Callao Salvaje on the South Coast of Tenerife
The resort of Callao Salvaje is a few miles west of Las Americas and Los Cristianos and has one of the best and steadiest climates on the islands. It is in equal part residential and touristy. There is a small, basic beach, although there are plans afoot to upgrade it. There are quite a few bars and restaurants along the seafront and a couple of (over-priced) supermarkets.
It is very handy for the main resorts mentioned above, but is a much more peaceful and tranquil area. It is therefore great for those who want to be near the action but not stuck in the middle of it all the time.
I should point out that your humble author is perhaps a little biased as I lived in Callao Salvaje for several years and am very fond of it. Hope you like it too!
Moving a few miles along the coast is the resort of Playa Paraiso. This is a tourist resort through and through. In the main there are really just four high-rise hotels that populate the resort. There is a sort of beach-cum-pool that you have to pay a little to get into but it is very nice. The climate here is great and it is very handy for Las Americas and Los Cristianos, which are just a few minutes, drive away.
It is a lively little place at night with a selection of restaurants and bars on offer, some of which provide live music from the Las Americas cabaret circuit. There is also karaoke available, but then nowhere is perfect!
If you like your holidayays tranquilo you could do a lot worse than stay here.
A little further away, 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
