# Tenerife News



## norrie (May 1, 2005)

Just back from Tenerife and was reading local news paper and on the front page was an article regarding Motorhomes Tourism called 
Camping In Chaos, its well worth a read if you are intending to visit the Island as it seems the authorities want to hide the motorhomers away.
Lets see what you think
Norrie

http://www.tenerifenews.com/index.p.../local-news-mainmenu-1/18342-camping-in-chaos


----------



## trevorf (May 16, 2005)

My thoughts are you have posted this in the wrong forum :lol: :lol: 

Not much to do with "Wheels and Tyres"


----------



## ThursdaysChild (Aug 2, 2008)

Do all those vans belong on Tenerife, or are they ferried in ?


----------



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*In*



ThursdaysChild said:


> Do all those vans belong on Tenerife, or are they ferried in ?


Mainly Ferried in on Acconia Lines.

Snowbirds fed up with or wanting something warmer than the Costas perhaps.

TM


----------



## mikebeaches (Oct 18, 2008)

Astonished by the claim that "...an estimated 10,000 sought out the coast for another reason. Camping."

And reading the article, I'm not so sure it is all about 'snowbirds' from mainland Europe, although undoubtedly there are some.

Reference is made to "not just this Easter but virtually every weekend throughout the summer." That doesn't sound like snowbirds, who can find warmer places nearer to home on the mainland. And whilst we in northern Europe consider winters in the Canaries as offering a pleasantly warm climate, the locals no doubt view it as cold and the off-season for themselves.

Interesting article. Wonder if more camping facilities will ever be developed? Somehow, I'm doubtful.


----------



## norrie (May 1, 2005)

Cadiz to Tenerife with 2 passengers and 7m motorhome comes to a staggering £1300 return, thats the cheapest mid week times

At those prices I dont think we have to worry about the camping chaos, I thought I would let others know about it.

Norrie


----------



## McGeemobile (Jun 10, 2010)

The Cadiz route has always been expensive, but the routes from Huelva and the one from Portimao via Madeira were much cheaper. We were speaking to one motorhomer in Tenerife at Christmas in a large Frankia said he had paid 700 euro return. 
However, I was reading some articles yesterday claiming that the Portimao ferry is closing this route down because of high port charges in Funchal.
Does anyone know if this is true?


----------



## Boardman (Apr 5, 2012)

I have heard horror stories about ferries to the Canaries in general.
Also forget about travelling down the lawless West coast of Africa
Jump on a plane and buy your accommodation it is so much cheaper and safer.
Most of the Motorhomes I have seen in the Canaries seem to belong to locals, although I have seen some hire ones in Fuerte

T.


----------



## McGeemobile (Jun 10, 2010)

We're thinking of taking the van out for a few months this winter. I would be interested in knowing the nature of the horror stories and also why you consider the Canaries unsafe. 

We have regularly visited the north of Tenerife a few times a year over the last 30 odd years using apartments, and always felt relatively safe.

We are used to wild camping in mainland Spain, but only where we feel comfortable.

I appreciate that the "safety in numbers" factor probably won't apply in Tenerife (in spite of the article in The Tenerife News I have never seen more than a handful of vans together in the north, although I don't know about the southern coastal areas) but equally I have driven through many inland villages where I suspect they would welcome any foreign trade and allow you to park up in relative safety.


----------



## Boardman (Apr 5, 2012)

Hi McGeemobile,

What I intended in my post was that the Ferry journey to the Canaries was difficult where the weather could be very poor with rough seas, it,s a relatively long and expensive journey and the Ferries themselves not being the best around.

The Canaries are the most wonderful Islands to visit and are very safe. I have been there every year for the last 15years (Feb 12 for 6 weeks) and always feel secure and welcome.

Why not fly out cheaply and hire a van out there ?


----------



## Patrick_Phillips (Aug 17, 2006)

The Canaries have a wonderful year-round climate and they also have the Teide National Park.
But a little under the surface is a darker side. Both the Italian and Russian mafia are using the Islands to launder money. Tenerife is stuffed full of 5 star hotels - many of which offer all-in holidays via the travel agents. If you have any knowledge of the hotel trade you know how strange that is!
The Russians are more interested in the top marque garages - buy a Lexus or Mercedes in the Canaries and guess where your cash will end up?
The hotel lobby are trying to force out the competition so that it is illegal to rent out a flat without a tourist licence and they aren't issuing any of those except to - yes, you guessed - 5 star hotels!
About 40,000 beds in Tenerife alone have been declared illegal!!!
A campsite place will cost you €450 a month. So would a two bed flat.
There are very few campsites and they are not up to European standards.
Many of the campers are coming in by ferry via Portimoa and Huelga. Armas have bought a new ferry ship every year for the last 8 years and some years two! The ferries are very, very good and the Huelga crossing is just 28 hours to Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Tenerife saw an increase of 11% & 14% of visitors over the last 2 years. Very little of that money is going into the local economy so a lot of shops and restaurants have been closing while the numbers rise... The "Hotel guests" often don't leave their hotel complex at all while the have their two weeks on the island.
All is not as it seems in the Canaries. They are very safe from crime but they have some of the most avaricious people on Earth there - not the indiginous locals but immigrants - many of the worst from the UK. They know they have just a week or two to lift the cash of the tourist and they will do it anyway they can.
Talk to the Spanish residents and they will tell you with great sadness how badly the Canaries are being raped by greedy foreigners.
Very sad but, hey, the sun keeps shining there!


----------



## norrie (May 1, 2005)

Well done..Patrick Phillips, right on the nose.

We have been going there for ten years now and on the increase, seems to be the all inclusive deals ...sure the place is full during the day, but at night they all dissapear into their hotels for their free dinner and a few rubbish beers.

The sparkle of the place appears to be diminishing on every holiday we have there.

I have no intentions of paying a grossly over exaggerated price of a sail to get somewhere I have been before and advise others to heed the same, by all means fly and see, but dont think its better to motorhome it....

Norrie


----------



## wavehead (Aug 6, 2013)

*Tenerife in a van*

Just noticed this old info on tenerife, as someone who is staying here (5 months) and came via Anconia my price was 850 euros one way from Cadiz (van 6,5m) and well worth it, as fuel costs here are 1.01euro a litre, gas is cheap and free camping is still accepted (all the locals do it). At least 50% of motor homes are local and all appear on the weekends and holidays. We have also been to Fuerta and Lanzarote and have nothing but praise for them all. The British are uncommon in vans out here.
Hope this helps


----------



## McGeemobile (Jun 10, 2010)

Just spent our 34th Christmas out here in Tenerife. Only the second in the motorhome though. We've been here since mid November and are heading back to the mainland in a few weeks. Wild camping the whole time. We feel very safe here in the north of the island and have left out tables, chairs etc. for 4 months without any problems at all. The police regularly go past and are friendly enough.
For this length of time it is cheaper than an apartment, but for us that's not the point. We love motorhoming and are very glad to sleep in our own comfortable bed.
We've done a bit of island hopping too. This year Gran Canaria and last year the magical island of La Palma.


----------



## cabby (May 14, 2005)

I could not get the link for the news article to work. I do have Family over in Lanzarote and they have not mentioned what the trade is like at the moment, will have to email them and ask.

cabby


----------



## peaky (Jul 15, 2009)

I actually live on Fuerteventura , have done for 6 years, with my motorhome, I agree about the hotels with all inclusive an no private rentals, without a licence, each island is very different though, on Fuerteventura there are no campsites, so wilding is the norm, you can park by most beaches with no hastle , it is safe crime is minimal and you d be lucky to see more than 5/6 vans all in one spot, I would fly and then hire a van if you wanted to motorhome here, any questions feel free to ask. (currently touring Portugal till april !! )


----------

