Golf Del Sur on the South Coast of Tenerife
The resort of Golf Del Sur, or The Golf as it is referred to locally, consists of a 27-hole golf course, around which snakes a 3km ring road, with several holiday resorts and residential areas scattered throughout. It is touted in some circles as being more upmarket than, say, Las Americas. I suppose this is because there are a lot of golfers around.
There is little here of any real interest beyond a round of golf, so you will generally find less of the lager lout types here. In fact, it can be frustratingly windy in this area for much of the year. There is also no decent beach for miles around (although there are plans afoot to build one).
Golf del Sur seems to be particularly popular with Irish visitors and there is a nice Irish pub on Golf del Sur, serving one of the best pints on the island. Looking at the area as a whole, you will find little other than British and Irish visitors and residents (and of course a few Spanish) on Golf del Sur. The San Blas commercial centre is the hub of Golf Del Sur's nightlife and seems to be undergoing a bit of a revival, with some of the empty commercial units being reopened during 2007/2008. San Blas has a few souvenir-type shops, a couple of supermarkets and a selection of mainly English and Spanish bars and restaurants.
There is a local bus services linking Golf Del Sur to Santa Cruz, Las Americas and other places, but I would say that if you were staying in this area you would ideally need a hire car to make the most of your holiday.
Along the coast from Golf del Sur, the resort of El Medano is kind of in the middle of nowhere (assuming you don't include being right next to the airport runway as being 'somewhere'). If you're after nightlife, then you'll find yourself around 15 miles from Las Americas and looking at a fairly hefty taxi bill each night. For some, El Medano's comparative remoteness from the run-of-the-mill tourist areas is, in itself, part of the attraction.
It is an area popular with Spanish and Germans and is not a traditional holiday resort. By this I mean that there is little entertainment laid on for tourists, apart from boat/sea-related activities (no surprise, considering that the village is basically an old fishing port) such as fishing and diving. It can be very windy here - witness the large number of windsurfers who flock to the beach on the edge of town. Indeed they have held international windsurfing tournaments here.
There is limited, basic tourist accommodation in town and in a couple of hotels on the outskirts. Although there is no nightlife to speak of, there is a quaint square in the town centre where you can sit outside and sup a cold beer in a more relaxing atmosphere than you'll probably find in the major resorts.
About the Author:
Andrew is a freelance travel writer with Islas Travel Guide
