Back in the 60s of the last century, Los Cristianos (Tenerife) was a simple fishing village, the name of which meant nothing even to the most avid travelers. However, over time, the situation has changed – thanks to the unique climate and excellent weather, it has become one of the most visited resorts in the Canary Archipelago.
General information
Los Cristanos is a small tourist town located 18 km from El Aeropuerto Tenerife Sur Reina Sofia and 78 km from the island’s capital city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Geographically, it belongs to the municipality of Arona and is a logical extension of Playa de las Americas, one of the most famous resorts in the Canary Islands. The borders between these cities are so blurred that it is almost impossible to understand where one ends and the other begins.
Unlike its noisy neighbor, Los Cristanos has a quiet and peaceful atmosphere that is suitable for older people and couples with children. There are no loud discos, there is silence at night, so young people come very rarely. Among other things, there are good conditions for tourists with disabilities.
Conventionally, the resort can be divided into 2 parts – western and eastern. The first is the Old Town, whose authentic architecture dates back to the first half of the 16th century. The second is a modern tourist area with many boutiques, shops, hotels, cafes, restaurants and other infrastructure facilities. Both parts are very clean and well-groomed, “decorated” with neatly trimmed trees and lawns with juicy green grass.
According to 2017 data, about 20 thousand people live in Los Cristianos, but the number of people coming here is several times higher than the local population. Interestingly, the high season at the resort lasts almost all year round. The” blame ” for this is the pleasant warm weather, which contributes to a full-fledged beach holiday.
Attractions and entertainment
Judging by the reviews of Los Cristianos in Tenerife, there are not many attractions and attractions in this town, but those that are available deserve special attention of visitors.
Monkey Park Menagerie
The Monkey Park Zoological Garden, located in the southern part of Tenerife, was founded in 1991 to study the life of primates. Despite its rather modest size and small number of permanent residents, it is incredibly popular among tourists. The reason for this is the contact concept, which allows visitors to interact closely with wild animals.
The territory of the park is decorated with beautiful landscape compositions made in an ethnic style. There are rough stone fences, plank bridges, and unusual wooden palisades, and even a small river in which African crocodiles swim. All the fences and bars are hidden behind lush green thickets, surrounded by palm trees, cacti, dracaenas, milkweeds and other exotic plants that only enhance the natural atmosphere of the park.
As for the inhabitants themselves, on the territory of Monkey Park live not only monkeys, but also guinea pigs, toucans, iguanas, monitor lizards, colorful parrots and other animals. However, the greatest favorites of the public can be called cat and mongoose lemurs, which are distinguished by a very peculiar character. If the animal shows interest and makes contact with the person itself, you can pet it, feed it, put it on your shoulder, or even put your arm around it. If the lemurs are not in the mood, it is better not to touch them – they can bite painfully. By the way, it is better to bring treats for the inhabitants of the menagerie with you – they simply do not pay attention to guests with empty hands.
- Location: Camino Moreque-Llano Azul, N. 17, 38627 Los Cristianos, Arona.
- Official website: http://monkeypark.com.
- Opening hours: Sun – Sat from 09: 30 to 16: 00.
Cost of the session:
- Adult – 10€;
- Children’s – 5€.
Port of Los Cristianos
The seaport, located between Las Vistas and Los Cristianos, was opened in the first half of the 16th century. In those early days, this was a small bay designed to transport salt, lime and various agricultural products. After 400 years, in 1927, the first pier was built on this site, which was officially recognized only in 1964. After several major renovations, Los Cristianos Harbour turned into one of the most popular ports on the island of Tenerife. Now it is managed by the port service of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and passenger transportation is provided by 2 large companies at once-Naviera Armas and Fred Olsen Express.”
Currently, the port of Los Cristianos offers boat trips to the neighboring islands of La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro. Among other things, on the territory of the marina you can get a lot of additional services (paid Parking, recreation area, bar-restaurant, ticket sales, car rental, etc.).
Location: Muelle de Pescadores, 38650 Los Cristianos, Arona.
Siam Park Water Park in Adeje
Siam Park, which cost 52 million euros to build, can be called without exaggeration one of the largest water parks in Europe. On the vast territory planted with dense vegetation, there are a huge number of high-speed water attractions, restaurants with national cuisine, outdoor pools and even private beaches with umbrellas and sun beds. The interior of Siam Park resembles a traditional Thai city, the buildings of which are smaller copies of the most famous ancient sights of Thailand.
- Location: Avenida Siam / Autopista del Sur TF-1 Exit 73, 38660, Adeje.
- Official website: www.siampark.net
- Opening hours: Sun – Sat from 10: 00 to 18: 00.
Cost of the session:
- Adult – 57€;
- Children’s – 41€.
A more detailed description of the park with photos and all the nuances of visiting is provided on this page.
Los Cristianos Beaches
The coastline of Los Cristianos (Tenerife), stretching along the Atlantic coast for as much as 3 km, is divided between 4 large beaches. But if some of them, Playa de Los Tarajales and Playa de Callao, are absolutely wild and suitable only for being alone with nature and fishing, then others, Playa de Los Cristianos and Playa de las Vistas, have all the elements of beach infrastructure.
Playa de los Cristianos
A natural beach that belongs to the port’s water area. Length-400 m, width-about 100 m, covering-dark volcanic sand. On the territory there is everything you need for a good rest – children’s areas, cafes and restaurants, showers, taps for washing your feet, toilets, changing rooms, a point for renting sun beds, etc. There is a beach volleyball court and plenty of opportunities for water sports. True, Playa de los Cristianos has almost no waves due to the breakwater fountain installed near the shore, so you are unlikely to be able to surf or go sailing. But here you can get a beautiful tan – good weather only favors this.
Playa de las Vistas
Semi-circular artificial beach located near Las Americas. Length-1 km, width – 60 m. Covered with light yellow sand, it is in demand not only among visitors, but also among local residents. There are almost no waves here either, and the water warms up quickly and evenly, which makes it a good place for families with children. The beach infrastructure is no different from the previous version. There is also a bus stop and a small parking lot in the immediate vicinity of Playa de las Vistas.
Both recreation areas are free of charge, and only additional services are charged. Almost along the entire coastline stretches a picturesque pedestrian embankment, made in the style of “Back to the 70s”. And most importantly, thanks to the good weather in Los Cristianos (Tenerife)
, you can come here almost at any time of the year.
Adeje Beaches
The beaches of Adeje, a neighboring village located just 10.5 km from Los Cristianos, are equally popular with vacationers. You can reach them both by taxi and by Titsa shuttles departing from the city bus station.
Las Americas Beaches
Another option is the beaches of Las Americas, 20 km from El Aeropuerto Tenerife Sur Reina Sofia. On the territory of this town there are 8 free recreation areas, among which there are both natural and artificial ones. On any of these beaches, you can have a snack, rent an umbrella or sun lounger, ride bananas, jet skis or catamarans, and in the absence of a breakwater – even on a windsurfing board. The main hangout place of Las Americas is Playa Troya, the quietest and most peaceful is Playa del Camison, and the longest is Playa Fañabe / Torviscas.
Settlement infrastructure
Being one of the most visited places in Tenerife, Los Cristianos has all the necessary tourist infrastructure. On the territory of this small town you can find a huge number of cafes/bars/restaurants and various shops offering goods for every taste and budget. Among them, special attention should be paid to the Vistasur shopping center, a huge shopping center located right on the city’s embankment, and the Sunday fair of local craftsmen, held near the Arona Gran Hotel from 09: 00 to 14: 00 in any weather.
Accomodation
Housing in the resort is represented quite widely – there are both expensive hotel complexes and ordinary hotels of the “tomorrow-bed” type, designed for the average person. Most of the hotels are located in the eastern, tourist, part of Los Cristianos. If you want to stay in the Old Town, opt for private apartments – there are very few hotels there.
Transport
You can get to Los Cristianos by sea or by land. In the first case, you should take a ferry or boat to the local port. The second option is to fly to one of Tenerife’s airports, and from there get to the resort by bus (No. 111, 450 and 343 – from the South and No. 343-from the North). The bus station is located at the address: Juan Carlos I Avenue.
You can move around the city itself either on foot or by Titsa buses, which depart every 30-60 minutes depending on the day of the week and route number. You should only use the services of this company if the destination is located more than 3 km from your place of stay (Costa Adeje, Playa de Las Americas, etc.). But shorter distances are better to overcome along the coastline, equipped with decking for walking.
Entertainments
As for entertainment, there are not so many of them in Los Cristianos: the beach, boat trips in the port, an evening promenade along the picturesque city embankment, an excursion to the extinct volcano, as well as a visit to the Vinter Sol medical spa, water park and menagerie. There are no discos or night clubs in this resort. The only exception is Playa de las Vistas, where you can find several dance bars in the surrounding area, which are open until late in the evening. If you get bored, go to the Golden Mile, the tourist area of Playa de las Americas, which can be reached not only by taxi, but also on foot.
Read also: What to see and do in Tenerife?
Weather and climate: when is the best time to arrive?
The weather in Los Cristianos, located in the subtropical climate zone, allows you to come here at any time of the year. The hottest month is August – the air temperature at this time is from +28 to 30 ° C, and the water in the Atlantic Ocean warms up to +23 ° C. The coldest is February, when the thermometer drops to a comfortable 20-23ºC.
The high tourist season in Tenerife falls on July-August. At this time, the resort is quite crowded, and prices for accommodation and entertainment are reaching their peak, so you are unlikely to be able to save on vacation. It should also be noted that sometimes in the Canary Islands there are hot winds “Kalima”, which originate in Africa and create an impenetrable sand fog. In most cases, this phenomenon falls on the summer period, but this is not always the case.
Useful tips
When going to Los Cristianos, Tenerife, take note of a few simple but very useful recommendations:
- When choosing a hotel, pay attention to the markings. Those that are only suitable for adults are marked “Adults only”. Unlike hotels designed for families, they do not have children’s pools, playgrounds, animators, or other necessary facilities.
- To save on the commission charged for currency conversion, change your money at home.
- The rainy season in each part of Tenerife falls on different time periods, so before traveling to Los Cristianos, do not forget to check the weather data.
