Las Tablas de San Andrés: The Wildest Tradition in Tenerife

Every island has its quirks — and Tenerife, with its volcanoes, ancient vineyards and dramatic landscapes, certainly has more than a few.
But once a year, the town of Icod de los Vinos hosts an event so unusual, so joyful, and so deeply rooted in local identity that many travellers describe it as the most authentic cultural experience they’ve ever witnessed in the Canary Islands.

Welcome to Las Tablas de San Andrés — a festival where people slide down steep streets on wooden boards, uncork the season’s first wine, toast roasted chestnuts by the plaza, and turn the end of November into a celebration of tradition, community and pure adrenaline.

If you’re staying in Costa Adeje and looking for something truly unforgettable, this is it.

Where and When Does It Happen?

📍 Icod de los Vinos, Tenerife
🗓️ 29–30 November 2025

Icod de los Vinos is a charming northern town of around 23,000 residents, famous for:

• the legendary Drago Milenario,
• its historic wine culture,
• and the incredible scenery of the Icod–Daute–Isla Baja region.

The festival takes place annually on 29 and 30 November, coinciding with the Feast of San Andrés (30 November).
However, the most exciting part — the sliding of the tablas — traditionally happens on the evening of the 29th and continues well into the night.

What Exactly Are “Las Tablas”?

In its purest form, a tabla is a simple wooden board, often made of tea (Canarian pine resin wood), polished and prepared throughout the month of November by local youths.

During the festival, locals — children, teens, adults, even entire families — sit or lie on these boards and slide down the steepest streets of Icod, like:

• El Plano
• San Antonio
• Hércules

The streets are closed to traffic, sprinkled with fine sand or wax for maximum speed, and illuminated by excited spectators cheering from balconies, sidewalks and bar terraces.

It’s thrilling, chaotic, slightly dangerous, and absolutely unforgettable — a living piece of Canarian heritage that refuses to be diluted.

How Did This Tradition Begin? (A Little History)

The celebration does not have religious origins.
Instead, it began as a practical, everyday activity related to local trades.

Long ago, workers who transported wood from the highlands down to the workshops and bodegas of Icod discovered that sliding on the boards was the fastest (and most fun) way to move timber downhill.

Over time, practicality turned into ritual.
Ritual turned into tradition.
And today, that spontaneous habit lives on in one of the most unique festivals in Europe.

What Happens During the Festival?

Las Tablas is not just about sliding — although that’s certainly the highlight.
The whole town transforms into a cultural celebration.

1. The Uncorking of the New Wine (Descorche)

On the evening of 28 November, the first bottle of the new harvest is opened.
This marks the start of Tenerife’s traditional winter wine season.

2. Wine Tasting & Food Stalls

Icod’s bodegas offer their freshest wines — especially:

• Listán Blanco
• Listán Negro
• Malvasía
• Gual
• Vijariego
• Albillo Criollo

All paired with roasted chestnuts, tapas, fish dishes and traditional sweets.

3. Music, Shows, and Local Entertainment

Plazas host concerts, folk music, and the famous Batalla de Polkas on 30 November — a joyful musical finale that brings everyone together.

4. Sliding on Wooden Boards

The heart of the festival.
From daylight to midnight, locals launch themselves down the slopes — sometimes solo, sometimes in pairs, sometimes in spectacular improvised groups.

Spectators line the streets, capturing photos, cheering, and feeling the rush even from the sidelines.

Curiosities That Make It Even More Fun

• Locals wax their boards with animal fat or special wax to make them slide faster.
• Kids spend the entire month of November preparing their tablas.
• Some of the sliding routes reach impressive speeds — don’t be surprised to see sparks or smoke.
• The festival signals the opening of local wine cellars for the winter season.

This is not a polished tourist attraction.
It’s a beloved local ritual — raw, joyful, and full of heart.

Things to Do While You’re in Icod

If you make the trip, don’t miss:

🌳 El Drago Milenario – a 1,000-year-old Dragon Tree
🏞️ Historic Town Centre – declared a Site of Cultural Interest
🌋 Teide National Park – easily accessible from the region
🥘 Local Restaurants – some of the island’s best traditional cuisine
🚶 Hiking Trails – stunning green pathways in Icod–Daute–Isla Baja

You can even stay overnight — accommodations fill quickly during the festival.

How to Get From Adeje to Icod de los Vinos

🚗 By Car

Approx. 1 hour
Route: TF-1 → TF-82 → TF-366 / TF-5
Scenic and straightforward.

🚌 By Bus with TITSA

The easiest direct option:

Bus 460
Costa Adeje → Icod de los Vinos
Approx. 1h 45min

Alternative (more connections, also scenic):

• Bus 447 or 473 → Puerto de la Cruz
• Bus 363 → Icod de los Vinos

During festival days, buses are frequent and crowded — arrive early.

Plan Your Trip With the New TITSA “Planificador de Viajes”

Great news for travellers: TITSA now offers an online Trip Planner where you can enter:

• your starting point (e.g., Costa Adeje, your hotel, a specific street),
• your destination (Icod de los Vinos),
• and see the fastest connections, walking routes, and estimated times.

This tool is especially helpful during festivals when traffic and schedules shift.

Just open the planner, type your route, and hit Buscar.
Everything auto-calculates for you — no timetable guessing required.

Why You Should Go

Because there’s nothing else like it.
Because it’s raw, real, loud and joyful.
Because it blends adrenaline with tradition, wine with community spirit, and November nights with sparks of flying wood.

Las Tablas de San Andrés is a celebration of identity — old, proud, and still very much alive.

And from Adeje, it’s a journey worth taking.