Tejina is getting ready for one of its biggest weekends of the year, with the village’s famous Festival of the Corazones kicking off on Friday, 28 August.
There’ll be floats, fireworks, music and, on Sunday, the arrival of the three Corazones. Monday brings the traditional descuelgue, with the celebrations continuing into Tuesday.
But for plenty of people, the real heart of the festivities can be found elsewhere… in the ventorrillos.
These temporary food and drink spots pop up around the village, in homes, patios and other corners of Tejina, bringing together local food, Tenerife wine, music and the sort of atmosphere you don’t get from sitting in a chain restaurant with a QR code menu.
The smell of marinated meat will be everywhere, mixed with music from local bands and the general noise of a village enjoying itself.
Come hungry
The ventorrillos will be serving plenty of traditional Tenerife dishes, including goat meat, black pig chops, limpets from La Barranquera, fried moray eel and, naturally, papas arrugadas.
There’ll also be local Tenerife wines to try, so it might be worth having a look at the chalkboard menus before ordering. Saves pointing randomly at something after your second glass of wine.
And if you’ve still got room afterwards, keep an eye out for Gato Moca, a much-loved local dessert that many people consider one of Tenerife’s best homemade treats.
The ventorrillos are a big part of what makes the Tejina festivities special. It’s not just about watching the Corazones arrive or standing around waiting for the fireworks. It’s about eating, drinking, meeting people and keeping a bit of Tenerife tradition alive.