Markets in Tenerife provide the ideal place to purchase some original Canarian products. In these picturesque, colourful and multi-ethnologic places you'll find nearly everything, from basic food produce to the ultimate fashion trend, all in a familiar relaxed atmosphere.

The Mercado de Nuestra Señora de Africa, or African Market, is held everyday from 6am to around 2pm in a very distinctive pink building with a statue of a woman with a basket on her head, on the Avenida de San Sebastián in Santa Cruz. The market is only a short walk from the City bus station, and once inside you'll be shocked to find a selection of over 300 stalls selling fresh local produce, including a bewildering array of fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, spices, meat and dairy products.

Every Sunday morning from around 9am, a colourful weekly "rastro" or flea market, is also held on the streets around the African Market. This is a popular market with tourists to the north of the island, and its a great place to pick up souvenirs of your visit to Tenerife.

A couple of words of advice, do not start to negotiate if you have no intention of buying, but do not be afraid to say no and walk away if the prices do not fall to a level that you are prepared to pay for an item. Common sense we know, but still easy to forget.