Things To Do in Los Cristianos

A spendaholics’ paradise, Los Cristianos has independent boutiques and high street stores along the main high street, Avenida de Suecia. And the good news is it’s all duty-free. If you’re looking for a more authentic shopping experience, try out the Sunday market next to the Arona Gran Hotel where you’ll find hand-embroidered fabrics and exquisite jewellery at unbeatable prices.

This place looks just the way a good tapas bar should – a glass counter for the dishes of the day, a fridge full of wines, and giant legs of jamon serrano hanging from the rafters. The ham is a bit pricier than the stuff you’ll find elsewhere, but the owner, Paco, doesn’t settle for second best. And make sure you taste the sangria – it’s made to a family recipe that’s been perfected over several generations.

Los Cristianos may not be as boisterous as its neighbour, Playa de las Americas, but its nightlife is getting better and better. Along the waterfront, there’s an array of pubs, live music venues and karaoke bars. But those in the know head for the San Telmo Shopping Centre behind Playa Las Vistas. Here you’ve got a more upmarket selection of cocktail bars, plus a reggae club and a couple of salsatecas where you can try out your fancy footsteps on the locals.

This wildlife haven a 10-minute taxi ride from the seafront is filled with gibbons, chimps and lemurs. Unlike most zoos, you can actually get in the cages with the animals. You’ll want to stock up on fruit before you get there – the monkeys go crazy for bananas, while the lemurs prefer grapes and apples. And don’t leave until you’ve had your photo taken with the little squirrel monkeys – these animals are so adorable, you’ll want to smuggle one out under your t-shirt.

With an eclectic mix of French bistros, Italian pizzerias and British restaurants serving full roasts on Sunday, you’re never stuck for places to eat in Los Cristianos. But while you’re here, make sure you pay a visit to a local tapas restaurant. Share a plate of chorizo, some patatas bravas, a slice of tortilla, and a dish called pescados y mariscos – literally, fish and seafood. Tenerifans usually go for a glass of locally produced Rioja with their meal, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t, too.

This manmade curl of sand may be the town’s smaller beach, but it doesn’t play second fiddle. If you’re a get-up-and-go type, there are jet-skis, water bikes and banana boats for the taking. And it’s got a great beach bar, too, where you can get mojitos and tasty snacks. The water’s perfect for paddling – in fact, it’s so shallow you can even wade across the sea into neighbouring Playa de las Americas.

A little sanctuary of a bar tucked into a side street behind Playa de las Vistas, Café 5 has just a handful of wicker chairs and wrought-iron tables on its terrace. It does an excellent line in iced coffees, topped with whipped cream and wafer cigars. And for all you wine connoisseurs, their cellar is stocked with hard-to-find Tenerife vintages.