Playa de las Américas has the great merit of pleasing visitors of every kind. This strip of golden sand lapped by crystal-clear waters is located in southern Tenerife between the municipalities of Adeje and Arona, although it mainly belongs to the former. The whole area is known by the same name and is one of the most important tourism hubs on the island, lying next to famous holiday destinations such as Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje. Tenerife in the Canary Islands has endless year-round tourist activities to tempt you and some of its best features are its wonderful temperatures (meaning the beaches can be enjoyed at any time of the year), lush nature, great food and excellent hotel infrastructure.
What is Playa de las Américas like?
The Playa de las Américas tourism hub has four artificial beaches for visitors to enjoy that were created using golden sand shipped in straight from the Sahara Desert in Africa. Together these beaches are known as the Playas de las Américas and they stretch out for over a kilometre. Each has its own name: Tierra Negra, El Bobo, Las Américas and Troya. However, they’re not identical. The Las Américas beach stands out for its size as it’s almost 500 metres long and 60 metres wide.
One of the features that tourists most appreciate when they visit this coastline are the services on offer. There’s no need to bring a beach umbrella or sun lounger with you because you can hire them on the beach, and you’ll also find showers, shops and plenty of bars, cafés and restaurants. Further services on the beach include access for people with disabilities, a lifeguard service and children’s play areas.
Playa de las Américas with the family
If you’re travelling to Tenerife with children, the Playa de las Américas area has everything you could need for the holiday that has it all. You’ll find numerous hotels and apartments, shops selling anything you might need and terraces where you can put your feet up and enjoy a delicious ice cream. The beach, always the best children’s playground, has been adapted to enable access for people with disabilities and has lifeguards to assist you if necessary.
The Costa Adeje coastline boasts up to 14 beaches and the sand on each has a different texture and colour so you can try something new every day. The water temperature is around 24 degrees all year round making it perfect for family holidays.
Another great idea is spending a day at Siam Park, about 5 minutes from Playa de las Américas. It’s considered to be one of the best water parks in the world and the numerous rides are set in a theme park inspired by Thai culture—it does an excellent job of recreating temples and other Asian constructions.
Partying and fun
The ocean is the star attraction of Playa de las Américas during the day, but when the sun goes down relaxing promenades become a backdrop to wild dancing. During the night, the spotlight turns on an area known as Las Verónicas where nightclubs, cabarets and bars with live music shows are the big draw. Tourists staying in other areas of the island head here for a night out so there are a huge number of different leisure options of this type on offer. It’s clear that the daytime and evening vibes are completely different. If you love being in the thick of things and don’t want to drive a car during your holidays, this area is definitely the place for you to stay.
Leisure: water sports and golf
Holidays are usually a time for resting and also doing some sports. If you’re the sort of person who likes to make the most of your trip by getting in touch with nature, Playa de las Américas has a wide range of water sports for you to enjoy, including some that will get the adrenaline pumping such as water skiing and windsurfing. If you know how to scuba dive then you’ll have fun exploring Tenerife’s ocean floor. And if you’ve never tried this sport, you have the chance to dive for the first time here, as there are lots of diving schools in Costa Adeje.
Tenerife is also a privileged location for whale watching, so get ready to spot pilot whales, dolphins and other mammals who live in these safe waters. Experts often describe this environment as the best aquarium in the world because it’s almost impossible to take a boat trip without spotting some cetaceans.
If you’re travelling with the family, let yourself be tempted onto a pirate ship excursion or book a seat on a yellow submarine—experiences you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
Golf fans don’t have to travel far. Golf Las Américas is an 18-hole golf course dotted with lakes, offering spectacular views and fantastic greens. Another course that will interest golfers is Golf del Sur in San Miguel de Abona, where you can also check if your technique is up to speed.
Costa Adeje: a wealth of tourist attractions
Costa Adeje, where the Playa de las Américas tourism hub is mainly located, is part of Adeje, which is the sixth largest municipality on the island and has an inland town centre. Just a few decades ago it would have been hard to imagine that the historic town of Adeje, with monuments such as the Fort House and Saint Ursula Church, would have been eclipsed by its coastline. However, today Costa Adeje is one of Tenerife’s biggest successes in terms of hotel infrastructure and tourist services.
While it’s highly tempting to spend your days lying on the beach and enjoying the long nights, we’re going to recommend discovering the area’s impressive nature. Don’t miss spectacular settings such as the Barranco del Infierno—a Special Nature Reserve and the start of a 6-km (round trip) hiking route with incredible views—and the Caldera del Rey.
Finally, after your intense days of holiday fun around Playa de las Américas, set aside some time for a relaxing afternoon by the ocean and wait patiently for the sun to go down because this area boasts some of the most stunning sunsets on the island.
