Last updated: September 2026
Los Cristianos holidays offer one of the most relaxed and authentic resort experiences on Tenerife.
The oldest established resort on the island, Los Cristianos grew up around a genuine working fishing harbour and ferry port rather than being purpose-built for tourism — a distinction that gives it a character entirely its own.
Where neighbouring Playa de las Américas offers the full commercial resort experience, Los Cristianos holidays deliver a more traditional atmosphere with a loyal, largely British and Scandinavian visitor base that returns year after year.
The resort sits in the sun-drenched southern corner of Tenerife, sheltered from the north’s trade wind clouds by the island’s central mountain range. Sun is reliable here in every month of the year.
Los Cristianos holidays are particularly well suited to older couples, families seeking a quieter base and those wanting easy ferry access to the neighbouring islands of La Gomera and La Palma.
Los Cristianos holidays consistently attract visitors who have moved on from the livelier Playa de las Américas and are looking for a quieter, more genuine resort atmosphere. The town has a settled, lived-in feel that purpose-built resorts simply cannot replicate.
The pace here is noticeably slower. The promenade around the harbour is a genuine gathering place for residents and visitors alike, lined with cafes and restaurants that serve both locals and tourists without the aggressive touts found in more commercial resort areas.
Los Cristianos holidays benefit from the same outstanding southern Tenerife sunshine as Playa de las Américas and Costa Adeje, but at a generally lower price point. All-inclusive hotels here represent excellent value, and the town has a good range of self-catering apartments for independent travellers.
The ferry port makes Los Cristianos holidays exceptional for island exploration. Regular Fred. Olsen and Naviera Armas services connect to La Gomera (35 minutes) and La Palma, opening up two of the Canary Islands’ most beautiful and least-visited destinations from a single base.
The compact size of Los Cristianos is another appeal. Everything — beaches, harbour, restaurants, shops and taxi rank — is within easy walking distance from virtually any hotel or apartment in the resort.
Los Cristianos has two main beaches serving the resort. Playa de los Cristianos is the closer of the two — a crescent of golden-brown sand sheltered by the harbour arm, calm and well-protected from Atlantic swell.
It is particularly good for young children thanks to its shallow, gentle entry into the water.
Playa Las Vistas is a longer, broader beach immediately adjacent, stretching towards the border with Playa de las Américas. This beach has more open exposure and better watersports facilities — paddleboarding, kayaking and pedalo rental are all available throughout the season.
Both beaches are backed by a broad promenade that connects the two resort areas, lined with beach bars, ice cream kiosks and restaurants at regular intervals. Sunbeds and parasols are available for hire across both beaches.
The water quality on both Los Cristianos beaches is excellent — the Atlantic here is clean, clear and notably warm for a north Atlantic location, reaching 24°C at peak summer and remaining above 20°C well into October.
The working harbour is the heart of Los Cristianos and the feature that most distinguishes it from neighbouring resorts. Fishing boats, ferry vessels and pleasure craft share the port, and the arrival of the La Gomera ferry multiple times daily is part of the rhythm of the resort.
Fred. Olsen and Naviera Armas both operate fast ferry services from the harbour to San Sebastian de la Gomera, with the crossing taking approximately 35–50 minutes.
Day trips to La Gomera — a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with extraordinary laurel forest — are among the best excursions available from any Tenerife holiday base.
The harbour promenade is lined with seafood restaurants that serve the freshest fish directly off the boats. These are among the most authentic dining options available to Los Cristianos holidays — genuine Canarian fishermen’s restaurants that have operated on the same site for decades.
Whale and dolphin watching boat trips also depart from the harbour, venturing into the deep waters off the southwest coast where resident short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins can be observed throughout the year.
Los Cristianos has a substantial resident expat community alongside its tourist population, which gives it a year-round vitality that many Tenerife resorts lack outside the peak season. The weekly Sunday market draws both visitors and permanent residents.
The town centre has a good mix of independent shops, Canarian restaurants and international cafes. The main tourist shopping street has the usual resort fare — souvenirs, beach goods, pharmacy and travel agents — but the streets around the harbour have retained a more local character.
Los Cristianos is particularly well regarded as a base for older visitors. The level, compact layout requires little walking effort, the pace is unhurried, the restaurants cater well to British tastes, and the medical facilities in the area are well equipped for the resident expat population.
The church of Our Lady of La Candelaria in the town centre is one of the oldest buildings in the southern resort area and worth a brief visit for its traditional Canarian interior.
The small square in front of it is one of the most pleasant spots in the resort to sit and watch the world go by.
Los Cristianos has one of the best dining scenes of the southern Tenerife resorts, anchored by the seafood restaurants around the harbour. Fresh fish cooked simply — grilled with olive oil, garlic and parsley — is the best order at most of these establishments.
Papas arrugadas with mojo rojo or mojo verde is the Canarian staple found on every menu at pocket-friendly prices. Gofio — toasted grain flour used in both sweet and savoury preparations — is another distinctly Canarian ingredient worth seeking out in the traditional restaurants.
The promenade and town centre support a wide range of international restaurants, from reliable British pub food and Italian pizza to Indian, Chinese and Japanese options catering to the resort’s international visitor mix. Prices are generally lower here than in upmarket Costa Adeje.
Los Cristianos is one of the best-located bases on Tenerife for excursions. The resort’s position in the far south gives easy access to both the western coast attractions and the island’s interior.
Teide National Park is a 45-minute drive from Los Cristianos via the dramatic TF-21 mountain road. The drive through the Las Cañadas caldera and the cable car ascent to 3,555 metres are among the unmissable experiences of any Tenerife holiday.
Los Gigantes — the dramatic 600-metre basalt sea cliffs on the northwest coast — are reachable in around 45 minutes. Whale watching excursions from both Los Cristianos and Los Gigantes offer near-certain sightings of resident pilot whale pods.
Playa de las Américas is a 15-minute walk along the promenade, placing Siam Park — the world’s top-rated water park — within easy reach of any Los Cristianos holiday base.
Los Cristianos holidays enjoy the most reliable sunshine in Tenerife, sheltered by the island’s central mountains from the moisture-bearing trade winds that create cloud over the north.
Temperatures average 22°C in January and 29°C in August. Rain is rare — the south of Tenerife has a near-desert climate, with only brief winter showers between December and February.
Los Cristianos holidays in the off-peak months of November to March offer excellent value and quieter beaches, while still delivering warm and reliably sunny weather. These months are particularly popular with retired visitors escaping the UK winter.
The sea temperature is among the warmest of any Atlantic coastal destination, reaching 24°C in August and remaining above 20°C from May through November. Year-round swimming is a genuine possibility from Los Cristianos.
Los Cristianos has a wide range of accommodation from large all-inclusive hotels to smaller aparthotels and self-catering complexes. Los Cristianos holidays in all-inclusive hotels represent exceptional value by Canary Islands standards.
The hotel zone is concentrated along the seafront and within easy walking distance of both beaches. Most hotels are well-maintained and regularly updated, with the stock of accommodation generally good throughout the resort.
Self-catering apartments are plentiful and popular with independent travellers. The Apartamentos Valle Mar and similar complexes near the town centre offer a good base for Los Cristianos holidays without the full hotel package.
Tenerife South Airport (TFS) is the arrival point for virtually all Los Cristianos holidays. The airport is approximately 15–20 minutes by road from the resort — one of the shortest airport transfers of any major Tenerife destination.
Direct charter and scheduled flights operate from over 20 UK airports to TFS year-round, with a flight time of approximately four hours from London. easyJet, Jet2, TUI and Ryanair all serve the route regularly.
Within Tenerife, the TITSA bus number 487 connects Los Cristianos with Playa de las Américas at frequent intervals, and the 111 service runs north to Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz for day trips.
Taxis are readily available outside all hotels and at the central rank near the bus station.
| Location | South coast of Tenerife — adjacent to Playa de las Américas |
| Airport | Tenerife South (TFS) — 15–20 mins transfer |
| Flight time from UK | Approx 4 hours direct |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) — 1 hour behind UK in summer |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
| Best months | Year-round; peak Jul–Aug; excellent Nov–Mar value |
| Sea temperature | 21°C Jan · 24°C Aug · 22°C Oct |
| Best for | Older couples, families, island-hopping base, relaxed atmosphere |
| Ferry connections | La Gomera (35 min) and La Palma from the harbour |
| Beaches | Playa de los Cristianos and Playa Las Vistas — both golden sand |
When booking your Los Cristianos holidays, always check that your tour operator carries the right financial protection. Search4Sun lists holidays from a wide range of UK operators — standards vary, so we recommend doing your own due diligence before you pay.
Look for ABTA membership, ATOL protection or ABTOT cover — these schemes protect your money if an operator ceases trading before or during your holiday. For a plain-English guide to what each scheme covers, read our holiday protection guide.
For last-minute Los Cristianos holiday deals, check LastMinute.com for availability and pricing from UK airports.
Yes — book a flight-inclusive package through a UK ATOL-licensed tour operator and your money and repatriation are fully protected. All operators listed on Search4Sun carry ABTA protection.
See our holiday protection guide for a full explanation of ATOL and ABTA coverage applicable to your Los Cristianos booking.
Los Cristianos is excellent for families, particularly those with young children. The beaches are calm and sheltered, the resort is flat and walkable, and Siam Park — the world’s top-rated water park — is a 15-minute walk along the promenade in Playa de las Américas.
The compact, level layout and short airport transfer make Los Cristianos holidays logistically easy for families travelling with children.
Los Cristianos is widely regarded as one of Tenerife’s best resorts for older visitors. The flat terrain, relaxed atmosphere, good medical facilities, large expat community and range of restaurants catering to British tastes all contribute to its reputation.
The harbour promenade provides easy, level walking for those who prefer gentle exercise without hills, and the year-round warmth makes it an ideal winter sun destination for retired visitors.
Los Cristianos and Playa de las Américas are directly adjacent — the two resorts merge into each other along an unbroken promenade. It is approximately 20–30 minutes on foot from the Los Cristianos harbour to the heart of Playa de las Américas.
The TITSA 487 bus connects the two resorts at frequent intervals throughout the day and evening for those who prefer not to walk.
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