New Year’s Eve or Nochevieja -the old night, in Spanish- in the Canary Islands are the perfect destination for those who want to combine winter sun with an unforgettable party. You can head to the mega-clubs in popular resorts like Playa del Inglés or Maspalomas on Gran Canaria, or Playa de las Américas or Costa Adeje on Tenerife to start the New Year dancing to the best techno music. You can also gather with the locals to watch the amazing firework’s show in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. On a more low-key note, smaller towns and villages also host their own celebrations, often with live bands, street parties and fireworks. And there’s no better way to start the New Year fresh than joining the traditional New Year’s dive: hundreds of persons gather at dawn on the many wonderful beaches of the archipelago to have the first swim of the year.
Las Canteras Beach, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Canteras is one of the most popular urban beaches in Europe. The perfect place to go for walks or sunbathing during the day, this beach is also popular among fans of water sports such as surfing, kitesurfing and paddle.
At sunset, Las Canteras offers a surprising variety of restaurants, trendy bars and terraces with stunning views, many of which offer a New Year’s Eve dinner menu. During Christmas it hosts Europe’s biggest sand nativity scene and, as per tradition, after new year’s dinner many people turn to the beach to enjoy theater performances, live music and fireworks -up to 200 kilos will be fired each Nochevieja!- which lead into the new year and, eventually, the new year’s dive.
Playa de Inglés, Gran Canaria
Located in the south of Gran Canaria, Playa de Inglés is one of the most popular beaches on the island. In addition to the golden sand and safe swimming conditions, the area features all kind of services, especially for the practice of sport: particularly appreciated are the beach volleyball and beach soccer fields.
Paseo Costa Canaria, the popular shopping avenue, is especially beloved among tourists and once the sun sets it becomes the center of nightlife. The bars and restaurants that populate the area create a colourful and electrifying atmosphere afer sunset, and the many hotels in this tourist center of the island offer some of the best cotillones or Spanish style New Year’s Eve parties. Usually the cotillones include new year’s eve dinner followed by a party and different shows, as well as a bag with all the accessories required to party like a local, including the party blowers also known with the funny Spanish name of matasuegras – mother in law killers.
Playa de las Américas, Tenerife
Among the most popular places in Tenerife, Playa de las Américas is a lively retreat where it is impossible to get bored: the realm of runners, cyclists, and fans of aquatic sports- and shoppers’ too.
The guachinches or small typical restaurants serve local dishes as they also do on New Year’s Eve. Head to one of them for a typical Canarian New Year’s Eve dinner consisting of muscles, papas al mojo, baked lamb or fish, followed by turrón and truchas for desert. Also, you can try the Spanish tradition of the twelve grapes, which consists of eating a grape with each bell strike at midnight of December 31. After a new year’s toast with a sparkling Canarian wine -there are more than 135 varieties of grapes in the islands!-, let yourself get carried away by the music that livens up the nightlife of Tenerife, especially on the last day of the year.
The Hard Rock Cafe overlooking the Avenida Las Americas is one of the most popular spots where to party on the 31st: its large outdoor terraces allow a splendid view that reaches as far out as Mount Teide and it usually features concerts by Spanish and international artists and an exclusive nochevieja party .
Puerto Naos, the jewel of La Palma
Located south of La Palma, Puerto Naos is home to the island’s largest beach. Famous for its volcanic sand and the greenish hues that come from the dust of olivine rocks, it’s also especially well-suited for paragliding thanks to the adjacent coastal cliffs which attract paragliders from all over the world.
The area also displays an array of shops and typical restaurants where to have dinner and grapes celebrate nochevieja. Less hectic than other locations of the archipelago, Puerto Naos is the ideal place for those looking for a less frenetic and more romantic New Year, and tranquil New Year’s bath in its crystal-clear waters.
El Reducto in Lanzarote
Playa El Reducto in Arrecife is a white sand beach considered one of the liveliest of Lanzarote. The promenade that runs next to it is decorated by spectacular coconut palm trees and populated by numerous shops and cafes.
Arrecife houses the San José Castle, home of the International Museum of Contemporary Art of Lanzarote, as well as one of the most representative places in the city. It hosts one of the best restaurants in town and also happens to enjoy spectacular coastal views- the perfect place for those who want to start the New Year on a high note.
Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote
Ideal retreat for hikers and sports enthusiasts, Puerto del Carmen offers various leisure activities. Diving here allows to explore the depths of the east coast where historic shipwrecks can be seen. Even beginners can enjoy one just 12 meters under the water, whereas a second one sunk at 40 meters depth is only recommended for the more experienced divers.
In the evening the local cuisine offered by the many restaurants in Puerto del Carmen allows to recover from the day’s activities. For New Year’s Eve, the town organises different open air shows like live music and fireworks at the beach. At the stroke of midnight, the twelve grapes are offered as a sign of good luck for the coming year.
Caleta del Sebo in La Graciosa
La Graciosa, the eight Canary island north of Lanzarote, is an exclusive destination to spend the last day of the year. In fact, during the day, visitors have the privilege of choosing between venturing along the paths that lead into the island or enjoying the sun by the sea. The different beaches can be reached by renting jeeps or bicycles. In the evening, on the occasion of Nochevieja, the restaurants of La Graciosa offer the traditional menu based on fish, papas arrugadas -baked wrinkly potatoes- and mojo picón. After dinner the party moves to Caleta de Sebo where celebrations culminate with the twelve grapes eaten with every bell strike signalling the last twelve seconds of the year, fireworks and music until dawn.
