Los Cristianos, is a large modern holiday resort, which has grown around an old fishing village on the south-west corner of the coast of Tenerife in the Canary Islands [Islas Canarias] off the coast of Morocco, North Africa.
The Canaries enjoy a year-round climate of warm sunshine .... even when Europe freezes during winter months!! Rain does not last too long in Tenerife!
Los Cristianos may have began life as a fishing village, but in recent decades it has been transformed, along with its larger neighbour, Playa de las Americas, into the biggest, most popular resort area in Tenerife ... or indeed in the whole of the Canary Islands!
Playa de las Americas, especially, has been expanding for several miles, both northwards along the coast and inland, in recent years. The Fanabe Beach area on the north side of Playa de las Americas, is the newest part of the growing resort.
The older, Los Cristianos village area, is just south of Playa de las Americas, but now conjoined to it.
On a corner of the coast, between the two resorts, is one of the most up-market, well-planned parts of the whole resort area, with several excellent 4 and 5 star hotels, and beautifully designed self-catering complexes.
With hotels like the 5 star Mediterranean Palace and the 4 star Conquistador and Tenerife Princess, [amongst many other top class hotels] and high quality self-catering apartments like the Parque Santiago complexes, this area, in between Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas is an excellent place to stay.
It has good quality cafes, shops, bars and restaurants, as well, with spacious green areas, lined with palm trees.
It is also quiet at night and not dominated by loud music from every bar, like the crowded area near the Veronicas complex in the centre of Playa de las Americas.
The architecture of the former area is certainly an improvement on the centre of Playa de las Americas, which was built in the Sixties. It is also a very open, flat area, making it much easier for older holidaymakers and those in wheelchairs, to get about. Being it is on a corner of the coast, it is ideal for walking north towards the centre of Playa de las Americas and south along the promenade of Los Cristianos.
Los Cristianos has a long, sweeping promenade, lined with bars and restaurants, providing an abundant choice of places to eat and drink at very reasonable prices. Sitting outside the cafes and bars, watching the world go by, is one of the main past-times and pleasures at Los Cristianos.
Los Cristianos has a harbour, filled with fishing boats and pleasure craft. From here, you can take a boat to go dolphin or whale watching out at sea. It also has two fine sandy beaches; the larger Playa de los Cristianos and the smaller man-made Las Vistas Beach, protected by breakwaters.
There is a large choice of hotels, self-catering apartments and timeshare units, as the resort has expanded quite a distance inland during recent years.
Los Cristianos is also very conveniently located, with excellent, easy access along the TF1 Motorway, to the Tenerife South Airport [Tenerife Sur, TFS], known as Reina Sofia further east along the south coast.
The airport is about 25 miutes away. The island capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife is 45 minutes away on the north-east coast.
Half-way along the west coast, north of Playa de las Americas, is the beautiful resort of Los Gigantes, with its spectacular high cliffs.
This stunning resort is also growing rapidly in popularity. It is worth visiting for the scenery!!
Tenerife, with its wonderful, pleasantly warm year-round climate, has a great deal to offer its holidaymakers, especially those wishing to escape the worst of our northern European winters.