San Andrés in Icod de los Vinos: the Tablas and new wine

Each year around 29 November, Icod de los Vinos, a wine town on Tenerife's north coast, celebrates the eve of San Andrés (St Andrew) by opening the year's new wine and sliding down its steep streets on wooden boards. The custom, called the Tablas de San Andrés, is free and draws large crowds: the town council expected more than 30,000 people for its 2025 edition. In 2026 the council plans the uncorking on Friday 27 November and the tablas on Sunday 29 November.

What are the Tablas de San Andrés?

The tablas are wooden boards, traditionally made of pine heartwood (tea), that locals prepare and polish for weeks so they glide over the road. Riders speed down a steep street on the board, steering with heavily gloved hands and braking with their shoe soles. The best-known stretch is Calle Antonio González, called El Plano locally; the council also uses Calle San Antonio and Calle Hércules. Riders who do not slow down in time end in a pile of old tyres at the bottom.

Where does the custom come from?

Explanations differ, and the local broadcaster RTVC notes that the tradition has been handed down through generations as part of the town's identity. One account, reported by the German-language weekly Wochenblatt and attributed to a folklorist, links it to timber: from the 16th century wood was brought down from a sawmill in the upper San Antonio district through the streets San Antonio and Hércules on wooden sleds pulled by draught animals. The festival also coincides with the opening of the wineries: in the north of Tenerife the cellars tap their barrels of new wine on the evening of 29 November. A school resource from the Canary Islands Government ties the celebration to cooperage as well, the craft of the toneleros who make wine barrels.

What happens during the festival?

The 2025 programme published by the council is a good guide to the structure, though 2026 details may differ:

• an institutional uncorking of the first bottle of the new harvest at Plaza Andrés de Lorenzo Cáceres;
• a Fiesta de los Vinos on Calle San Agustín, with music, tapas and wineries from Tenerife;
• tablas descents on all days along central streets such as El Plano, San Antonio and Hércules;
• a closing Batalla de Polkas at the plaza.

Around town, chestnuts are roasted and new wine is poured. Traditional family meals for the eve include salted fish, potatoes, gofio, chestnuts and new wine.

What are los cacharros?

Cacharros is a related custom, separate from the tablas. On 29 November children in Puerto de la Cruz, Icod, La Guancha, San Juan de la Rambla, Los Realejos and La Orotava thread cans and tins on string or wire and drag them through the streets to make as much noise as possible. The Canary Islands Government's school resource explains that the noise tradition takes different forms depending on the town: cacharros, tablas or carros. Wochenblatt links the noise to barrel cleaning: barrels were rolled to the beach and the din announced the opening of the cellars. The Tenerife tourism board describes the cacharros in Puerto de la Cruz, where there is also a chestnut festival in Plaza del Charco.

How safe is it, and can visitors take part?

The sledding is energetic and not without risk. Icod's mayor, Javier Sierra, has asked participants to be prudent and, if they have never done it, to go with someone experienced. The Wochenblatt report warns that crowds lining the street narrow the track. If you only want to watch, stand well clear of the route and follow the stewards' instructions; check the council's programme for which streets are used for adults and which for children.

How do you get to Icod de los Vinos?

Icod is on the north-west side of Tenerife. TITSA line 363 runs from Puerto de la Cruz to Buenavista via Icod de los Vinos, according to a TITSA service notice reported in July 2026; check titsa.com for current timetables and for any extra festival-night service. Streets used for the tablas may be closed to traffic, so allow extra time if you drive.

When should you go, and what else is on in November?

Come for the evening of 29 November, the traditional eve, and book accommodation early because the event is popular across the island. Late November in the Canaries is mild but evenings are short and cooler, and the north is the wetter side of Tenerife: see our guide to the Canary Islands in November for temperatures, rain and daylight.