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Shopping for Crafts in TenerifeTraditional Handwork from Spain’s Canary IslandsShopping for local handcrafts, duty-free goods, beach and resort wear is second only to beaches as a reason for traveling to Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands.
With street after street of boutiques, craftsmen’s co-ops, duty-free electronics stores, lively street markets, specialty shops and the ‘citified’ shops of Calle Castillo and El Corte Ingles in the capital of Santa Cruz, there’s plenty of places to shop. Tenerife Lace Tenerife is known worldwide for its lace – appropriately called Tenerife work or Tenerife lace. There are actually two types known by this name. Tenerife lace is, properly, lace made on a round pincushion, creating small circles. These are used as doilies or cup coasters or sewn together into table linens or trims for clothing. But the intricate drawn thread work called calados is also a Tenerife specialty. In this style, several rows of threads are removed from woven fabric and the remaining cross threads are needle-woven into intricate designs to form lacey bands. You’ll find pulled thread borders on table linens, clothing (especially little girls’ dresses) and pillowcases. Shops such as Casa de los Balcones in La Orotava often have women demonstrating these arts. If you want genuine Tenerife work, buy from a reputable shop and be prepared to pay a fair price for the labor-intensive craftsmanship. Much of what is sold on the street and in souvenir shops is imported or machine-made. Guanche Pottery Pottery is another local specialty, one of the few skills that has changed little since pre-colonial times. Tenerife’s pottery is unusual because it is traditionally made without using a wheel. The process of turning perfectly-shaped bowls and pots by hand derives from the Guanches, the island’s first inhabitants. Two places to see it made and buy directly from the potters are the Centro Alfarero de Arguayo, near Los Gigantes, and the villages around Chipude on the neighboring island of La Gomera. Watching the process of turning perfectly-shaped bowls and pots without a wheel makes the examples you take home even more precious. Banana Leaves Other handmade items to look for are those woven or appliquéd from banana leaves (a look at the landscapes will quickly show that this craft material is in plentiful supply!) baskets, table mats, even dolls are woven of this sturdy fiber, and striking albums and notebooks are covered in designs made from cut and appliquéd banana leaves. Tenerife’s ‘mascot’ salamander is a favorite design for these. Where to Shop The lively resort towns are lined with shops, especially Los Cristianos, Las Americas and Puerto de la Cruz, which also have shopping malls where many shops are concentrated, usually open 9.30am—10pm. In the upscale Baia del Duque area of Costa Adeje is a circular multi-story shoppers’ nirvana complete with underground parking and a play area for children. The shops match the tone of the surrounding resorts, with high fashion and jewelry high priorities. Resort shops run the range from smart boutiques to souvenir stands, but in any collection of these will be a full range, from fashions to electronics. The major resorts also have weekly or semi-weekly street markets, as does Santa Cruz, where the Sunday morning Rastro surrounds the Neustra Señora de Africa market building.
The copyright of the article Shopping for Crafts in Tenerife in Spain Travel is owned by Barbara Rogers. Permission to republish Shopping for Crafts in Tenerife in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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