Hi,
Way way back in the 80s/90s I was young keen traveller and I had a fascination with the Canary isle's.
I've visited all of the isles but Tenerife was always the one I liked the most.
As much as enjoying the touristy side, I was more drawn to exploring the natural side and had a deep interest into actually finding out what it's like to live there as a local on a day to day basis.
The impression I got way back then was the wages where low but the cost of living was cheap.
I suppose one outweighed the other and in my eyes it was a life style that was simple and uncomplicated which I very much liked.
A good few years have passed since, but recently I revisted Tenerife again and was surprised and saddened to see how things have changed..
The touristy resorts have grown massively and must say look a lot more up market but in doing so it's lost a lot of it's traditional charm.
Back then most of the restaurants were typically run /owned by the local residents and they offered local traditional cuisine first over English /European food, but nowadays it seems to be just greasy British food you would get at any seaside town in the UK and run by expats.
You wouldn't think you were in the canaries apart from the glorious weather wondering along Las Americas and Los Christianos.
One of my big bears in life is seeing homeless people sleeping rough,and where ever I go I always seem come across them.
In this day and age it shouldn't be an issue and right or wrong I really feel for the unfortunate who haven't got a roof over there head.
In Tenerife this time round it was one thing I really picked up on.
Whilst the tourists were walking along the coastal pathways with a beautiful sunset to one side and a never ending of tempting restaurants of the other ,a closer look revealed make shift shelters clinging to the rocky coves below them tucked away from prying eyes.
A walk down some of the side streets it was littered with rough sleepers
In Costa Adeje I walked past a bloke on numerous occasions, in a particular place thinking he had a business there and I would speak to him nearly every day.
The last day of my holiday I saw him one morning sleeping there in a door way.He was obviously homeless and very nice pleasant bloke.
There's also a lot empty apartments/hotels that have been taken over by squatters, but you wouldn't give them a second look when you're in holiday mode.
I was watching a programme tonight on the one going problems of Tenerife and the whole process is absolutely chaotic.
Firstly there's been a huge decrease of rental property available for the locals because there's more money to be made in letting them out as holiday let's.
3/4 of the economy is geared up for hospitality ,and the wages are that low the locals cannot afford the buy or rent there (never mind finding a place)
Some of the empty hotels are even taken over by a Mafia style organisation and squatters are forced to pay them.The bailiffs who try to evict them are of a dubious background and it seems very unregulated.
To add to the chaos the owners of these properties are legally obliged to pay for the electric and gas the squatters use.
If they don't the squatters can sue them.
The mind boggles
Venturing out of the bright lights and into the scenery I could also see a big change.
The once abundance of banana plantations have deminished and the traffic is heavy and chaotic.I think the place is also suffering from a drought as a lot of it's idiginous wild plants looked really distressed.
I suppose the more they build the more they draw from the limited water supplies.
Would I ever go back there again?
No I don't think so,
I feel like it's lost its identity through over tourism and that the North is the only place that still retains it.
If it carries on the way it is I dread to think what it will be like in another 20/30 year's time.
Long gone are the days of a traditional holiday of fresh local food followed by a Ron Miel of Banana liqueur.
I think it's going to be Rhyl for me next year 🤣
Way way back in the 80s/90s I was young keen traveller and I had a fascination with the Canary isle's.
I've visited all of the isles but Tenerife was always the one I liked the most.
As much as enjoying the touristy side, I was more drawn to exploring the natural side and had a deep interest into actually finding out what it's like to live there as a local on a day to day basis.
The impression I got way back then was the wages where low but the cost of living was cheap.
I suppose one outweighed the other and in my eyes it was a life style that was simple and uncomplicated which I very much liked.
A good few years have passed since, but recently I revisted Tenerife again and was surprised and saddened to see how things have changed..
The touristy resorts have grown massively and must say look a lot more up market but in doing so it's lost a lot of it's traditional charm.
Back then most of the restaurants were typically run /owned by the local residents and they offered local traditional cuisine first over English /European food, but nowadays it seems to be just greasy British food you would get at any seaside town in the UK and run by expats.
You wouldn't think you were in the canaries apart from the glorious weather wondering along Las Americas and Los Christianos.
One of my big bears in life is seeing homeless people sleeping rough,and where ever I go I always seem come across them.
In this day and age it shouldn't be an issue and right or wrong I really feel for the unfortunate who haven't got a roof over there head.
In Tenerife this time round it was one thing I really picked up on.
Whilst the tourists were walking along the coastal pathways with a beautiful sunset to one side and a never ending of tempting restaurants of the other ,a closer look revealed make shift shelters clinging to the rocky coves below them tucked away from prying eyes.
A walk down some of the side streets it was littered with rough sleepers
In Costa Adeje I walked past a bloke on numerous occasions, in a particular place thinking he had a business there and I would speak to him nearly every day.
The last day of my holiday I saw him one morning sleeping there in a door way.He was obviously homeless and very nice pleasant bloke.
There's also a lot empty apartments/hotels that have been taken over by squatters, but you wouldn't give them a second look when you're in holiday mode.
I was watching a programme tonight on the one going problems of Tenerife and the whole process is absolutely chaotic.
Firstly there's been a huge decrease of rental property available for the locals because there's more money to be made in letting them out as holiday let's.
3/4 of the economy is geared up for hospitality ,and the wages are that low the locals cannot afford the buy or rent there (never mind finding a place)
Some of the empty hotels are even taken over by a Mafia style organisation and squatters are forced to pay them.The bailiffs who try to evict them are of a dubious background and it seems very unregulated.
To add to the chaos the owners of these properties are legally obliged to pay for the electric and gas the squatters use.
If they don't the squatters can sue them.
The mind boggles
Venturing out of the bright lights and into the scenery I could also see a big change.
The once abundance of banana plantations have deminished and the traffic is heavy and chaotic.I think the place is also suffering from a drought as a lot of it's idiginous wild plants looked really distressed.
I suppose the more they build the more they draw from the limited water supplies.
Would I ever go back there again?
No I don't think so,
I feel like it's lost its identity through over tourism and that the North is the only place that still retains it.
If it carries on the way it is I dread to think what it will be like in another 20/30 year's time.
Long gone are the days of a traditional holiday of fresh local food followed by a Ron Miel of Banana liqueur.
I think it's going to be Rhyl for me next year 🤣
