Tenerife Carnival 2027: Dates, Where to Stay and Getting There

The Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2027 takes place in the island's capital, with the street carnival running from 19 to 28 February 2027. The theme announced by the city is Roma Eterna: El Imperio del Carnaval (Eternal Rome), marking forty years since the first themed carnival in 1987.

This year the street carnival falls later than the Christian calendar would suggest: Shrove Tuesday 2027 is 9 February, but Santa Cruz has moved its street events to the second half of the month.

According to the published programme, the key street dates are the Cabalgata Anunciadora (opening parade) on Friday 19 February and the Coso Apoteosis (grand final parade) on Tuesday 23 February, which is also a local holiday in Santa Cruz. Programmes can still change, so check the city council's official carnival information before fixing your plans around a single event.

February is already high season in Tenerife, with winter-sun visitors from across Europe. During carnival, demand for rooms in and around Santa Cruz rises sharply, and the city itself has a limited number of hotels compared with the southern resorts.

Book your room as soon as you know your dates, and book your airport transfer at the same time. Flights into Tenerife South on carnival weekends are full, and arrivals often bunch together in the afternoon and evening. Having a private transfer already arranged means the driver is waiting at the arrivals meeting point with a name sign, and the price is agreed before you travel rather than negotiated in a queue.

If you travel as a family or group, or bring costumes and extra bags, request a minivan when booking so everyone and everything fits in one vehicle.

Santa Cruz lies in the north-east of the island and is much closer to Tenerife North Airport than to Tenerife South. If your flight lands at Tenerife South, the TF-1 motorway runs up the east coast to the capital; allow roughly an hour outside rush hour, more on parade days when streets around the centre are closed.

Staying in the south (Costa Adeje, Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas) suits travellers who want reliable sunshine, beaches and resort hotels, and who plan to visit Santa Cruz for one or two big nights. From Tenerife South Airport these resorts are only 15 to 40 minutes away by private transfer. The downside is the late-night return after the parade.

Staying in Santa Cruz or nearby suits those who want to be in the carnival every evening. Expect noise until the early hours in the centre, and book well ahead.

Staying in the north (Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava area) gives a greener, more traditional base with its own carnival. Weather in the north is usually milder and cloudier than in the south in February.

Puerto de la Cruz on the north coast holds its own International Carnival, known for a relaxed, colourful atmosphere and a large drag-queen element. For 2027 it has been reported with the theme "Bajo el Mar" (Under the Sea) and provisional dates from late January to mid-February, ending before the Santa Cruz street carnival begins. The town had not published its full official programme at the time of writing, so treat these dates as provisional.

Because the two carnivals do not overlap in 2027, a longer trip can cover both. From Tenerife South Airport, Puerto de la Cruz is about 1 hour 15 minutes by private transfer, crossing the island via the motorway and the north coast.