[ Tenerife Holiday Homes » General Info ]

Geography

Spain is located in Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, the Mediterranean Sea, the North Atlantic Ocean, and the Pyrenees Mountains southwest of France. There are 19 autonomous communities including Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera. Spains geographic coordinates are 40 00 N and 4 00 W. With a total of 1,917.8 km (1,192 miles) of land boundaries, Spain shares borders with Andorra (63.7 km, 40 miles), France (623 km, 387 miles), Gibraltar (1.2 km, 1 miles), Portugal (1,214 km, 754 miles), Morocco/Ceuta (6.3 km, 4 miles) and Morocco/Melilla (9.6 km, 6 miles). Spain's coastlines stretch over a total of 4,964 km (3,084 miles).

The total area of Spain is 504,782 square km (194,897 square miles), covering 499,542 square km (192,874 square miles) of land and 5,240 square km (2,023 square miles) of water.

Spain's lowest point is the Atlantic Ocean at 0 m (0 feet), its highest mountain is the Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on the Canary Islands (3,718 m, 12,198 feet).

Tenerife, largest of the Canary Islands, has an area of 2,057 square km (794 square miles). Tenerife is situated 322 (200 miles) off the west coast of North West Africa at about 28 degrees latitude and 16.5 degrees longitude. Triangular in shape, the island would fit into a 90 by 80 km (56 by 129 mile) rectangle and has a road perimeter of about 358 km (222). It is dominated by Mount Teide, the extinct volcano that stands at 3,718 m, 12,198 feet), being the highest mountain of Spanish territory. Its peak can be seen from all of the other Canary Islands. Tenerife's mountainous northeast and northwest corners are lush, its southern shores parched and arid. Tenerife features a range of natural contrasts, the south being totally different, both visually and climatically, to the North. The South is hot, dry and arid and this is where holidaymakers crowd onto beaches, like Playa de Las Américas and . The North is green and lush, which, of course, means occasional rain. Teide rises above everything on Tenerife and indeed Spain. The volcanic scenery is out of this world and has been chosen as the backdrop to scenes in famous movies such as Star Wars, Planet of the Apes and the Ten Commandments. Volcanic cones are distributed randomly over the whole island's surface and contribute to the amazing landscape.

Demography

Population

The population of Spain is a little more than 40 million. Tenerife has a population of almost 750,000.

Language

Castilian Spanish, spoken by 74% of the population, is the official language in Spain. 17% of the population speak Catalan, 7% Galician, and 2% Basque.

Religion

The majority of Spaniards are Roman Catholic (94%), only 6% of the Spanish citizens belong to other religions.

Goverment

Spain is a parliamentary monarchy, its capital is Madrid.

Spain consists of the following 19 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma): Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares (Balearic Islands), Ceuta, Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Communidad Valencian, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco (Basque Country). There are also three small Spanish possessions located off the coast of Morocco: Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas and Penon de Velez de la Gomera.

Money

Currency and Exchange Rates

The currency of Spain is the Euro. The official abbreviation for the Euro is EUR, and its symbol is €. Euro notes are in seven denominations: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euro. There is 100 Cent to the Euro and coins are in eight denominations: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 Cent, and 1 and 2 Euro.

We accept most world currencies. If you need a quote in a currency other than Euro please submit your request using the Inquiry Form, and we will be glad to quote in the currency of your choice.

Banking

Banks are open weekdays between 09.00 hrs and 14.00 hrs, however between June 1 and October 31 they close 1 hour earlier on Saturdays. You will always require your passport to change money and banks will always charge a commission fee. Most hotels, travel agents and Exchange offices 'Cambio' will also change your money but at a lower rate than the bank.

Travellers Cheques are safe and easily cashed at Banks and exchange offices throughout Tenerife. Remember that you should keep the Bank receipt listing the cheque numbers separate as well as those that you have already cashed. If your cheques are stolen this will be of great help.

Credit and Debit cards are by far the best way to organise your funds. You don't have large amounts of cash to worry about and you have access to your money at all hours. The exchange rate is also often the best. You pay a charge for each cash advance and ATM transaction - so don't withdraw small amounts often.

Postage, Stamps

The Post offices on Tenerife are open from 9:00 hrs to 14:00 hrs and close an hour earlier on Saturdays. There are no telephones in Post Offices. They do have stamps, but so do tobacconists and other shops that sell postcards. Post-boxes are yellow in colour but the service is quite laid back. If you have important or urgent mail, we recommend you use an international courier company.

Electricity

The current used in Tenerife and throughout the Canary islands is 220 Volts AC 50Hz and plugs have two round pins as found on the European continent.

Travellers from the USA will require a voltage converter, however the better hotels do have provision for 110 Volt appliances like shavers.

Travellers from the UK will require a plug adapter and this is best bought in the UK as they are hard to find in the Canaries.

Power cuts do happen occasionally, so bring a torch with you.

Health and Medical Treatment

EU citizens can obtain a refund of most medical costs by using form E111, which is available from Post Offices, Health or Social Security offices in your country.

Vaccinations

You will not require any vaccinations to visit the Canary Islands, unless you are coming from an infected area. The most likely infection being 'Yellow Fever'. Check with your tour operator or local Spanish Embassy if in any doubt.

Passports and Visas

Passports

Although Tenerife is a long way from Spain, it is Spanish territory and therefore all passport and residency rules are the same as on the Spanish mainland.

European Union citizens can travel to Tenerife with national ID cards alone. If your country does not issue identity cards, then a valid Passport is required. UK visitor passports are not acceptable. All non-EU nationals require a full valid Passport.

Carry your ID card or Passport with you at all times. The police may ask to see it. As a backup, make photocopies of all your valuable documents and leave copies in your hotel accommodation as well as at home.

Visas

Nationals of the EU as well as Norway and Iceland do not require a Visa for a stay of up to 90 days. If you wish to stay longer than 90 days you will need to apply for a Residency Permit during the first month of your stay.

Public Holidays

The following are the public holidays in Spain. Most companies and many shops are closed on these days:

Holidays which fall on a Sunday will be celebrated the following Monday.

Public Transport

Please see the Travel Info page for more comprehensive information about transportation and travelling in Spain and on Tenerife.

Shopping

Tenerife, as well as the other Canary Islands, is partly tax free area. So the prices for tobacco, spirits and perfumes are cheaper there than on the average in EU countries. Travellers returning from the Canary Islands are treated at the customs like travellers from outside the European Union.

Shops are open Monday to Saturday between 9:00 and 13:00. They open again after a long 'Siesta' from 16:00 hrs or a little later for another 3 or 4 hours (although most stay closed in the afternoon and evening on Saturdays). The big supermarkets and department stores are usually open 6 days a week from 9:00 to 21:00.

Telephones

Here are a few hints on how to make telephone calls from and to Spain.

International calls

For international calls from Spain to other countries you must first dial 00, the international direct dial access code, and wait for a tone to get linked to the international network. Then dial the code of the country (United Kingdom - 44, Ireland - 353, France - 33, Germany - 49, etc.), the area code (without the leading zero, e.g., 20 for London, 1 for Dublin, 89 for Munich, etc.), and finally the number of the subscriber.

Dialling local numbers in Spain

Inland phone numbers to fixed lines start with a 9 and have 9 digits. Local calls always require the area code starting with 9. This scheme was only recently introduced, i.e., you may still see phone numbers advertised which don't display the full 9 digit number.

Special Numbers:

• Numbers starting with 900 are freephone numbers
• Numbers starting with 901 are local call rate numbers
• Numbers starting with 902 are national call rate numbers

All Spanish mobile phone numbers start with a 6.

Calls from abroad

To call a number in Spain from abroad, dial the international code for Spain (usually 0034), and then the number of the subscriber in Spain.

Telephone Booths

Telephone booths, cabinas telefónicas, are quite common and take Euro and 50, 20, 10 and 5 Cent coins. To call, lift the hand-set and insert the money. Calls are charged by the paso (a time unit). A public telephone on the street charges approximately 4 to 5 Cent per paso.

You often find public telephones in bars. These can be more convenient to use but usually cost more (up to 10 Cent per paso).

At telephone call centres you can make your call from an individual telephone booth and pay at the desk afterwards.

Mobile Phones

Of course, you can bring your own mobile phone and hook up on international mobile phone roaming. Check the instructions of your mobile phone provider for more details on how to use your mobile phone abroad.

Spanish telephone shops also sell mobile phones without contracts (pay-as-you-use). The phone and some 30 Euro worth of calls are sold for about 120 Euro. The card can then be recharged in 30 Euro units as required.

Useful Phone Numbers

Here are some Tenerife phone numbers which might be useful to you:

[ Tenerife Holiday Homes » General Info ]

Copyright © 2003-2008 by Tenerife Holiday Homes