Is Tenerife and UK the same time?
You are right there is no time difference, Tenerife is the same time as UK.
There is no time difference between the UK and Fuerteventura. Both places are part of the Western European Timezone (WET) along with Ireland, Portugal (except the Azores), the Faroe Islands and Iceland.
It was only during World War II, in 1940, that Spain's fascist leader, Francisco Franco, changed the time zone to CET so that the country could be line with Nazi Germany and its occupied lands.
The Canary Islands then used a time 1 hour behind the rest of Spain; UTC−01:00, until 16 March 1940, and since then, they have used Western European Time (UTC±00:00).
Clock Changes in Tenerife, Almería, Spain
Sunday, March 27, 2022, 3:00:00 am local daylight time instead. Sunrise and sunset were about 1 hour later on Mar 27, 2022 than the day before. There was more light in the evening. Also called Spring Forward, Summer Time, and Daylight Savings Time.
Spain and Malaga are 1 hour ahead of England but it should be the same. In Spain only Canary Islands have the correct time zone.
The Canary Islands use Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). This means the time zone is exactly the same as the UK while mainland Spain and other European countries are one hour ahead. Spring officially begins in March meaning the clocks go forward by one hour for daylight saving time. They then go back one hour in late October.
Is the tap water in Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and the other islands safe to drink? Yes, all public tap water in the Canary Islands is drinkable unless the local authorities state otherwise. The tap water adheres to the same strict standards as the water in Germany, Sweden, UK or France.
Adopting 'Nazi Time'
According to the original 24-hour division of the world, Spain's latitudinal position meant that GMT was the most natural time-zone for it to follow.
So on Oct. 23, 1940, Hitler took a train to the Spanish border to woo Spain's Fascist dictator, Francisco Franco. But Spain was in ruins from its own Civil War in the late 1930s, and Franco didn't have much to offer. He stayed neutral, but switched Spain's clocks ahead one hour, to be in line with Nazi Germany.
Is Europe always 1 hour ahead of UK?
The time UK and Europe SHOULD be the same
France, Holland, Luxembourg and Belgium were all originally in the same time zone as the UK, but Germany changed their time to match the German zone (one hour ahead of the UK) during their occupation of those countries during the war.
Zero degrees longitude or Greenwich meantime originates in London because that is where it was recognised, and happens to run through Portugal, and many other places. The UK is hardly Central Europe, or even Europe any more.

Once you obtain your VISA and arrive in Tenerife, you may then proceed to apply for residencia by following the Step 1 and Step 2 procedures set out below. UK passport holders can still visit the EU Shengen zone countries (which includes Tenerife/Spain) for up to 90 days in any 180 day period.
Since United Kingdom and Gran Canaria currently have equivalent time zones, you can call someone during your normal hours and it will be the same time in Gran Canaria as it is in United Kingdom.
Tenerife is not a particularly windy island, although there may be times when the wind is stronger. So, if you want to hit the waves with your surfboard, you can find numerous beaches on the north coast and a few on the south that are perfect for water sports.
2022 | Sunrise/Sunset | Daylength |
---|---|---|
Mar | Sunrise | Length |
15 | 7:14 am ↑ | 11:58:41 |
16 | 7:13 am ↑ | 12:00:24 |
17 | 7:12 am ↑ | 12:02:06 |
Therefore, all the clocks change at the same time, ensuring the UK is always an hour behind (most of) Europe. So, when the UK switches to British Summer Time (BST) most of Europe switches to Central European Summer Time, and this has been retained despite Brexit.
Tenerife is the same time as Scotland.
In 1942, the Spanish dictator General Franco moved Spain onto Central European Time to follow Nazi Germany. The report says Spain should be in the same time zone as the UK and Portugal. Spain - on the western edge of Europe - is currently one hour ahead of GMT during the winter and two hours ahead in the summer.
Since Tenerife and London, United Kingdom currently have equivalent time zones, you can call someone during your normal hours and it will be the same time in London, United Kingdom as it is in Tenerife.
Where in the world is 3 hours ahead of the UK?
Arabia Standard Time is used by the following countries: Bahrain. Iraq. Jordan.
Tenerife is the largest of Spain's Canary Islands that lie off the western coast of Morocco. The weather is cooler than North Africa due to the northeasterly trade winds and the temperate Canary Current.
The Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was a military operation in the Anglo-Spanish War (1654–60) which took place on 20 April 1657. An English fleet under Admiral Robert Blake penetrated the heavily defended harbour at Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Spanish Canary Islands and attacked their treasure fleet.
Snowfall is usually very rare in the Canary Islands, however, there have been several snow events in recent years. For example, in January 2014, snow fell in the area of Las Mesas (Gran Canaria) and in the high areas of Tenerife, such as Mount Teide, where all access roads had to be closed due to dangerous conditions.
Areas to Avoid
Because of its volcanic background, most beaches in Tenerife are volcanic with black sand which can be hot under the feet. If you're after a traditional sandy beach head to Los Cristianos and leave the southern resorts alone. Playa la Arena is also notorious for pickpockets.
- Mojo. It is a sauce paired with almost every meal, including the famous wrinkled potatoes (Papas Arrugadas). ...
- Goat Cheese. ...
- Fish and Sancocho Canaria. ...
- Ropa Vieja Canaria. ...
- Papas Arrugadas (Wrinkled Potatoes) ...
- Conejo al salmorejo (rabbit stew) ...
- Gofio. ...
- Arroz a la Cubana.
There are no snakes indigenous to Tenerife, however the Canary Islands faced an issue few years ago with California king snakes that were introduced on the islands by someone as a pet, but ran away into the wild and reproduced.
In 1942, Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco moved Spain's clocks forward in line solidarity with Nazi Germany, which had provided Franco vital support during the Spanish Civil War. The country never changed back the clocks, resulting in it being technically in the wrong time zone for over 70 years.
Shortfin Mako Shark
This is the most common of the sharks that can be spotted in the Canary Islands. For those who usually go on fishing boat trips (especially near Tenerife), it is easy to encounter this powerful and fast fish. Especially, when there is swordfish season, as it is their main predator.
The daily rotation of the Earth is irregular (see ΔT) and has a slowing trend; therefore atomic clocks constitute a much more stable timebase. On 1 January 1972, GMT as the international civil time standard was superseded by Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), maintained by an ensemble of atomic clocks around the world.
What is the biggest time difference between two countries?
You can see that the most extreme time zones are +14 hours at Line Islands (Kiribati), and -12 hours in and around Baker Islands (US). Therefore, the maximum possible difference between times on Earth is 26 hours.
How Many Time Zones Are There in Spain? All of continental Spain, including the capital Madrid, observes the same time zone. However, the Canary Islands, off the coast of Morocco, add a 2nd time zone to the country. Here, the local time is 1 hour behind the mainland.
1. France has more time zones than any other country, at 12 worldwide. 2. This is due to France's far-flung overseas areas, since the mainland European part of France uses just one time zone.
However, what has largely been forgotten is that 1968 is the year in which the UK government embarked upon a three-year experiment which saved hundreds of lives. The experiment saw the clocks move forward in March 1968 and not turn back until October 1971.
Japan, India, and China are the only major industrialized countries that do not observe some form of daylight saving.
...
The clocks go forward 26 March.
Year | Clocks go forward | Clocks go back |
---|---|---|
2022 | 27 March | 30 October |
2023 | 26 March | 29 October |
2024 | 31 March | 27 October |
2025 | 30 March | 26 October |
Portugal keeps exactly the same time as the UK (the only country on mainland Europe that does) and changes from summer time to winter time and v.v. at the same time also.
Spain is in the GMT+1 time zone. That means that Spain is an hour ahead of Portugal. The reason behind this is the fact that Spain is already more than 15º to the east of the Greenwich Meridian, and so (as explained above) it fits in that time zone.
France: France has 12 time zones ranging from UTC-10 to UTC+12. This unusual span is due to France's scattered national territories. The areas in French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean are mainly responsible for this.
The UK to Tenerife flight time is approximately 4 h 30 minutes. Note that this timing may vary from the departing Airport and the offer of flights from UK to Tenerife.
How long away is Tenerife from the UK?
The average non-stop flight time between the UK and Tenerife is between 4 hours 10 minutes and 4 hours 50 minutes. Most airports in the UK fly direct to Tenerife, so there is no need to stop and change – in fact, it's normally cheaper to fly direct.
...
Daylight Saving Time in Other Years.
Year | DST Start (Clock Forward) | DST End (Clock Backward) |
---|---|---|
2025 | Sunday, March 30, 1:00 am | Sunday, October 26, 2:00 am |
All times are local for Canary Islands. Current year is highlighted. |
UTC+0 hours | UTC+0 hours |
---|---|
London, United Kingdom | Tenerife |
9:00 AM | 9:00 AM |
10:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
11:00 AM | 11:00 AM |
They're really close to Spain's mainland
Although the Canary Islands belong to Spain, they're actually located closer to Africa.
You simply need a valid UK passport with more than 6 months validity remaining. However, to stay for longer in Tenerife/Spain, you currently need to apply for a VISA (see below).
Is the tap water in Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and the other islands safe to drink? Yes, all public tap water in the Canary Islands is drinkable unless the local authorities state otherwise. The tap water adheres to the same strict standards as the water in Germany, Sweden, UK or France.
Is Tenerife in the EU? Yes, as a part of Spain, Tenerife is very firmly within the EU and its currency is the Euro. However, the island has VAT free status which means it falls outside of EU Customs allowances.
Cost of travel to Tenerife
This is also true when compared to other popular Spanish destinations, like Barcelona, Mallorca or Ibiza, since Tenerife is generally cheaper to visit.
Tenerife has been part of Spain since 1496. Tenerife is also a province of Spain and is therefore part of the European Union and belongs therefore to Europe. Tenerife is part of the most southerly islands of Europe very close to the western side of Africa.
The Canary Islands use Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). This means the time zone is exactly the same as the UK while mainland Spain and other European countries are one hour ahead. Spring officially begins in March meaning the clocks go forward by one hour for daylight saving time. They then go back one hour in late October.
Why is Spain 1 hour ahead UK?
So on Oct. 23, 1940, Hitler took a train to the Spanish border to woo Spain's Fascist dictator, Francisco Franco. But Spain was in ruins from its own Civil War in the late 1930s, and Franco didn't have much to offer. He stayed neutral, but switched Spain's clocks ahead one hour, to be in line with Nazi Germany.
...
Winter in the Canary Islands.
Tenerife | |
Nov | 24.3 |
Dec | 22.2 |
Jan | 21.1 |
Feb | 21.3 |
Many live within expat communities that largely communicate in nothing but English. All major businesses and organisations in Tenerife have English speaking staff. You can go to solely British or Irish bars, restaurants, shops and businesses. You can watch British or Irish TV via satellite or the internet.
Most of the water that the city receives, approximately 70%, comes from its own water resources. Specifically, 62% comes from the desalination plant and 8% from its own galleries and wells. The remaining 30% comes from private suppliers, mainly from galleries and wells located in different areas of the island.
Average monthly temperatures
For the highest temperatures the best time to visit Tenerife is between June and September although the sub tropical climate offers sunshine throughout the year and winter months are equally popular with visitors.
References
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_in_Spain
- https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2013/11/30/244995264/spains-been-in-the-wrong-time-zone-for-seven-decades
- https://www.timeanddate.com/time/change/@2520308
- https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g187479-i153-k4156645-o10-Is_Tenerife_not_in_EU_for_travel_insurance_purposes-Tenerife_Canary_Islands.html
- https://www.quora.com/Why-do-the-U-K-and-Portugal-have-a-different-time-zone-than-the-rest-of-central-Europe
- https://tenerifeguru.com/residents/tenerife-learning-spanish/
- https://www.tui.co.uk/holidays/weather/europe/spain/tenerife.html
- https://www.travelmath.com/time-change/from/Tenerife/to/London,+United+Kingdom
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTC%2B03:00
- https://www.ferryhopper.com/en/blog/featured/weather-guide-canary-islands
- https://www.theglobalist.com/france-global-time-zone-leader/
- https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g659661-i12269-k4578855-Tenerife_UK_Time_Difference-Los_Cristianos_Arona_Tenerife_Canary_Islands.html
- https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/spain/santa-cruz?month=3.html
- https://www.myguidetenerife.com/usefulinfo/tenerife-frequently-asked-questions
- https://www.malagaweb.com/blog/news/time-change-winter-summer/
- https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g189112-i331-k3710320-Time_difference-Albufeira_Faro_District_Algarve.html
- https://www.travelfoss.com/what-you-should-know-before-traveling-to-tenerife/
- https://www.travelmath.com/time-change/from/Scotland/to/Tenerife
- https://thepointsguy.com/guide/common-misconceptions-canary-islands/
- https://www.lopesan.com/blog/en/destinations/sharks-canary-islands/
- https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/spain-could-be-about-to-change-its-time-zone-heres-why/
- https://tenerifeguru.com/residents/residencia/
- https://www.travelsupermarket.com/en-gb/flights/spain/canary-islands/tenerife/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Santa_Cruz_de_Tenerife_(1657)
- https://www.history.co.uk/articles/when-do-the-clocks-change-in-the-uk
- https://www.rospa.com/lets-talk-about/2019/october/let%E2%80%99s-go-back-to-1968
- https://www.eumetsat.int/unusual-heavy-snowfalls-canary-islands
- https://www.travelmath.com/time-change/from/United+Kingdom/to/Gran+Canaria
- https://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/g.html
- https://www.travelmath.com/time-change/from/London,+United+Kingdom/to/Tenerife
- https://www.fuerteventuraguide.com/is-fuerteventura-one-hour-ahead-of-the-uk/
- https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/heres-why-spain-has-been-in-the-wrong-time-zone-for-the-past-76-years/
- https://www.gov.uk/when-do-the-clocks-change
- https://www.tourstenerife.com/uk-to-tenerife-flight-time-flights-from-uk-to-tenerife/
- https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/16528/what-are-the-farthest-time-zone-locations
- https://www.holidayextras.com/destinations/tenerife/things-to-avoid.html
- https://www.sacyr.com/en/-/desaladora-tenerife
- https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-and-current-affairs/story/time-zones-270197-2015-10-28
- https://www.guidetocanaryislands.com/tenerife-prices/
- https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/travel/holiday-weather/europe/canary-islands
- https://beportugal.com/what-time-is-it-in-portugal/
- https://www.timeanddate.com/time/change/@2510530
- https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/language/crazy-facts-time-zones/
- https://www.cataloniahotels.com/en/blog/tenerife-food-guide-what-to-eat-in-tenerife/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich_Mean_Time
- https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/travel/holiday-weather/europe/canary-islands/tenerife
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/12/14/fascism-helped-create-a-time-zone-oddity-in-spain-70-years-later-it-may-finally-be-undone/
- https://www.timeanddate.com/time/zone/spain
- https://www.spain-tenerife.com/en/discover/essential-info/time-water.html
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24294157
- https://tappwater.co/en/tap-water-canary-islands-water-filter/