Which Spanish island hosts a famous Carnival with a Battle of the Flowers? Tenerife.
The celebration is the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, held in Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife and the Canary Islands’ largest island. It combines official competitions—featuring murgas, comparsas, rondallas and elaborate queen costumes—with a huge street carnival of music, dancing and disguises.
The festival’s roots reach back to the earliest European settlement of the island, with written references appearing by the late 18th century. During the dictatorships of Primo de Rivera and Francisco Franco, authorities banned Carnival, but residents continued it under the less conspicuous name “Winter Holiday.”
Tenerife’s floral parades and flower-themed events can be confused with the better-known Battle of Flowers traditions of Nice and Barranquilla. Other signature Tenerife customs include the election of the Carnival Queen and the Burial of the Sardine on Ash Wednesday. The festival was declared a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest in 1980.