Playa de las Americas ( Overview )Playa de las Americas is Tenerife's largest
tourist resort a great destination for cheap
holidays in the canaries, a purpose built
haven for holidaymakers of all ages who come
here for fun in the sun from all over the
world. The resort is situated in the south
of the island near the Reina Sofia Airport.
It has grown vastly during its 30 years of
existence and now covers three different
zones: the original
Playa de las Americas, San Eugenio and Toviscas. There are three
natural beaches in the resort area and three
man-made ones, all covered with dark volcanic
sand and extremely crowded during the summer
season.
The beaches are linked by a long promenade,
which winds along the busy waterfront, backed
by dozens of high-rise hotels and holiday
apartments.
A mini train runs around the resort
stopping at scheduled points every hour,
and there are plenty of free buses to assist
tourists in getting around, making the most
of the entertainment venues, shops and sports
facilities that abound las americas is one
of the very populas cheap holidays in the
canaries.
Don't expect to soak up any Canarian
culture while holidaying at Playa de las
Americas, but for those who enjoy the hullaballoo
of a packaged, carefree summer vacation,
the resort will exceed expectations a great
destination for cheap holidays in the canaries.
What To Do In Las Americas ( Activities )
NightlifeWith more nightclubs than some British cities,
Las Americas is a honey pot for those looking
for more of a nocturnal holiday. The area
known as The Patch is the best place to start
the evening; there is a fine choice of nightspots
and most have a happy hour or two.
The most popular are Rags and Linekers, dance
bars which play a good mix of Pop, R&B,
Dance and 80s party music. Many of the bars
have good live music, often with impersonators.
Later on the Veronicas complex and the Starco
Commercial Centre are the places to head
to, or avoid.
The streets are packed with revellers until
the early hours, particularly during the
busy summer months; Tramps is the largest
club on the island and very popular. There
are also two casinos at the resort.
ActivitiesLas Americas has entertainment for visitors
and holidaymakers of all ages including tennis
courts, amusement arcades, bowling, water
parks and go-carting, and all sorts of watersports
can be arranged from the beaches, from jet
skiing and windsurfing to scuba diving and
banana rides.
Bungee jumping can be done at the Sky Park
and visitors can swim with dolphins at the
Aqua Park. There is an 18-hole golf course
on the way to
Los Cristianos and horse and camel riding can be arranged
nearby. Boat trips leave regularly and bottlenose
dolphins and whales are often seen. Other
popular excursions include a trip to the
capital, Santa Cruz, and to the Mount Teide
National Park.
Things To See and Do
ShoppingThere is a vast array of shops in
Playa de las Americas and holidaymakers can indulge in duty-free
delights in the numerous electrical stores
and clothing shops. Shoppers should be aware
that salesmen can be quite aggressive - bargain
hard and remember that the shop next door
probably sells the same stuff.
The supermarkets offers most of the well-known
brands, many imported to cater for the British
tourists. Those in the mood for some haggling
should go to the Torviscas Market (Thursday
and Saturday from 10am); there are great
bargains to be had and it's great for
presents, but shoppers should get there early
as it can get very crowded. A trip to Santa
Cruz (one hour by bus) is worthwhile for
those looking for designer clothes.
RestaurantsPlaya de las Americas has top-rated restaurants
in which holidaymakers can dine, such as
El Molino Blanco, Vista Sur, Restaurante
Chino Yue Lai and Folias.
There are restaurants catering for every
taste; along the seafront are dozens of fast
food stalls and restaurants advertising English
breakfasts and Sky TV, and international
dishes of all varieties are also offered
including Indian, Chinese, some great pastas
and, of course, excellent tapas and local
Canary Islands cuisine.
Many of the better restaurants are
located in the Torviscas areas and in the
neighbouring resort of Los Cristianos. There
are also some nice restaurants overlooking
the marina in Puerto Colon.
Boat Trips from TenerifeThere are a huge number of companies offering
boat trips to tourists and these vary from
a 'booze cruise' on a cruiser offering
lunch, drinks and watersports to a trip around
the island on a sailing boat or catamaran.
One of the main attractions is the chance
to see whales and dolphins in the wild. Visitors
on most trips spot whales, while dolphins
are not so much of a certainty but are often
seen very close to the boat. Trips go from
either Puerto Colon in Playa de las Americas,
or from the port at Los Cristianos and most
operators offer a free bus service from the
larger hotels in the main resorts.
Big Game Fishing around TenerifeThe Canary Islands are one of the best spots
in the world for big game fishing and there
are a number of companies who offer fishing
trips in Tenerife. While blue marlin are
the most highly prized trophy fish, there
are plenty of other species including white
marlin, wahoo, dorado, yellowfin tuna, and
mako and hammerhead sharks. Regular catches
of blue marlin range from 331 to 496 pounds
(150 to 225kg).
BeachesWIth six beaches to chose from, holidays in playa de las americas are
most definitely based on a traditional beach
resort winning formula, with enough sand
to go around - even in high season. Three
of the beaches even feature golden sands
trucked in from the Sahara, a couple of hundred
miles to the east. Flanked by bars, shops
and restaurants, and lined with sunbeds,
shades, showers, watersports and pedalos
- these beaches are as entertainment and
facility-packed as the resort itself.
Popular Tenerife Resorts (And Cheap Holidays in the Canaries)Costa Adeje
Los Cristianos
Los Gigantes
Playa de la Arena
Playa de las Americas
Playa Paraiso
Puerto de la Cruz
Puerto de Santiago
