Culture and ways of life in Tenerife and in the Canary Islands in general are very interesting to see, since regarding this territory there is a particular phenomenon that is not common and is worthy of being addressed, from the cultural, anthropological to social and geographical points of view. 

You see, the Canary Islands is an archipelago or group of islands that are located in African waters in the Atlantic Ocean. 

All of the territories and islands in the archipelago: Tenerife, El Hierro, Gran Canaria, La Palma, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, Lanzarote and La Graciosa belong to Spain and the administration and laws are ruled by Spanish Kingdom, due to historical reasons. 

Therefore, idiosyncrasy, language and other cultural and social elements generally recognized as Spanish are present in the Canary Islands and of course, in the residents´ ways of life. However, that influence is not that great in comparison to other countries and nations where the whole territory shares social and cultural elements alike. 

Unique Cultural Identity in Tenerife and the Canary Islands 

Residents of Tenerife and the rest of the Canary Islands share a unique and independent sense of proper identity, which is separated from Spain in almost every way. In simple words, Canarian people are Spanish but they think of themselves as something more, and this is not a coincidence by any means. 

This Canarian identity residents of the distinctive islands have, and of course including the people from Tenerife, which is so unique and separated from Spain have clear reasons:  

• The first one is separation and geographical motives, since the archipelago is completely apart from Spain and the Iberian Peninsula. Actually, the islands are located in African waters and the continent is nearby, closer to Africa than to Spain. Since 1982, Tenerife and the Canarias is a Comunidad Autonoma or Autonomous Community. 
• In direct relation to geography, culture and exchange between people from the African continent and Canarian residents is very rich, influencing food and gastronomy, behavior, social expression, ways of speaking or slang and even architecture.
• Canary Islands have been a territory of immigration since many decades, where Latin American communities thrived and specially settlers from Venezuela, bringing their own idiosyncrasy, food and customs to the island of Tenerife, Gran Canaria and the other regions in the archipelago.
• And last but not least, the owned and proper sense of identity of the Canarian is related to the Guancho; the Canarian native that lived on the islands and had their own culture and vision of the world, which is obviously apart from the Spanish one due to separation and geography. 

Also, it is important to point out that cultural elements and regional identity may differ from one island to the other, since the whole archipelago territory is quite extensive and there is even some rivalry present among them and the distinctive elements that make them unique. Tenerife and Gran Canaria´s rivalry is quite noticeable, although pride of being Canarian is also shared. 

Way of life, social and cultural characteristics of Canarians

Canarians and Tenerife residents are proud and kind people, hard workers due to the agricultural past of the island, before the industry of tourism took the main role for income in the archipelago. So, while small farms or “fincas” remain and have even reinvented themselves as restaurants, “guachinches” and more, most of them have disappeared and owners moved to the tourist sector.
 

Food, on the other hand, is an aspect that has been deeply influenced by multiculturalism, with dishes and ingredients, along with a general exotic feel provided by African and Latin American cuisine. Of course, this multiculturalism is due to immigration as a phenomenon that is quite known in the island for decades. 

Festivities are another important part of the Canarian and Tenerife residents. For instance, the Carnival of Tenerife is the second in importance worldwide, celebrated in January and February of every year and addressing different cultural expressions such as disguises, masks, dance and presentations.

People living in Tenerife and the Canary Islands are fun, kind, pride and sport lovers, quite aware of their own proper identity and the benefits of the territory they live in, from the tourist and cultural perspective to the one the islands develop and boost their economy.