transport enquire about the 20% discount for EU citizens aged over 60. Some of the luxury Paradores (Spanish state run chain of high class hotels) also offer discounts for those aged over 60. Back to the top | Home Page | Essential Info Page |
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PEOPLE OF TENERIFE |
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Long before the first European sailors arrived in the Canary Islands, all seven islands were inhabited. Guanches, meaning 'man' in the native tongue, was the name given to those inhabitants. Guanches are thought to have arrived to the islands between the 1st or 2nd century B.C., probably from Africa. Linked to the Cro-Magnon period, they were tall, white-skinned, blue-eyed and blond-haired. The Guanches were cave dwellers, which seems to be a logical idea with regard to the climate of the Canary Islands. A cave would be ideal for both summer and winter, keeping people cooler or warmer, and also for storage. But how did the Guanches arrive to the islands if there was no evidence of Guanche boats? Actually, no one knows for sure, although people think that they were marooned there by pirates or perhaps exiled by their own people. Another theory says that they may have floated across from North Africa on reed craft. Ancient Canarian society was Stone Age, but not entirely primitive: they had a relatively sophisticated social structure. This varied from island to island, but most was divided into chiefdoms, ruled by a chief who was in turn advised by a council of elders. When discovered by the Spaniards, the natives belonged to a Neolithic culture, though they were advanced enough to have pottery. Their food staples consisted mainly of milk, butter, goat flesh, pork and some fruits. Their clothing comprised of leather tunics or vests made of plaited rushes. They left alphabet-like engravings and characters whose meanings are obscure. Today you will find a proud, friendly and easygoing people. Usually they are willing to help and proud to show visitors their culture and countryside. Having been a bridge between Europe and the rest of the world for so long, there is a great ethnic mix of people who are fully integrated into society. Each islander has his own identity within the Canary Islands, according to the name of the island they live on. On Tenerife the locals are known as Tinerfeños. Back to the top | Home Page | Essential Info Page |
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GEOGRAPHY |
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| Tenerife, largest of the Canary Islands, has an area of 2.057 sq km and a population of almost 750.000. It’s situated 200 miles off the west coast of North West Africa at about 28 degrees latitude and 16.5 degrees longitude. Triangular in shape, (see Maps Page) the island would fit into a rectangle about 90 km wide by 80 km high and has a road perimeter of about 358 km. It is dominated by Mount Teide, the extinct volcano that stands at 12,198 feet high (3718m), being the highest mountain of Spanish territory. Its peak can be seen from all of the other Canary Islands. The island’s mountainous northeast and northwest corners are lush, its southern shores parched and arid. Tenerife features a range of natural contrasts, the south being totally different, both visually and climatically, to the North. The South is hot, dry and arid and it’s where holidaymakers crowd onto beaches, like Playa de Las Américas and Los Cristianos. The North is green and lush, which, of course, means occasional rain. Teide rises above everything on Tenerife and indeed Spain. The volcanic scenery is out of this world and has been chosen as the backdrop to scenes in famous movies such as Star Wars, Planet of the Apes and the Ten Commandments. Volcanic cones are distributed randomly over the whole island's surface and contribute to the amazing landscape. Back to the top | Home Page | Essential Info Page |
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GOVERNMENT |
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Although a Spanish possession, Tenerife has it's own Government and special status within the EEC (European Economic Community). The Spanish monarchy is represented by King Carlos and Queen Sofia. Their son Prince Felipe is heir to the throne. Even before the Canary Islands were declared a single province of Spain in 1821, competition for primacy between the two main islands (Tenerife and Gran Canaria) had long been intense. In 1982 the Canary Islands saw their autonomy come true, inside the general Spanish policy of decentralisation. Santa Cruz de Tenerife (in behalf of the eastern islands), jointly with Las Palmas (for the western islands), conducts the government. Santa Cruz has half of the regional government departments and the Parliament and its governor is appointed by Madrid. Tenerife has 15 members in the Canarian Parliament, organ that, besides its legislative role, sets island budgets and names representatives to take affairs to the mainland. Tenerife also has its own island council (Cabildo Insular) that has certain powers of self-government and accepts responsibility for the daily running of local services. Then these functions are delegated to regional municipal units (municipios), and finally to town authorities. Back to the top | Home Page | Essential Info Page |
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The Tenerife economy is based on the tourism industry. With one of the best climates par excellence, the island attracts around 3 million tourists every year. Besides that, at a much lower level, Canarians live from the banana industry, other agricultural exports and recent emerging service industries. Agriculture has long been the economic mainstay of the Canaries. Wine from vines grown on un-irrigated slopes formed the staple product until 1853. In that year a grape disease caused by phylloxera (a plant louse) attacked the vineyards, and viticulture was soon largely replaced by cochineal production. The cochineal industry declined (owing to competition from synthetic dyes) in the late 19th century and was replaced by the cultivation of bananas, tomatoes, potatoes and other vegetables and fruits. Bananas, which are still the Canaries' leading crop, are protected in the Spanish market against foreign competition. Tomatoes are grown between November and April for export and the cultivation of flowers and plants is a new industry. Cereal grains must largely be imported. The tourist industry in the Canaries grew rapidly after 1950, with an accompanying increase in the number of hotels and government-run inns. Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife are the main ports of call during the peak tourist season, which falls between December and March. Back to the top | Home Page | Essential Info Page |
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ESSENTIALS #2 |
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