What's on in Tenerife

Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands, and the most varied — far more than the southern resort strip suggests. At its centre stands Mount Teide, Spain's highest peak, its volcanic national park drawing walkers and stargazers above the clouds. The sunny, busy south around Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje is one Tenerife; the green, misty north is another, with the laurel forests of Anaga, the wine villages of the Orotava valley, and the handsome colonial capital of Santa Cruz and historic La Laguna. There's enough here to fill a fortnight without repeating yourself.

The fiesta calendar runs all year and leans deep into Canarian folk tradition. Through June, look for the romerías — the ox-cart pilgrimages where whole villages parade in traditional dress, share food and dance, as at Tegueste's Romería de San Marcos — alongside folklore festivals, timple-and-folk concerts, and the lively farmers' markets in towns like Santa Úrsula and Tegueste. July brings the Fiestas del Carmen sea processions in the fishing towns, and the south hosts its own Pride. The island also has world-class dark skies up near Teide for stargazing.

Tenerife South (TFS) takes most UK flights and serves the southern resorts, while Tenerife North (TFN) near Santa Cruz handles inter-island hops and is handier for the green north. A hire car is well worth it: Teide, the Anaga forests, the Masca gorge and the northern wine villages are the best of the island and all need wheels.

Whether you're in a Costa Adeje apartment, a Puerto de la Cruz hotel or a rural casa in the hills, this is your guide to what's actually on while you're here — the romerías, folk festivals and local fiestas worth planning around.