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Renowned for their lively ambiance, the Canary Islands are always an exciting tourist destination, from Grand Canaria to La Palma to Tenerife. Holidays during the festival season are the best, as this is the time of year when the isles are just bursting with life and colour. Here is some insight into three of the fiestas that are not to be missed. Corpus Christi in Gran Canaria Corpus Christi is a Catholic holiday which inspires an array of different celebrations across the Canary Islands. For a taste of the old-style festivities, travel to the quaint town of Arucas. While tradition dictates that street carpets are created for Corpus Christi, many towns no longer uphold this custom. Fortunately, Arucas does. You can watch the beautiful carpets being made by intricately weaving fresh flowers, salt and sand. You can then observe the religious procession as it makes its way through the charming streets of this town, passing the impressive church and colourful historical buildings, as it strolls over the floral carpet. This year, the festival will take place on 31 May. In 2019, a new floral carpet will be laid out on the 20 June. Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife This well-established carnival first took place in the fifteenth century and has since bloomed into a fully-fledged affair. The vast majority of the celebrations take place in Santa Cruz. It opens with an incredible parade in which the Carnival Queen is crowned and the festival officially declared open. On Ash Wednesday, there is also a mock funeral procession held for a paper sardine that you won’t want to miss. Unsure of what time of year to go to Tenerife? Holidays in February and March are ideal if you want to catch the Carnival fiesta. In 2019, the theme will be “The Deep Sea” and it will run from 24 February to 10 March. Los Indianos Carnival in La Palma The Los Indianos Carnival will be taking place at that time of year too. Hosted by the town of Santa Cruz de la Palma, it is the perfect opportunity to explore the local culture and heritage. The carnival was initially created to welcome home the wealthy locals who were returning to La Palma from the colonies. Now, though, it is an impressive celebration where locals gather for a full-blown street party. Nicknamed “The White Party”, the residents dress entirely in white and indulge in talcum powder fights. The atmosphere is terrific and friendly, with powder being handed out openly and large cannons blasting the stuff over the participants. Hopefully you’re now excited to join the festivities. The Canary Islands are a wonderful place to soak in some winter sun. With a fascinating local history to explore, a brilliant atmosphere to indulge in and bustling festivals that light up the isles, there’s no reason not to go. Let the fiestas begin! Author Plate John Dixon is an experienced world traveller and the Managing Director of Prestige Holidays. For over 30 years, he has been providing luxury Tenerife holidays, as well as holidays to Bermuda, Sicily and many other destinations around the globe. John tries to visit each of the destinations regularly in order to ensure the quality of his properties, and stay up-to-date about the latest local news and events. He has a taste for the finer things in life and has an interest in arts, history and culture.
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