News from Tenerife #13 is published weekly as a short news summary of the past week on your favorite website. In this series, we share several events and news items from the past week. Each article in News from Tenerife #13 is a synthesis of various facts, actions, and occurrences that are too brief to appear as full articles.
Over 250,000 People Welcome the Three Wise Men from the East
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The welcome spectacle at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López football stadium and the subsequent parade, featuring 15 floats and more than a thousand performers, turned Santa Cruz into the capital of magic and wonder in the Canary Islands. Over 250,000 people, young and old, came out to enjoy the magic brought by Their Majesties Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthasar before they embarked on their nightly journey to the homes across the municipality.
Their Majesties arrived by helicopter at a stadium filled with 18,000 spectators eagerly awaiting their arrival. Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez presented the magical key to all the homes in Santa Cruz during a ceremony, after children had enjoyed a performance by Cantajuego. About 600 dancers and performers participated in a luminous and colorful spectacle, warmly received by the enthusiastic crowd of approximately 18,000.
After this heartfelt welcome, the Three Wise Men Parade commenced, making its way through the main streets of Tenerife’s capital in an impressive procession featuring over a thousand performers. The Three Kings rode through the city on large illuminated floats. This year, each float included a replica of a camel, adding an extra dimension to the spectacle. As in previous years, carnival groups joined the parade, bringing their unique dose of joy and energy. The parade concluded at Plaza de la Candelaria with the traditional adoration of Baby Jesus at the nativity scene set up in the area.
El Niño Lottery Distributes €770 Million
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The El Niño lottery, traditionally held on Epiphany, is the second most important lottery of the Spanish National Lottery after El Gordo. This year, the lottery distributed €770 million in prizes, with a grand prize of €2 million per series (€200,000 per ticket). The second prize is €750,000 per series (€75,000 per ticket), while the third prize amounts to €250,000 per series (€25,000 per ticket).
The draw takes place at 12:00 PM in the lottery hall of the State Lotteries and Betting Offices and is conducted via a multiple-drum system. Unlike the Christmas Lottery, El Niño generates less public excitement due to its pre-set schedule and shorter duration of just 30 minutes.
This year, €874,231,600 worth of tickets were issued, averaging €18.20 per inhabitant. This amount was significantly exceeded in regions such as Asturias (€30.20), Castile and León (€28.89), La Rioja (€26.01), the Valencian Community (€25.17), and the Basque Country (€23.22). In contrast, lower ticket purchases were recorded in regions such as Ceuta (€3.53), Melilla (€5.32), the Balearic Islands (€9.59), Catalonia (€13.02), Navarre (€13.23), and the Canary Islands (€13.38).
The average spending per person this year (€18.20) is slightly higher than last year (€17.97).
The number zero has been the most frequent final digit of the grand prize (22 times), followed by seven (14 times), four (13 times), nine (13 times), five (12 times), two (11 times), and six (10 times). The El Niño lottery was officially established in 1941, and its success that year led to its transformation into a special draw in 1942.
Tenerife South Airport Temporarily Blocked
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Tenerife South Airport is back in operation after a private jet blocked the runway following its landing. The incident caused 22 flights to be diverted. During the landing, a technical issue occurred, preventing the private aircraft from leaving the runway under its own power. As a result, 22 incoming flights had to be redirected to Tenerife North, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote. This was confirmed by sources from AENA (Spanish Airports and Air Navigation).
The incident occurred around 6:00 PM on Thursday, January 2. The airport was immediately closed to all air traffic while the private jet was towed away. The affected flights included those from Seville, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Vienna, Norwich, Edinburgh, Dublin, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Amsterdam, Wroclaw, Budapest, and Keflavik. The flights were expertly redirected. By 7:30 PM, the aircraft blocking the runway was removed, and the runway was reopened for operations.
Santa Cruz to Renovate 813 Homes
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Santa Cruz de Tenerife will renovate a total of 813 homes in the neighborhoods of Añaza, Añaza II, and Los Gladiolos, funded by the European Next Generation funds. With these initiatives, Santa Cruz reinforces its commitment to improving living conditions and sustainability in social housing.
Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez stated that these projects aim to improve the homes with energy-efficient solutions and better accessibility. He emphasized that the ongoing tendering process should ensure that work begins as soon as possible to enhance the residents’ quality of life.
The “Añaza” project, which opened for bids on December 1, has a budget of €10,077,018.28 and a 13-month execution period. It includes the renovation of 92 homes in block C-10, 97 in C-13, 92 in C-14, and 100 in block I-19. The second project, “Añaza II,” opened for bidding on December 27, with a deadline of February 10, covering 140 homes with a budget of €3,703,334.12.
The third project concerns Los Gladiolos IV. Bidding opened on December 27 and closes on February 10. This project involves the renovation of 292 homes divided into three lots.
U.S. Ship Loops Between Tenerife and La Palma for Over 24 Hours
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Since the morning of January 6, residents of Tenerife and La Palma have been monitoring the mysterious behavior of a U.S. Navy logistics ship. The “Cape Texas” (T-ARK-112), part of the Ready Reserve Force (RRF), has been drawing curiosity with its unusual maneuvers. The ship spent over 16 hours circling between the northern coast of Tenerife and the eastern coast of La Palma.
The ship, previously known as “Lyra” and “Reichenfels,” exhibited strange navigation patterns since 1:26 AM, traveling at an average speed of 15–16 knots (26–28 km/h), suggesting it was not a planned technical stop. The Cape Texas departed Charleston, South Carolina, 12 days ago and entered Canary waters on January 4 at 10:00 PM. Since then, it has made multiple course changes along Tenerife’s coast and recently along La Palma’s west coast.
Maritime experts and enthusiasts continue to monitor its course via platforms like Vesselfinder, as the reason for its unusual route remains unknown.
These events and developments have a significant impact on life in Tenerife, showcasing the diversity of challenges, progress, and opportunities the island faces.
Unknown © Photography
News from Tenerife #13 ©
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