Flamenco in Puerto de la Cruz, planned

Where the house is

Puerto de la Cruz is a town on Tenerife's north coast. It existed as a coastal port by 1502, as the harbour of the nearby town of La Orotava, and it later became one of the first holiday resorts in the Canary Islands. It is also the smallest municipality on Tenerife, so the town, the house and the places you may want before or after the show all sit within one compact area. Casa Ábaco stands at Camino Casa Grande 14, in the El Durazno area. The Puerto de la Cruz business directory gives the same address and lists the house as a restaurant and café as well as a venue. Your booking confirmation shows how to enter, so keep it on your phone.

Which airport to land at

Tenerife has two airports, Tenerife North and Tenerife South, and TITSA, the island's public bus company, publishes separate airport pages for both. Choose by your flight rather than by the show. Whichever you pick, check TITSA's route information for Puerto de la Cruz before you travel, and allow extra time on the day if you are carrying luggage or arriving late. If you are arriving on the day of the performance, leave a comfortable gap between landing and the start time, and book the date once your flights are fixed. If a flight moves, you can change the night, because cancelling is free until the day before.

By bus

TITSA, the Transportes Interurbanos de Tenerife, runs the island-wide bus network. Its site has a line and timetable section, a tool that shows your next bus and pages for tourist routes. Its site also has pages for tickets and fares, so you can check what a trip costs before you travel. Use it on the day, not an old screenshot, because timetables change. For a night show, check the time of the last bus home before you book a seat, and keep a taxi as the fallback.

By car or taxi

The TF-5 motorway runs through the municipality of Puerto de la Cruz, so a hire car reaches the town easily. Because the ticket includes a drink and you may want a second one, think about whether you want to be the driver. Parking arrangements are the house's to explain, so ask the operator before you go. A taxi is a straightforward way to reach El Durazno and get back, and one guest who reviews the show mentions that a taxi home was organised for them.

Arriving and the house

You are welcome to arrive early for a drink before the show, at your own cost. That gives you time to see the house: the business directory describes several salons, a garden and a café-restaurant, all in a mansion that keeps its original rooms. The operator's site describes a theatre and concert room for more than a hundred people, used for concerts, plays and talks. The house keeps its original rooms, so give yourself time to look at them rather than dashing to your seat. Allow a few minutes at the entrance and keep your confirmation open so the staff can find your booking.

Language, calls and quiet

The songs are in Spanish, and the words are not what you need to follow. UNESCO sees flamenco song as sincere and expressive, capable of carrying grief, joy, tragedy, rejoicing and fear, and sees the dancing as passion and courtship. In flamenco the artists also encourage one another with calls, known as jaleo, and with hand clapping, known as palmas. Wikipedia notes that jaleo often uses the cries arza and olé. Follow the room: a call when a phrase lands is part of the form, and staff will say what is allowed on the night. The first-timers' guide on this site explains the terms.

Read next: Flamenco explained for first-timers

Children, access and seating

The evening is seated, in two sets with a break, and the music is live and amplified. That suits children who can sit through half an hour at a time, and each set is much shorter than a full theatre evening. If your group includes a wheelchair user or anyone with limited mobility, ask the operator about access first, because the house is an old mansion that keeps its original rooms. For the best view of the footwork, the first few rows are the VIP seating option on the booking page.

Using the booking calendar

Open the booking page and choose a date. The calendar shows which nights the show runs and the start time for each, and it offers both seating options, standard and VIP seating in the first few rows. The same page lists the cancellation terms and the pay-later choice. Pick the date first and fit the rest of your evening around it, since the show carries a likely-to-sell-out label and the operator decides which nights run.

Getting home

Decide how you are getting back before the second set ends. TITSA's site has a tool that shows your next bus, and a taxi is the fallback. If you are driving, remember that the ticket includes a drink and that further drinks are on sale at the house. If your hotel can book a taxi for a set time, it is worth asking at the desk before you leave, so you are not looking for a ride with the rest of the audience at the same moment.

Before or after the show

Puerto de la Cruz rewards an hour either side of a night booking. The Plaza del Charco is in the town centre, Lago Martiánez is a seawater lido complex designed by César Manrique, and the botanical garden dates from 1788. Opening hours change, so check each place's own site on the day. The guide to the town around the show sets out what is near the house and what needs a short ride.

Read next: Puerto de la Cruz around the show

Who this isn't for

If you are based in the south of the island and have no car, a night show in Puerto de la Cruz is a long trip across Tenerife, and a flamenco show near your hotel will be less effort. If one booking should cover dinner and the show, look elsewhere: this ticket buys the show and one drink. And if you need a guaranteed late finish or a standing party, this is a seated, two-set evening. And if all you want is a look around the house, remember that guided visits are a separate offer from the operator, not part of this ticket.