On 30th of November, Icod de los Vinos, an idyllic Canarian town located on the hills near to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, plays host to a festival celebrating the eve of San Andres Day (St Andrew’s Day) the official festival of new wine. The town boasts lush forests, banana plantations, stunning coastline and, as you might have guessed by the name, vineyards a plenty.
There are a wide variety of wines to try from the year’s harvest- you’re bound to come away with a bottle or two of your favourite! As well as wine, there are a whole host of different treats available including roasted chestnuts, which come into season in November. There is always a great atmosphere on the day at this popular festival.
The night before the festival, children drag pots and pans and any other metal object they can lay their hands on through the streets on pieces of string, replicating the noise of the metal rims of the wine barrels as they were rolled down the hills to the harbour, known as Arrastre los Cacherros.
This festival has firm roots within the town’s traditions and dates back to the days of timber boat building. Back then the wood had to be transported from the hills down to the sea, leading to the unique practice of sliding down the steep hills of the town on pieces of wood known as ‘tablas’, which has become the main attraction of this festival.
People use all sorts of things to slide down the hills, including plastic and metal ‘boards’, although the locals are trying to revert to the original wood to preserve the traditions of the festival. The main event of Tablas de San Andreas occurs in the evening twilight, the day after all of the wine tasting and is a fantastic spectacle to behold, with daring locals and tourists alike throwing themselves down the slopes.
Visiting Tenerife in November guarantees hazy evenings thanks to the year-round warm weather, the smell of roasted chestnuts filling the air and festivals and fiestas happening most weekends. It is the perfect time to explore the islands appeal without the crowds, and take in some of the traditional Canarian charm of the smaller villages and towns.
Whilst you are there you can explore the capital of the island, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where you can see the famous Auditorio de Tenerife, visit some of the great restaurants which offer every cuisine you could imagine as well as some great Canarian tapas bars. The nightlife in the capital is more traditional than in the south, live music and salsa dancing are very popular here.
Leave a Reply