Calling Time On Canary Islands’ Bars

The Canary Islands are seeing more bars close than almost anywhere else in Spain.

According to the latest data from the National Statistics Institute, there are 354 fewer bars than in 2010, despite there being four months left in the year. President of the Federation of Leisure Services, said the main reason for the dramatic rise in closures is the new, stricter, anti-smoking laws, which came into force in January this year, although he conceded the financial crisis was also taking its toll.

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Ive said this before on other forums including my own.

Why do most people go on holiday abroad. Well for me it was firstly the sun, then it was cheap drinks and food, then duty free's, no one wants to go abroad where it is alot more expensive than at home but it is in Tenerife.

I was shocked at some of the prices on the Island, there is no duty frees to be had either its cheaper here in blighty, Im sorry but the only thing going abroad has now is the sun. This is why years ago people got sick of Spain as the prices kept going up and so they all went to Greece and it was booming there but they made the same mistake as the spanish and put there prices up sky high so Greece was then dumped for Turkey which has been booming with its cheap shops drinks etc.

Ive been going to mallorca since 1986 and found the same thing there a few years back the drinks went through the roof and the place suffered with more and more bar owners just walking away. But the resorts that I go to have now all dropped there prices but its to little to late now as more and more travellers decided to go A/I and the other hotels followed. This is whats going to happen in Tenerife. I stopped at Playa De Las Americas and got charged €4 a pint in some places which is ridiculous, they were charging me €3 for a half of pop my my daughter its crazy, these are the places that spoil it for the rest of the resort.

A small family cant afford to go out on them prices and as the average cost of a holiday has gone daft now its no wonder bar owners are suffering. Im used to paying about £1500 for our holiday now its well over £2000 ,this year I paid £2300 for 13 nights H/B and that was cheap the average was £2500 to £2800 sorry but you can go further afield for that. Bar owners dont realise all this, they think people that are on holiday have money coming out of there ears lol. Just look at the holiday trends, where people go and the reasons why. If Tenerife have mostly A/I hotels the Island will suffer as has Mallorca, no one likes a dead resort with no atmosphere.

Tenerife you have been warned.

That's an excellent post Daryn and I think you covered practically everything.

As you discovered, speaking plainly on certain forums is heavily discouraged for obvious reasons and I find this quite sad because on the one hand, those who encourage this deceptive behaviour are delusional and those who are new to the island are misinformed of the "real" events that many refuse to accept.
There are many VI's (vested interests) about that cloud the truth and will stop at nothing to perpetuate their insanity.

It really is a case of the blind leading the blind. :)


At one time the south alone had over 3,000 bars all chasing the same customers so in my view it was inevitable.

Bar+Tenerife+2008-2020 = Madness :)

Juba wrote:That's an excellent post Daryn and I think you covered practically everything.

As you discovered, speaking plainly on certain forums is heavily discouraged for obvious reasons and I find this quite sad because on the one hand, those who encourage this behaviour are delusional and those who are new to the island are misinformed of the "real" events that many refuse to accept.
There are many VI's (vested interests) about that cloud the truth and will stop at nothing to perpetuate their insanity.

It really is a case of the blind leading the blind. :)


At one time the south alone had over 3,000 bars all chasing the same customers so in my view it was inevitable.

Bar+Tenerife+2008-2020 = Madness :)

jimbo was looking for a partner for his new bar,i dont suppose you are interested then?

cunningham wrote:
jimbo was looking for a partner for his new bar,i dont suppose you are interested then?

Sadly, I made it a habit not to associate with lager louts and hooligans so to answer your question........................








No. :)

Daryn wrote:Ive said this before on other forums including my own.

Why do most people go on holiday abroad. Well for me it was firstly the sun, then it was cheap drinks and food, then duty free's, no one wants to go abroad where it is alot more expensive than at home but it is in Tenerife.

I was shocked at some of the prices on the Island, there is no duty frees to be had either its cheaper here in blighty, Im sorry but the only thing going abroad has now is the sun. This is why years ago people got sick of Spain as the prices kept going up and so they all went to Greece and it was booming there but they made the same mistake as the spanish and put there prices up sky high so Greece was then dumped for Turkey which has been booming with its cheap shops drinks etc.

Ive been going to mallorca since 1986 and found the same thing there a few years back the drinks went through the roof and the place suffered with more and more bar owners just walking away. But the resorts that I go to have now all dropped there prices but its to little to late now as more and more travellers decided to go A/I and the other hotels followed. This is whats going to happen in Tenerife. I stopped at Playa De Las Americas and got charged €4 a pint in some places which is ridiculous, they were charging me €3 for a half of pop my my daughter its crazy, these are the places that spoil it for the rest of the resort.

A small family cant afford to go out on them prices and as the average cost of a holiday has gone daft now its no wonder bar owners are suffering. Im used to paying about £1500 for our holiday now its well over £2000 ,this year I paid £2300 for 13 nights H/B and that was cheap the average was £2500 to £2800 sorry but you can go further afield for that. Bar owners dont realise all this, they think people that are on holiday have money coming out of there ears lol. Just look at the holiday trends, where people go and the reasons why. If Tenerife have mostly A/I hotels the Island will suffer as has Mallorca, no one likes a dead resort with no atmosphere.

Tenerife you have been warned.

Juba wrote:That's an excellent post Daryn and I think you covered practically everything.

As you discovered, speaking plainly on certain forums is heavily discouraged for obvious reasons and I find this quite sad because on the one hand, those who encourage this deceptive behaviour are delusional and those who are new to the island are misinformed of the "real" events that many refuse to accept.
There are many VI's (vested interests) about that cloud the truth and will stop at nothing to perpetuate their insanity.

It really is a case of the blind leading the blind. :)

At one time the south alone had over 3,000 bars all chasing the same customers so in my view it was inevitable.

Bar+Tenerife+2008-2020 = Madness :)

These are both excellent posts, and I hope that this forum can continue with this sort of quality posting. There is no need to get personal just because your opinion is different to another posters.

I actually disagree on one point about the expensive drinks. You can still find many places selling the €1 pint but that cannot and should not be the norm. How much profit is there left when you have taken out the costs, the rent, the wages, ........ so of course come evening prices increase and the tourists see this as being unfair or being 'ripped off'. Or as Daryn said give the alcohol away but charge for the soft drinks ... Madness IMO.

In the time I have lived here I believe overall prices have remained steady. It is the tour operators who are being greedy, they have less people being able to afford to travel abroad so they penalise those that can just about afford it. They have now jumped on the AI bandwagon and Tenerife is totally the wrong place for this again because of the cut-prices offered all that can be offered is repetitive meals that are cheap to provide and watered down drinks. AI is more than acceptable in areas where it is not safe to wander around alone, but that is not the case here.

Sorry going but if Tenerife is not careful it might just get what it has wished for and that will be an end to tourism as we know it and I don´t think there is anything that can replace it. It is one of the few reasons we exist.

However, there are still plenty of people holidaying in Tenerife who are looking for quality and are quite prepared to pay for it.

Sadly though, most of the Brits who arrive in Tenerife have travelled via the cut price airlines with only hand luggage stuffed with Primark clothes and bling. They have no intention of spending their hard earned benefits on anything other than europints, €3.50 breakfast fry ups and a €7.95 evening meal. As long as they can go back to good old Blighty with a real tan, rather than the fake one they arrived with, then they will be as happy as a pig in shit.

Does Tenerife really need those sorts of tourists ?

Jimandsi wrote:

Does Tenerife really need those sorts of tourists ?

Well I don't know Jimbob.
You come with them every year for the same thing so is that not calling the kettle black?
If your statement includes your good self then I wholeheartedly agree.

Jimandsi wrote:However, there are still plenty of people holidaying in Tenerife who are looking for quality and are quite prepared to pay for it.

Sadly though, most of the Brits who arrive in Tenerife have travelled via the cut price airlines with only hand luggage stuffed with Primark clothes and bling. They have no intention of spending their hard earned benefits on anything other than europints, €3.50 breakfast fry ups and a €7.95 evening meal. As long as they can go back to good old Blighty with a real tan, rather than the fake one they arrived with, then they will be as happy as a pig in shit.

Does Tenerife really need those sorts of tourists ?

Nearly spat my €1 pint over my "Sun" newspaper reading that...

Jimandsi wrote:However, there are still plenty of people holidaying in Tenerife who are looking for quality and are quite prepared to pay for it.

Sadly though, most of the Brits who arrive in Tenerife have travelled via the cut price airlines with only hand luggage stuffed with Primark clothes and bling. They have no intention of spending their hard earned benefits on anything other than europints, €3.50 breakfast fry ups and a €7.95 evening meal. As long as they can go back to good old Blighty with a real tan, rather than the fake one they arrived with, then they will be as happy as a pig in shit.

Does Tenerife really need those sorts of tourists ?

Yes it does, there is a place for all types of tourist in Tenerife, and it is large enough that those looking for 'quality' to never have to come into contact with those who are happy with Blackpool with sun.

We all have different preferences, but there is enough variety on the island to please everyone. I don´t particularly wish to mix with the €1 pint brigade but I do appreciate that they are helping the islands economy so I am grateful.

I also have met those who have paid a fortune for a villa or 5* hotel the important factor for them is that they can take the photos and show them to their friends back home. In the meantime, they scrimp on going out, eat in the villa and buy cheap supermarket booze because the look of where they are staying is more important to them than having a good holiday. IMO as bad as the first lot.

The ideal tourist for me would be someone who books a reasonably priced hotel or apartment (as long as it is clean, modern and in a good location because they are only going to be sleeping there), has their breakfast in the apt or hotel, eats out at lunch time, while they are on excursions or hired a car and travelling to the interior of the island find out what it is really like. They then get dressed up and go for a nice meal with a good bottle of wine on an evening.

The Lone Ranger wrote:

Jimandsi wrote:However, there are still plenty of people holidaying in Tenerife who are looking for quality and are quite prepared to pay for it.

Sadly though, most of the Brits who arrive in Tenerife have travelled via the cut price airlines with only hand luggage stuffed with Primark clothes and bling. They have no intention of spending their hard earned benefits on anything other than europints, €3.50 breakfast fry ups and a €7.95 evening meal. As long as they can go back to good old Blighty with a real tan, rather than the fake one they arrived with, then they will be as happy as a pig in shit.

Does Tenerife really need those sorts of tourists ?

Nearly spat my €1 pint over my "Sun" newspaper reading that...

i see things are returning to normal

cunningham wrote: i see things are returning to normal

:No: this is called a discussion where we all quietly and calmly give our point of view without anyone resorting to the F word, or sending threatening PMs, :Not me Guv: or even reporting a thread ....... Despite what many think we are grown ups (well in years if nothing else)

Gypsy wrote:
this is called a discussion where we all quietly and calmly give our point of view without anyone resorting to the F word, or sending threatening PMs, or even reporting a thread ....... Despite what many think we are grown ups (well in years if nothing else)

yep any of that carry on and straight to the

The Lone Ranger wrote:

Nearly spat my €1 pint over my "Sun" newspaper reading that...

I concur

When we were over there I must admit I nearly fell on the floor a couple of times, in one bar I ordered a pint and a half of lager and a half of sprite and was charged €11 now that is day light robbery. As for the €1 pint I did see them in Los Cristianos but never had one lol. The cheapest we had was €1.50 through the day some were good some were rubbish, now I dont mind paying a reasonable price for a nice drink and wont go back to a bar that sells rubbish. no matter what price it is ,I think about €2.50 is a fare price to pay instead of charging €1 they should all charge this €2.50 day and night then it averages out, we were paying on average €3 in bars with good entertainment and I think thats ok if the entertainment is good.

I would say the average pint in Magaluf now was about €1.50/€2.00 last year, I have photos of all the prices and will gave the link at the end of the week when I can to show you. I sound like a typical flat cap and woodbine geordie lol. Its not all about beer, the electrical shops were ridiculous everything they had is cheaper in the uk. Perfume and aftershave which was always on our shopping list in the past is cheaper in the UK, I mean what do they expect us to do pay more because we are on holiday. I really think they all want to get together and have a good chat. The tourists must be down over the last couple of years as you have mentioned all these bars have shut down.

Gypsy wrote:


We all have different preferences, but there is enough variety on the island to please everyone. I don´t particularly wish to mix with the €1 pint brigade but I do appreciate that they are helping the islands economy so I am grateful.

But, it's because of them that so many bars are shutting though !

What profit does a bar owner make on a €uropint ?

Bugger all.

Jimandsi wrote:
But, it's because of them that so many bars are shutting though !

What profit does a bar owner make on a €uropint ?

Bugger all.

That is what I said Jimbo, there is no profit in a €1 pint but the people who buy them surely must do something other than get plastered on drink.

Gypsy wrote:

Jimandsi wrote:
But, it's because of them that so many bars are shutting though !

What profit does a bar owner make on a €uropint ?

Bugger all.

That is what I said Jimbo, there is no profit in a €1 pint but the people who buy them surely must do something other than get plastered on drink.

not much.

Daryn wrote:When we were over there I must admit I nearly fell on the floor a couple of times, in one bar I ordered a pint and a half of lager and a half of sprite and was charged €11 now that is day light robbery. As for the €1 pint I did see them in Los Cristianos but never had one lol. The cheapest we had was €1.50 through the day some were good some were rubbish, now I dont mind paying a reasonable price for a nice drink and wont go back to a bar that sells rubbish. no matter what price it is ,I think about €2.50 is a fare price to pay instead of charging €1 they should all charge this €2.50 day and night then it averages out, we were paying on average €3 in bars with good entertainment and I think thats ok if the entertainment is good.

I would say the average pint in Magaluf now was about €1.50/€2.00 last year, I have photos of all the prices and will gave the link at the end of the week when I can to show you. I sound like a typical flat cap and woodbine geordie lol. Its not all about beer, the electrical shops were ridiculous everything they had is cheaper in the uk. Perfume and aftershave which was always on our shopping list in the past is cheaper in the UK, I mean what do they expect us to do pay more because we are on holiday. I really think they all want to get together and have a good chat. The tourists must be down over the last couple of years as you have mentioned all these bars have shut down.

I agree 100% about the electrical goods and perfumes Daryn. 10 years ago real bargains could be had but not anymore. You can get them cheaper at home.

You wont find a cheaper place for fags mate or branded spirits at 10€ a bottle. Avoid the duty free at the airport though. Prices have to be displayed near the bar, they saw you coming, also I never go in a place with PRs outside. So annoying.

Gypsy wrote:

That is what I said Jimbo, there is no profit in a €1 pint but the people who buy them surely must do something other than get plastered on drink.

Enlighten me then please .....

Your Mr AverageBritTourist who has been returning to Tenerife year after year.

He has his morning fry up, his lunchtime €uropints and his evening meal (and more €uropints).

He's done all the tours over the years and buys a Titsa Bono card as soon as he arrives.

How does he help the Tenerife economy ?

He has a dozen screaming brats that all want extra burgers and ice creams, his OH drinks Smirnoff (can´t be local) and coke or some colourful highly alcoholic cocktail, they both smoke 40 fags a day and of course they pay a fortune so they can keep up with the news in the Sun. :Happy: They think they are hip because they go to Tibu and pay for the VIP treatment, to receive a cheap bottle of Cava and tell everyone they love champagne.