During the twenty seven days of the carnivals, many important festivities are held such as the election of the Queen, competitions of street bands, processions and above all the impressive cavalcade which blends "Caribean" and "European" into a garland of colour and spectacle.
Whoever visits Tenerife during the month of February should not miss the vibrant and bustling celebrations and if possible join the crowd in fancy dress.
 

Carnaval in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is, without a doubt, the most “Brazilian” of all of Spain’s Carnaval celebrations. For a week the streets of Tenerife’s capital are flooded with revelers from all over the world, with music, color, jubilation and creativity, creating a concentrated festive atmosphere difficult to describe. Carnaval on this island, which has become one of the world’s largest celebrations, is an explosion of joy and freedom that perfectly brings together the essence of this universal fiesta: for a few days there are no limits, and the only rule is complete abandon, taboos and norms disappear. The purest, most complete expression of freedom is what defines Carnaval in Santa Cruz.

However, this chaotic revelry is in no way improvised or disorganized. Months beforehand, the people of Tenerife excitedly prepare the floats that will travel the city streets, investing these preparations with boundless imagination and good energy that is catching. Songs and musical pieces are rehearsed, and parodies about current politics or famous people are created. All Carnaval groups participate in the opening parade on the first day (the Saturday before Carnaval): Brazilian style groups, bands of adult and child street musicians, choirs, and of course thousands and thousands of people in costume. The Carnaval Queen is selected from among the parade’s most beautiful girls, who are then royally outfitted in gorgeous dresses specifically designed for the occasion. On Carnaval Tuesday participants experience the festival’s apotheosis in an enclosure in which all participants gather; it is the culmination of what has truly been a metamorphosis, the closing of this long parenthesis in the day-to-day life of Tenerife which its Carnaval celebration represents.