Between the 16th and 20th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Canarians emigrated to Venezuela. Canarians call this country the "8th island," a nickname that says more than anything else about the scale of this diaspora.
Venezuela is often presented to Canarians as the "8th island" of the archipelago. This nickname says it all: in certain villages in northern Tenerife, there were more people in Venezuela than at home. Entire families remade their lives there for generations.
Canarians first left for Venezuela during the colonial period, then in large numbers in the 19th century when the young Venezuelan Republic went through crises. A new surge followed in the 20th century, under the Franco dictatorship and during years of strong economic appeal from Venezuela.
Venezuelan oil changed everything in the mid-20th century. The exploding cities, Maracaibo and the Paraguaná peninsula leading the way, attracted Canarians searching for work and better life prospects.
In the years 1948-1950, several sailing ships left Santa Cruz de Tenerife with Canarian migrants bound for Venezuela, in a context of departures that were often precarious and sometimes clandestine. Some ship names, including El Maruca, come up in stories from families of that era, though without precise historical confirmation. These crossings remained etched in the memory of Canarian families.
The Canarian community in Venezuela long counted among the most visible of the island diaspora in America, to the point of sustaining the idea of a privileged host country. This memory remains very much alive in families and descendants' associations.
The carved wooden balconies of La Orotava and La Laguna resemble those that Canarian emigrants reproduced in Venezuelan cities, notably in Coro (UNESCO-listed). The colonial style with central patio and painted facades circulated in both directions. People often speak of Havana when thinking of Coro, but it's mainly a resemblance of the era, not of the stones themselves.
Since the Venezuelan crisis of the 2010s, descendants of Canarians have returned or resettled in the islands with Spanish residency or nationality rights. This return is sparking archive research in villages of origin. Associations of descendants of isleños, those Canarian emigrants to Venezuela and their children, are growing stronger.
The arepa, this Venezuelan corn cake, has made its home on the island: Puerto de la Cruz and Costa Adeje are full of them. It's the most direct culinary link between the two shores.
To find good areperas (Venezuelan restaurants specializing in arepas) in Tenerife, look for Venezuelan flags on restaurant facades. Beyond arepas, you'll also find dishes like cachapas (sweet corn crepes), tequeños (fried cheese sticks) and empanadas, which blend with Canarian flavors in family areperas.