In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the more Traditional Canary Island and Tenerife sports, chief amongst these in Tenerife is Canary Island Wrestling. Much of this rise in interest can be attributed to the Tenerife Island Government (Cabildo) and its ‘Tenerife and our way of life’ programme

They have encouraged and developed a Native Sports School and set up promotional campaigns on many of the beaches of Tenerife.

With its Guanche origins, Canary Island Wrestling is popular amongst the local Tenerife population, many boroughs have their own ‘Terrero’ (Wrestling ring) and there are many fixtures and bouts throughout the year. 

The rules of Canary Island Wrestling are quite simple: There are 2 wrestlers (Luchadores) who try and unbalance each other by means of either tripping or throwing. Each wrestler has to remain on his feet because if any other part of the wrestler’s body comes into contact with the ground, that wrestler has lost the ‘brega’ (bout) and is eliminated.

Traditionally, this type of wrestling was used to settle disputes over domestic issues and Land. The Luchadores would roll their trousers up to the thigh so that they could both get a grip of the other and the Brega would begin. Todays Luchadores still use the same methods that the early Guanche settlers used.