Complete guide to Tenerife: everything you need to know about Los Cristianos, Las Americas, and Costa Adeje

© Geio Tischler @ Unsplash

Tenerife's three most popular resorts are located in the southern part of the island. Los Cristianos, Las Americas, and Costa Adeje cities form one large resort where everyone will find something interesting for themselves. There you will find spacious beaches with yellow and black sand, on which ocean waves roll, a multi-kilometer promenade connecting all three cities, emerald palm trees, the best infrastructure on the island, and a lot of entertainment.

Los Cristianos resort

Sunny Los Cristianos is located 80 km from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 80 km from Tenerife North Airport, and 15 km from Tenerife South Airport.

Los Cristianos is a relatively small resort town, which is nestled at the foot of the Montaña de Guasa volcano, which is quite typical for Tenerife. Volcanoes are at every step here. The city has two beaches: one with dark sand, the other with light sand, many nice cafes and restaurants where you can inexpensively and tastefully get acquainted with Canarian cuisine, a lot of comfortable hotels that offer rooms with a gorgeous view of the ocean, an embankment lined with palm trees that runs through the entire city and leads further to the neighboring resort of Las Americas, and from there even further, to Costa Adeje.

Los Cristianos beaches

Los Cristianos beaches

Author: Gustavo A. Pérez on Unsplash

There are two beaches in Los Cristianos: Playa de los Cristianos and Playa de las Vistas. You can walk from one beach to another in a couple of minutes.

Playa de los Cristianos is made of light gray sand. The beach is very clean and equipped with everything you need. There are sun loungers and umbrella rentals, showers and restrooms, beach bars and cafes with outdoor terraces. The water slope is gentle, which means the beach is suitable for families with children. There is a diving school nearby where you can take a couple of lessons and equipment for rent, as well as a sailing school if you're missing some sea romance in your life. You can rent a boat in the city port and explore the coast. There you can also join a tour, during which you will be taken to meet dolphins and possibly even whales. Such a walk costs 25 euros and makes a lot of impression.

The main disadvantage of Playa Los Cristianos is the big port, which is situated in the city. Firstly, the water may not be perfectly clean because of it, and secondly, boats, yachts, ships, and even liners often sail past, which is safe, but for some, it may not be too pleasant. So if you want a quiet holiday without any noise and boats flashing back and forth, choose the neighboring beach, Playa de las Vistas.

Playa de las Vistas is one of the best beaches on the entire island. It stretches for almost a kilometer. The sand here is light, soft, and clean, the water is clear, the waves are small, the water slope is gentle and comfortable, there are no large stones, and the facilities are excellent. You can rent a sun lounger and an umbrella for 4 euros per day each, or you can sit on your blanket. There is always enough unoccupied space on the beach. There is a promenade along the ocean, where you can walk to the neighboring beach, or even to the neighboring city, Las Americas. There are also showers and restrooms, beach bars and cafes at your service, and souvenir shops and kiosks where you can buy any beach accessories.

Best things to see in Los Cristianos

Los Cristianos

Author: Wouter Hagens, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

In the morning, residents and guests of the city traditionally go to the beach. Those who want to get the best places come at nine o'clock, but since the beaches are quite spacious, there is no need to be in a hurry. After the beach, you can stroll along the promenade and at the same time have a snack in one of the cafes or restaurants. In the evening, dressed-up waiters await you for dinner; a little later, nightclubs open, attracting DJs and dancers from all over Europe.

A couple of kilometers from the city center is the Monkey Park. The animals live there practically in their natural habitat, you can feed them and touch them, but be careful with this. In addition to monkeys, in the zoo, you can meet lemurs, turtles, guinea pigs, and birds. The monkey park is not very large. If you want to be in the real world of animals, set aside a separate day to visit Loro Park in the city of Puerto de la Cruz. Loro Parque has the world's largest collection of parrots, a large dolphinarium, a penguinarium, red pandas, lemurs, sloths, meerkats, monkeys, tigers, jaguars, and many other animals. 

Boat and catamaran cruises are popular in Los Cristianos. The most popular option is a whale-watching tour to La Gomera, an island located 60 km from the coast. You can go to the more distant islands of the Canary archipelago, or you can take a boat that will take you to meet dolphins and whales; such a trip will take a couple of hours.

In addition to classic entertainment, Los Cristianos offers walks to the Montaña de Guaza volcano, near which the city is located. You can climb the volcano along regular trails, you don’t even need a guide. 

Teide volcano

Author: Alberto Frías on Unsplash

But where you definitely need a tour is Teide, a beautiful volcano, which is located 45 km from the city. Teide is a national park whose main attraction is the 3,718-meter-high volcano. Teide Park welcomes guests with luxurious landscapes, where spreading pines give way to low bushes, and they give way to mountain flowers and lichens, after which there is only land scorched by lava. At the very top of Teide, it becomes clear what another planet might look like. You can climb the volcano on your own, by the 342 bus, or you can join a tour.

Best tours to Teide volcano

Where to stay in Los Cristianos

The four-star Boutique Hotel H10 Big Sur is considered one of the most comfortable on the coast. It operates on an adults-only system. The beach is a couple of minutes' walk away. It offers stylish, bright rooms with balconies overlooking the ocean. You can relax on the green terrace next to the pool, and the restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine. The hotel also has a gym and a large spa.

The four-star Labranda Reveron Plaza is located 100 meters from the beach. Here you will find classic-style rooms, each with a balcony. The windows offer ocean and city views. There is a swimming pool on the roof of the hotel with a view of the sunbathing terrace.

Aparthotel Aguamar is located a ten-minute walk from the beach. You can rent an apartment for two, four, or six people. Each room has a large comfortable bed, a kitchenette with everything you need, and a balcony where you can have breakfast overlooking the ocean and the city. The apart-hotel has a restaurant, a large swimming pool with a sun terrace, playgrounds for children and sports fields. Guests are offered spacious rooms that have everything you need for a great holiday, including a kitchenette, a large swimming pool with a sun terrace planted with greenery, a restaurant and bar, children's play areas, and a children's pool.

Las Americas resort

Las Americas is one of the most famous and popular resorts in Tenerife. The city is located 80 km from the capital of Tenerife, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Norte (North) Airport is 82 km from Las Americas, and Sur (South) Airport is 17 km.

The city is sandwiched between two resort towns, Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje, together they form a large tourist agglomeration. All three cities are connected by a promenade, so you can easily get from your hotel in Los Cristianos to, for example, the beach in Las Americas, or from Las Americas to the water park in Costa Adeje.

There is little "Spanish" in Las Americas. Instead of Catholic cathedrals, there is a fashionable Hard Rock Cafe, instead of smooth evenings with guitar and flamenco there are loud parties, and instead of melodious Spanish speech you will hear English, German, French, and Russian. This city attracts with its chic, brilliance, and drive.

People come to Las Americas to relax on the local beaches with fine golden sand, stroll along the beautiful promenade lined with palm trees, dance in nightclubs and explore the cocktail menus of local bars, taste the perfect seafood, and have a luxurious vacation on a yacht sunbathing and watching dolphins.

Las Americas beaches

Las Americas beaches

Author: Mate Marschalko, flickr.com, CC BY 2.0

Las Americas attracts with perfect beaches of white sand brought here by the current from the Sahara area, and also the beaches of dark, volcanic sand. The coastline stretches for more than three kilometers, but swimming is allowed not everywhere. In certain spots, you may see small beaches with sharp stones and dirty water. But we know the perfect places where to swim and sunbathe in Las Americas.

Camison Beach is definitely the best beach in the whole city. There is soft light sand, transparent waves of the ocean roll onto the shore, and a fresh breeze blows, so you are almost guaranteed the most comfortable beach holiday. A sun lounger and an umbrella rental costs about 5 euros per day. Near the beach, there are kiosks selling beach accessories, cafes, bars, and food stores. Camison is an ideal beach for families with children because there are seldom big waves.

Las Americas Beach is also very popular because it is located in the very center of the city. The city promenade runs past the beach and also it is close to the best restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Most of the major hotels are also located near Las Americas Beach. And yet, it is more comfortable to swim on Camison, because on Las Americas you often come across rather sharp stones, and it is sometimes inconvenient to enter the water, and you can get hurt in the water in case you don't use special shoes. There are umbrellas and sun lounger rentals on the beach, you will find a lot of beach entertainment for adults and children.

Playa de Troya is another nice beach on the edge of the resort. The sand here is dark, there are no big waves and the descent into the water is quite comfortable. The beach is equipped with everything you need: there is a rental of sun loungers and umbrellas, cafes and bars, fresh water showers and restrooms, rental equipment for active recreation, and kiosks selling beach goods. There are usually not too many people at Troya Beach, so if you like a quiet holiday, this is the place for you.

Best things to do in Las Americas

Las Americas resort

Author: seeareelem @ Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

The shopping street Avenida de Las Americas stretches almost across the entire city from Camison Beach to Las Americas Beach. This street is also called the “Golden Mile”, because luxury brands stores are concentrated here: Chopard and Rolex, Gucci and Prada, in general, you can spend a lot of money here. There are, of course, more budget-friendly Zara, Mango and Ray-Ban. The Arcade Shopping Center is one of the best places for shopping in Tenerife. There you will find shops selling everything you can buy, stylish beauty salons, and a big supermarket. Also, there is a large courtyard planted with tropical plants where you will find cozy cafes and nice restaurants serving Canarian, Mediterranean, and European cuisine.

If you're strolling along the Golden Mile in the evening, go to the musical fountain, which shows light and music performances every evening.

Fans of water activities should go to the Siam Park water park, which is located in the neighboring city of Costa Adeje. “Neighboring city” sounds, of course, respectable, but in fact, the distance from Las Americas beach to the Siam Park water park is only two kilometers. Siam Park is the largest water park in Europe, where you will find the most modern slides, large swimming pools, an artificial river, water roller coasters, and a lot of other entertainment.

Where to stay in Las Americas

The four-star Sol Tenerife is located right next to Las Americas Beach. The neighboring beaches can be reached within 5-10 minutes. The hotel is located at the epicenter of tourist life. There are a lot of cafes, restaurants, and nightclubs nearby, and the promenade passes by the hotel. Guests are offered comfortable rooms with stunning views of the ocean. It offers swimming pools with spacious sunbathing terraces, a children's entertainment complex with animators, a beauty salon, sports grounds, a tennis court, and a restaurant.

The 4-star H10 Las Palmeras is located next to Las Americas Beach. It offers stylish rooms with balconies with perfect ocean and city views. The hotel has five restaurants, and several large swimming pools, including a children's pool, a children's entertainment club, a fitness center, and a tennis court.

The four-star H10 Conquistador is located by the sea, a two-minute walk from Las Americas beach, and a five-minute walk from Camison beach. Choose one of the stylish rooms with balconies overlooking the ocean, mountains, or palm-lined garden. The hotel has four restaurants, a large swimming pool, a spa, a gym, tennis courts, and entertainment for children.

The four-star Hotel Cleopatra Palace is located on Camison Beach. There is a beach on one side of the hotel, and on the other, there is a promenade, along which you can walk to neighboring beaches or even a neighboring resort, such as Los Cristianos. Here you will find beautiful rooms with large balconies offering wonderful views of the ocean and tropical garden. It features a swimming pool with a spacious sun terrace, a spa, sports grounds, and an entertainment center for children.

Costa Adeje resort

Costa Adeje resort

Author: TimOve @ flickr.com / CC BY 2.0

The city of Costa Adeje is one of the three most popular resorts in Tenerife. The first place goes to Las Americas, but the second and third belong to Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje.

Costa Adeje is located 90 km from the capital of Tenerife, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 82 km from Tenerife North Airport, and 16 km from Tenerife South Airport.

Costa Adeje flows into Las Americas, which in turn flows into Los Cristianos, thus forming one large resort where anyone can find everything they could wish.

This resort attracts guests with spacious beaches with golden sand, two water parks, one of which, Siam Park, is the largest in Europe, a long promenade lined with palm trees, elegant cafes and large hotels, and a pleasant atmosphere of relaxation.

Relatively speaking, the resort is divided into two parts, respectable and party. The party part is located closer to the city of Las Americas, here are the best nightclubs, beach clubs, bars, cafes, and parties until the morning. The respectable part is located near Playa del Duque beach. There are the most expensive hotels where you can sunbathe by the pool, sip a cocktail, and then leisurely walk along the promenade, admiring the flowers and listening to birdsong.

There are two water parks in Costa Adeje. The first is called Aqualand. It has about ten slides for adults and children, several pools, including a wave one, as well as spacious sunbathing terraces, bars, and cafes. The second water park, Siam Park, is larger and more interesting. The Siam Park water park has prepared for its guests more than 15 slides of various difficulty levels, from children's to super extreme, several large swimming pools, a huge children's area with pools and slides, as well as a lot of events that constantly take place on the territory of the water park. The most popular slides include free-fall slides, zero-gravity slides, and roller coasters.

Katamaran and boats regularly depart from the city port and take you to the neighboring island of La Gomera, located 70 km from the coast. This walk will take the whole day. Another interesting excursion is a meeting with dolphins and whales, which often swim into these waters. Well, you can rent a yacht and explore the entire southern coast of Tenerife.

Along the promenade that connects Costa Adeje with Las Americas and Los Cristianos, you can walk to the Golden Mile in Las Americas, visit the Arcade shopping center, have lunch in the shady garden, swim at Camison beach, where azure waves roll onto the golden sand, and in the evening have fun in a nightclub near Las Americas beach.

Costa Adeje beaches and resorts

costa adeje beaches

Author: Marc Ryckaert @ Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Costa Adeje has three large beaches: Playa del Duque, Playa Fanabe, and Playa de Torviscas. All three beaches have excellent facilities and a wonderful long promenade with the best restaurants and the most comfortable hotels.

Playa del Duque is in charge of a fashionable holiday. The beach has fine and very soft sand of a perfect yellow color. The beach is constantly cleaned, it has comfortable sun loungers, large umbrellas, a beach cafe with an outdoor terrace, and bars where delicious cocktails will be prepared for you.

Where to stay in Costa Adeje

The best hotel in Costa Adeje is called Tivoli La Caleta Resort. It is a couple of minutes' walk from the ocean. Here you will find luxurious rooms with ocean and garden views, the best restaurants, several bars, large pools and beautiful sun terraces, a spa, and amazing service.

Playa Fanabe and Playa Torviscas are one long beach separated by a breakwater. The sand here is darker than in Playa del Duque, but still clean and fine. Getting into the water is very convenient. The beach has everything you need for a good holiday: rental of sun loungers and umbrellas, fresh water showers and restrooms, beach cafes and bars, kiosks selling beach goods, rental of catamarans and scooters, play areas for children.

Los Olivos Beach Resort is located a short walk from the beach. There you can rent comfortable apartments with a kitchen. Guests can access ocean-view swimming pools, a gym, and a restaurant.

The three-star Sunset Harbor Club By Diamond Resorts is located on the oceanfront. The hotel is surrounded by a tropical garden with palm trees and flowers, and the windows overlook the ocean, mountains, and the city. Guests are offered spacious apartments for two, four, and six people. Each room has a balcony, and rooms on the ground floor even have their inner courtyard. The complex has a swimming pool with a sun terrace.

The small beach of Playa de la Pinta is located next to the city port. Even though people sometimes swim and sunbathe there, it is not the best choice for a holiday. The beach is quite dirty due to its proximity to the port, and you can cut yourself on sharp stones, so you need to go into the water very carefully or in special shoes. Better choose Fanabe, Torviscas, or del Duque beaches. 


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