How we came up with the name Tabaiba Guesthouse

How do we name our business? Finding the right name for your project is not easy. Our rural hostel, Tabaiba Guesthouse, is made up of two words that represent the core values of our business philosophy: Our love for Tenerife’s nature and our warm guest service. Read this article to find out more about the naming of our project.  

Tabaiba Guesthouse in Buenavista del Norte

There is more to Tenerife than sun and sand. Away from the tourist hotspots you will find authentic places, unspoilt nature and hospitable people. We have chosen Buenavista del Norte as the location for our rural hostel, Tabaiba Guesthouse, because we want our guests to discover things outside of the traditional tourist guides. With us you will live like a local, we will recommend typical Canary Islands restaurants, encourage you to buy souvenirs and handicrafts in small shops and taste local products. In this way you help the local economy and experience the Canarian way of life.

Tabaiba, an endemic plant of Tenerife

The sweet tabaiba (Euphorbia balsamífera) is a common plant in the southern and western coastal areas of Tenerife. It is a shrub with grey and gnarled trunks that can reach up to two metres in height. The leaves are light green and are arranged in circles at the tips of the branches. The sweet tabaiba is a species with many branches from the base, whose milky sap coagulates in the air after germination, forming a pleasant tasting gum. Children used to chew it like chewing gum.

This gum was also used to wean goat calves (baifos) by gluing it to the goat’s udder. In addition, the wood of the branches, which is light but very resistant, was used in the past to make and seal wine barrels. All in all, the tabaiba has a high ethnobotanical value due to its many uses in the past and has played an important role in the culture of the Guanche (aboriginal inhabitants of Tenerife).

On the coast of Buenavista del Norte there are also many tabaiba bushes. This species is typical of the low and dry areas of the Tabaibal-Cardonal succulent scrub zone, between 50 and 400 metres above sea level. It is also characterised by the bright colour of its flowers, especially in the autumn and winter months.

What is the meaning of rural hostel Tabaiba Guesthouse?

We spent a long time thinking about how best to describe our type of accommodation. Words like guesthouse, country hotel, bed & breakfast or hostel came to mind. But we decided on the English word guesthouse. On the one hand, it is the right word to appeal to our international guests who come from all over the world. On the other hand, we found the following official definition of guesthouse, which exactly matches our concept of accommodation: “… a private house converted for the exclusive use of rooms for guests. The owner usually lives in a completely separate part of the house”.

This is the case at the rural hostel Tabaiba Guesthouse. We live on the first floor of a typical Canarian village house. The ground floor has been renovated and turned into a cosy bed and breakfast. The family atmosphere and personal service are the main features of our daily work.

Click here for our blog post and find out about the “7 reasons to stay in our hostel in Tenerife”.

Book your room at rural hostel Tabaiba Guesthouse

Would you like to meet us and enjoy a pleasant stay in a typical Canarian house in the northwest of Tenerife? Book your room and let yourself be inspired by the magic and nature of this place. Discover its natural and cultural heritage. With your booking you will be supporting a sustainable tourism project in a rural area of great ecological value. We are waiting for you!

Your hosts, Karin and Sergio