Shopping in Tenerife

Tenerife is a paradise for shopaholics because the island is a special tax zone.  If you buy something in Tenerife, you will not pay the high VAT sales tax rates that you will in the UK, Ireland or even mainland Spain.  That makes shopping in Tenerife is an absolute delight and not even the tax-free shops of the international airports can compete with the prices.

The price of cigarettes in Tenerife and the cost of alcohol are embarrassingly cheap, in fact many tourists will go home with their maximum limit of cigarette cartons and bottles of booze!  Cameras and watches can be cheaper than in their country of origin and the rarest and most capricious objects can be found side by side with hand-stitched tableware, all lovingly made by the Canarians.

There are shops for all tastes in Tenerife.  From the air-conditioned serenity of large department stores such as El Corte Ingles in Santa Cruz to the hubbub of the regular weekly markets, the Tenerife shopper is spoilt for choice. 

In the south of the island, there are a number of excellent markets with huge range of products, many of which you will not know how you ever lived without.  Arts, crafts and local produce can all be found at good prices in these markets, as well as all manner of leather goods, electronics, clothes and gifts. 

If your tastes are more upmarket then you will find shopping in Tenerife is great for designer clothes, jewellery and accessories.  In the south, the shopping areas around the Pyramides in Playa de las Americas, or the El Duque area in Costa Adeje offer all the labels you could ask for. 

In short, your Tenerife shopping spree can be one full of variety and there are all sorts of opportunities for bargain hunting.   The main problem you will have is the weight restrictions in taking baggage back home with you… a problem easily solved if you own a property in Tenerife!!