There are colourful fiestas held throughout the year on the Spanish island of
Tenerife, but the most flamboyantly spectacular of them all has to be 'Carnaval' (the Spanish spelling), a week long rollercoaster of parades, glitz, glamour, outrageous costumes and hedonistic street parties which last till dawn.
Carnival's roots lie in the practice of giving up meat for Lent, but the truth is, on an island where fiestas are the raison d'être, it's the perfect excuse for an over the top party which leaves a Baz Luhrmann production looking tame by comparison. If the streets of Santa Cruz and Puerto de la Cruz, the two main Carnival locations, are quiet and subdued for forty days following Carnival, it's not for religious reasons, it's because everyone has partied themselves to exhaustion.
There are two ways to enjoy Carnival; as a spectator, or as a participant. One will guarantee a fantastic experience, the other an unforgettable one.