Trying to get people to look beyond the south of Tenerife is hard work.
You can explain it. Show them photos. Even drive them up there yourself.
Still… most end up back in Costa Adeje with a pint and a sunbed.
So when something like this comes along, it’s actually worth a look.
A small town, suddenly on national TV
San Juan de la Rambla has been chosen to represent the Canary Islands in the 2026 Grand Prix del Verano…not Formula One, but still great fun.
Just 12 towns across the whole of Spain get picked.
They’re the only Canarian one.
Not bad going at all.
Now, if you’ve never heard of it, that’s normal. It’s not built for tourism and it’s not trying to be.
It’s one of those proper towns. Local life, a bit rough round the edges in places, full of character… and not a souvenir shop in sight every five metres.
And now it’s about to be shown to millions of people.
The Grand Prix… still going strong
If you know, you know.
Inflatable games, people flying into foam, teams taking it far too seriously… it’s organised chaos.
Ramón García is back again hosting, which tells you they’re not messing about with the formula.
Fair enough. It works.
It’s one of those shows that people actually sit down and watch together, which is getting rarer these days.
The rule change that made it happen
This is the bit most people will skip over… but it matters.
They’ve dropped the population requirement from 5,000 to 3,000.
That one change opens the door to loads of places that would’ve never had a chance before.
Especially in the Canaries, where plenty of great towns are on the smaller side.
Without that tweak, San Juan de la Rambla probably isn’t in this.
With it… they’re representing the whole region.
What this really does for Tenerife
No, this isn’t going to suddenly double property prices in the north.
Let’s not get carried away.
But it does something more useful.
It gets attention.
Someone sees it.
Looks it up.
Starts going down the rabbit hole.
And before you know it, they’re on a flight over “just to have a look”.
That’s how it usually starts.
The north has always been a slower burn. Less hype, more substance.
And things like this just nudge it along.
Not the Tenerife most people expect
The problem Tenerife has is simple.
Most people only see one version of it.
Hotel, pool, beach, repeat.
Again… nothing wrong with that. But it’s a very small slice of the island.
Places like San Juan de la Rambla show the other side.
More local. More grounded. A bit less polished… but far more real.
You’ll get proper neighbourhoods, not just holiday lets.
And yes… probably a neighbour with a drill at the worst possible time. That’s part of the charm.
The 12 towns in the mix
They’ve pulled together a decent spread from across Spain.
Different regions, different styles, different personalities.
Which is exactly what makes the show work.
And it’ll be interesting to see how a small Canarian town stacks up against mainland competition.
Final thought
It’s easy to brush this off as just light entertainment.
And to be fair… a lot of it is.
But for a place like San Juan de la Rambla, it’s a bit more than that.
It’s visibility.
It’s curiosity.
It’s a reminder that Tenerife isn’t just the bit you see on a package holiday.
And if nothing else, it’s an excuse to sit down for an hour and watch people fall over in giant costumes.
Could be worse.
If you want to read the full article, click here.