Los Cristianos Holiday Apartments

Introduction

There are many guides to Tenerife but here is a slightly different one. We hope it touches on a few things you might not find elsewhere.

Airport

There are two airports on Tenerife. The North Airport (Los Rodeos - TFN), and the South Airport (Reina Sofia - TFS). A large majority of international air traffic flies to the south.

The North Airport is nestled on the volcanic ridge above Santa Cruz. This airport traditionally serviced the popular destination of Puerto de la Cruz and the Capital City. It has long suffered from changeable mountain weather conditions, but with the evolution of ground radar and hi-tech aircraft navigation it has been given a new lease of life. The north airport is nowadays a favoured destination for island hoppers, cargo and mainland/local flights.

The South Airport is situated on the coast near the southern tip of the island. It is a large, modern international airport which was built in 1978 to service the increasingly popular southern resorts and relieve the congestion in the north. It compares favourably with many international airports.

For visitors the following may be useful.....

A taxi is the best way to get from the airports to the South. From the southern airport it takes around 20 minutes. From the northern airport the journey would take around 1.5 hours and is expensive.

There are also quite a few car hire firms at the southern airport, with their offices right outside the arrivals hall. The hire car lot is right outside the terminal, so you don't need to take a bus to your vehicle.

Should a luggage article not arrive, it will often arrive on the next plane from your point of departure. This will typically be on the same day or early next day. You will need to give the address of where you are staying to the counter inside the arrivals hall. When the item arrives, the airport will deliver it to the door of your accommodation free of charge.

Should you be flying from the north, it is advisable to plan a little extra time for the journey to the airport. Traffic congestion around Santa Cruz is common.

Lastly...It is essential to confirm the flight a day or two before you fly home. Flights do get moved and/or combined with others which often makes them stop rather than non-stop. Unfortunately the airline industry is one of the few remaining that risks treating customers like this. It is not common but it is not uncommon either.

Driving

Compared to many European countries, Tenerife is fairly harmless.
In the Canary Islands you'll drive on the right. For British visitors this may sound daunting on the face of it, but if you don't already know, the pedals, sticks and gauges are the same way round, and the only difference is that you change gear with your right hand. You'll be surprised how fast you get used to it.

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The majority of traffic laws will be familiar. There may be a few exceptions:

Seat belts must be worn in both front and back seats.

At some junctions you are allowed to turn right on a red light. This is indicated by a flashing arrow. If you use the arrow you will still have to watch out for crossing pedestrians.

There are two types of zebra crossing on the island. The official type with blue signs and the 'good place to cross' recommendation for pedestrians. Traffic is only obliged to stop at the first. It is advisable for pedestrians to take care when using a zebra crossing.

You must have both the car documents and your own on you at all times. If you are stopped by the traffic police they will want to see them. On the spot fines are normal for minor traffic offences, including for not having the documents.

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When getting around you may find the following advice useful.....

Tenerife is mountainous. It's best not to let the petrol get too low.

Petrol stations are abundant and the petrol is very cheap, but there are few high up on the mountain.

One thing to be careful of is that the acceleration lanes on the motorway are often short. This forces the joining traffic to barge its way in. If you see a joining slip road ahead, it is advisable, if possible, to move over to the left hand lane to give the joining traffic space.

Roundabouts are becoming more common on Tenerife, and are often replacing very confusing junctions. Roundabout discipline is unfortunately a little lacking. In general the inside lane is safest. Always be very careful.

Double parking is common around town. Should you be blocked in, just bib the horn a few times. The culprit will turn up fairly quickly.

The roads on the island are excellent, even high up on the mountain. The only thing worth mentioning is that many tourists set themselves the goal to "drive round the island today". There is a motorway from Playa de las Americas, through Santa Cruz all the way round to Puerto de la Cruz. The road after that is a quality B-Road but winds and climbs steeply before dropping down into Los Gigantes. This section requires an hour or two of solid concentration. The road from Los Gigantes to Las Americas is a wide A-Road.

And finally...The drive up the mountain is a must.

Climate

Approximate monthly temperatures in the Canaries
Jan :	22 °C / 72 °F	Feb :	22 °C / 72 °F	Mar :	22 °C / 72 °F	Apr :	23 °C / 73 °F
May :	24 °C / 75 °F	Jun :	24 °C / 75 °F	Jul :	25 °C / 77 °F	Aug :	27 °C / 81 °F
Sep :	26 °C / 79 °F	Oct :	26 °C / 79 °F	Nov :	24 °C / 75 °F	Dec :	23 °C / 73 °F

Meteosat	South Tenerife Current Temperature

There is no doubt that the Canaries or "Fortunate Islands" have a beautiful climate. It is hardly ever too hot or cold; even in highest summer or deepest winter. The heat is dry, so even on warmer days people find they feel comfortable. Many visitors find this particularly inviting.

Tenerife has lots of different climate zones due to its mountainous nature. The South is sunny and dry. It hardly ever rains. The Northern flank of the island is more tropical (sun, some rain and more cloud). The Mountaintop is temperate. In Winter it snows in the crater and the roads are often closed. In Spring and Autumn the crater can be chilly, and in Summer it gets very warm. The weather can also change very quickly and parts of the island can be windy. Taking a selection of clothes on a trip is advisable.

Health

The strength of the sun in the Canaries often causes visitors problems. The dry heat dehydrates people surprisingly quickly, especially if combined with a few "drinks" and/or a couple of coffees. Drinking lots of water on top of everything else avoids problems. Typical initial symptoms of dehydration are weakness, headaches and dizziness.

The Islands are 900Kms south of Europe, and the sun is much stronger. You can even get burnt on a cloudy day or in winter. It's not hard to get a nice tan - if you use a strong sun block, your first layer of skin will be a nice colour when you go home.

Unlike many more southern areas of Africa there are none of the common tropical diseases in the Canaries, so preventive measures are not required before a visit.

The tap water on Tenerife is a reasonable quality due to being filtered through volcanic rock at the top of the mountain. Unfortunately this filtration process also makes the water very hard. It probably won't give you the "tum" and is fine for a cup of tea but bottled water is generally best.

Should anything occur there are many good doctors in the resorts as well as local well equipped hospitals. Treatment will be charged to your health insurance and the doctor/hospital will need your details. (bring an E111 as a backup.)

There are also many chemists around. Prescription drugs can be bought over the counter without a prescription, which makes it easy to replace forgotten or lost medication. The chemists also sell other useful products from sun cream to baby food. The assistants will usually go out of their way to understand and help you.

Beaches

Tenerife does not naturally have wide long beaches. Typically the beaches are sandy coves and inlets. Pebble beaches are also common. The sand varies from dark volcanic to rich gold, as on the unusually large natural town beach at Los Cristianos.

The Town Beach at Los Cristianos was always very popular, but due to the expansion of the resort it was decided to build a large new beach adjacent to the harbour. The result is the fabulous Playa de las Vistas.

Completed in 1997 with fine pale sand from the Sahara, Las Vistas is very wide and around 1 Km long. It has a shallow gradient at the shore, which makes it ideal for kids and non-swimmers. It is without doubt the best beach on the island and has a European "Blue Flag" status. Not surprisingly it is very popular, but being so big is never overly full.

A similar project has been planned for the yet sparsely developed eastern (Guaza Mountain) end of Los Cristianos. The construction start is however on hold.

For visitors who are keen on water sports, there are no lack of opportunities. Windsurfing, Parascending, jet skis, Pedalos etc. are all available.

On Tenerife generally, the latitude of the island makes all year round bathing and sunbathing possible. Even in winter the cooler ocean is still a pleasant bathing temperature, for sunbathers though, the strength of the winter sun should not be underestimated.

Trips

Many guides cover the various excursions and attractions on Tenerife, so here is a simple list of the more popular ones and approximately where they can be found. Our Links page has a little more information on some of the trips listed below, and the towns can be found on our Maps page.

Attractions

Loro Parque - Puerto de la Cruz
Siam Park - Playa de las Americas
Jungle (Eagle) Park - Los Cristianos
Aqualand - Playa de las Americas
Camel Park - Los Cristianos
Los Cristianos Market (Sundays 09:00 - 14:00)

There are many ticket kiosks around town. Buying tickets for the theme parks and trips at these booths is often a bit cheaper than on the gate. Another advantage is that you can jump the queue at the gate with a ticket. The current prices for these attractions can be found through our links page.

Many of the attractions have free buses from the various resorts. The pick-up points can be found on the attraction flyers.

Excursions and Sight Seeing

Mount Teide - Main Crater 2300m - Pico del Teide 3715m
Whale Watching - Los Cristianos / South Tenerife
La Gomera - Los Cristianos
Guimar Pyramids - Santa Cruz
Los Gigantes
Masca - Los Gigantes
Flower Festival (Corpus Christi - late April) - La Orotava (Puerto de la Cruz)
Dragon Tree - Icod de los Vinos (Puerto de la Cruz)
El Medano - South Airport
Barranco del Inferno - Adeje

Tenerife has some spectacular sights. The Teide National Park, which covers most of the 20Km wide main crater, is definitely worth a visit. There are also many walking/hiking routes through the high forest and volcanic ravines.

Many of these sights are off the beaten track. A hire car is usually the best way to explore the island, although the public bus system does reach right up the mountain.

A day trip to La Gomera from the port of Los Cristianos is a popular excursion for visitors. La Gomera does not have an international airport, making the Los Cristianos Ferry the best way to get there. If you don't want to plan a visit yourself, you can buy a day trip package which includes the ferry, food and sight seeing bus. The port of Los Cristianos also runs shuttle ferries to the islands El Hierro and La Palma. The ferry times and prices can be found through our Links page.

The capital, Santa Cruz, is a mixture of old world architecture and modern commercial centre. The old town has many parks, churches, street cafes and tapas bars, as well as a labyrinth of narrow allies to be explored. The harbour is huge. It is visited by many famous cruise ships, and is a stop off point for freight and other vessels sailing to and from the Americas.

Sports

That all popular sports are available goes without saying. Many complexes have their own tennis, squash, mini-golf etc. facilities. Even if yours doesn't, you can hire an hour or two at the reception of those that have.

Being an Atlantic island of volcanic origin, Tenerife provides good opportunities for some sports in particular....

The common high cliffs and moderate wind make for favourable paragliding conditions, and the Atlantic waves are enjoyed by surfers and wind surfers alike.

The mountain is a popular destination for walkers, hikers, cyclists and rock climbers.

Sailing is very popular, and there are many scuba diving schools and opportunities around.

Although the large majority of Tenerife is not naturally green, there are beautiful golf courses on the island. In the south of the island alone there are 3 international standard Golf courses, including the 18 hole courses at Los Cristianos and Adeje.

The seabed off Tenerife drops to around a depth of 400 meters a few hundred meters from the shore. This makes it ideal for deep sea fishing. There are many harbours along the South-western flank of the island where sport fishing boats can be chartered. They carry all the tackle and bait you could possibly need, including electric reels and lures etc. for the big catch. Tuna, Marlin, Bonito, Wahoo and many other game fish are common close in shore. A trip can usually be arranged directly in the harbour.

Money

The currency on Tenerife is the Euro. There are change kiosks, often combined with ticket kiosks, on every other street corner and the change rates are pretty standard. The best exchange rate is for changing cash.

Credit Cards are accepted just about everywhere. If you want to use a credit card, you will often have to show Photo ID. This is generally the case in supermarkets, although not so common elsewhere.

Restaurants & Bars

Dining out is a definite highlight of the island. The steak and fish dishes are unparalleled, and what's more very reasonably priced, so you can eat out often without breaking the bank.

A favourite local specialty is spicy Canarian chicken with Canarian potatoes and Ali-oli sauce. The potatoes are small, salty and very tasty. The sauce spicy hot.

If you are looking for a snack, there are the usual burger houses around town. As an alternative though, many bars do a great snack menu.

Quality wines are not hard to find for a reasonable price. The house wine is generally a reasonable quality. Don't be surprised if it arrives in a carafe and looks a little cloudy. Many house wines really are made locally in the hills and are transported in casks.

There is no official closing time for the bars and restaurants on Tenerife. Usually they close when there are no more guests. The clubs are open until 4 am. in Playa de Las Americas. The bars in Los Cristianos are instructed to keep the noise down after midnight, as it is more residential.

Very reasonably priced English Breakfast is available in every other bar and restaurant before midday, and in some bars all day. Unless specifically listed, coffee is not included in the breakfast. If you order one, it could cost almost as much as the meal.

Smoking on bar terraces is allowed, but not always inside. The establishments declare themselves as smoking or non-smoking on the door.

The tax is usually included in the menu price of the meal. If not, you will probably find 5% I.G.I.C. added to the bill.

Tipping for table service is normal. 10% or a few Euros on a big bill is usual.

Shopping

Firstly something hardly worth mentioning since it is common in many countries. Brand Name Electronics, Clothes, Shoes etc. are often not what they seem. This does not mean that it is not possible to buy the genuine article, but not usually for a quarter of the price. In the case of electronics, if it’s cheap it is probably an old model. You probably can’t get the spare parts for it any longer. You will also have a problem with the guarantee if the article is not the real thing.

Another point is the need to haggle occasionally. Particularly electrical and leather goods tend to be quoted at hugely inflated prices, and it’s up to you to get the price down. As a rule of thumb, buying the article for half the original quote or less is okay, but you may have to haggle them down over a few days to get this far.

There is no lack of large supermarkets on the island. Typically the larger ones are at the back of town or on the motorway. The large supermarkets are comparable to the smaller ones in price, depending on what you want, but the small on complex shops are usually a good bit more expensive.

There are no restrictions on which days tourist shops may open, and supermarkets are often open on Sunday. Many smaller shops practice "siesta" between app. 13:00 and 16:30, but this practice is generally coming to an end.

The closing hours of the shops vary. Usually the shops around town close around 21:00. On religious festivals and fiestas, of which there are many in the Canaries, most shops stay closed. Even this is changing with the event of 24hr mini-markets and garages, but it is advisable to check for signs on the doors of the shops to prevent being caught out by a bank holiday.

Santa Cruz provides many shopping opportunities. Everything from back street 'brik a brak' shops to exclusive department stores can be found in and around the city.

Finally Duty Free shopping... Although the Canaries are considered to be part of Spain, they are not full members of the E.U. This means that various European trade laws don't apply. The Duty Free Allowance is -

- 200 cigarettes; or 100 cigarillos; or 50 cigars; or 250 gms of tobacco
- 2 liters of still table wine
- 1 liter of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22 percent volume; or 2 liters of fortified wine, sparkling wine or other liqueurs
- 60cc/ml of perfume
- 250cc/ml of toilet water
- 145 Pounds Sterling worth of all other goods including gifts and souvenirs

Touts

An irritant of many resorts. They are not the scourge they used to be and will usually take "No Thanks" for an answer. They do tend to make a beeline for the paler and obviously newly arrived visitors. Your best protection is a suntan.

There are also the "PRs" with leaflets for bars and restaurants. They generally don't try the hard sell.

A Canarian phenomenon is the "Looky Looky" men. These are Africans and Orientals who sell watches, sunglasses and trinkets. They approach your restaurant/bar table to show you their wares. Unless you are interested, the best way to discourage them is with a few firm polite "No Thanks". They can be quite persistent.

Wildlife

There is nothing dangerous on Tenerife. There are no snakes, malicious bugs or parasites. You may see the occasional gecko (lizard) but it is completely harmless.

There are very few mosquitoes on Tenerife. Being bitten in the south (without protection) is unusual. One reason for this is that the island does not have any surface water. The volcanic rock acts like a giant sponge. The water in the resorts is piped from reservoirs at the top of the mountain (where it rains regularly), or from desalination works. Another reason is that the dry climate deposits very little dew on the foliage and dries any puddles out quickly. These factors make it practically impossible for the mosquitoes to breed. There are more of these pests in the "tropical" north of the island, but compared to most places these are still negligible. Visitors greatly appreciate the rarity of mosquitoes on Tenerife.

There are also very few flies and other winged insects. This probably has more to do with cleanliness than the climate, but generally the dryness of the island does not provide a habitable environment for most animals/insects.

A common feature of south Tenerife are flocks of parrots and parakeets. They are not native to the Canaries and are presumably escaped pets from some time in the past, which does not make them less impressive.