Which Tenerife resort works better for older travellers?
Los Cristianos and Playa de las Américas sit next to each other on Tenerife’s south coast, and you can walk between them along the seafront. Yet they can offer surprisingly different holiday experiences.
Los Cristianos has a more established, lived-in atmosphere, while Playa de las Américas is more obviously a purpose-built holiday resort, with a greater concentration of entertainment and nightlife.
For older travellers, either can work extremely well. The better choice depends less on age and more on what you actually want from your holiday.
Los Cristianos generally feels more relaxed
Los Cristianos developed from an old fishing settlement and today combines tourism with a substantial year-round residential community.
- 🌴 Relaxed daytime atmosphere
- ☕ Huge choice of cafés and terraces
- 🚢 Working harbour at the centre of town
- 🏘 More of an everyday town atmosphere
This often appeals to older visitors who want somewhere they can settle into rather than feeling they are permanently inside a tourist complex.
Our guide to why Los Cristianos works so well for older travellers explores the resort in more detail.
Playa de las Américas offers more entertainment
Playa de las Américas is one of Tenerife’s best-known holiday resorts and generally has a livelier feel.
- 🎵 More bars and evening entertainment
- 🍽 Enormous choice of restaurants
- 🛍 Shopping centres and tourist facilities
- 🌙 A busier evening atmosphere in some areas
That does not mean the entire resort is noisy. Playa de las Américas covers a substantial area, and its character varies considerably depending on where you stay.
Nightlife is much more concentrated in Las Américas
This is probably the most obvious difference between the two resorts.
- 🌙 Las Américas has Tenerife’s best-known nightlife areas
- 🎶 Some streets remain lively until late
- 🌴 Other parts of the resort are considerably quieter
- 🏨 Hotel location can therefore make a major difference
If early nights and peaceful evenings matter to you, check the precise location of accommodation rather than rejecting Playa de las Américas altogether.
Both resorts have excellent promenades
One of the great advantages of this part of Tenerife is the continuous seafront.
- 🌊 Long coastal walks
- ☕ Regular cafés and restaurants
- 🏖 Several beaches along the route
- 🌅 Excellent places to stop and watch the sunset
You can walk from Los Cristianos through Las Vistas and into Playa de las Américas without needing transport.
For travellers who enjoy gentle daily walks, this connected seafront is one of the biggest attractions of staying in either resort.
Los Cristianos often has the advantage for flatter walking
Neither resort is completely flat, but central Los Cristianos and the main seafront areas can work particularly well for visitors who want to avoid unnecessary hills.
- 🚶 Long stretches of relatively easy promenade
- ☕ Frequent opportunities to stop
- 🚕 Taxis readily available
- 📍 Plenty of facilities within a compact area
The important qualification is that parts of Los Cristianos rise steeply away from the coast, so choosing accommodation simply because it has a Los Cristianos address is not enough.
Our guide to Tenerife’s flattest resorts explains this in more detail.
Beach choice is excellent in both areas
You do not have to choose between the resorts purely on beaches.
- 🏖 Los Cristianos has its central town beach
- 🌊 Las Vistas sits between the two resort areas
- ☀ Playa de las Américas has several beaches and coves
- 🍽 Restaurants and refreshments are never far away
Las Vistas is particularly useful because its location means it can be easily reached from parts of both Los Cristianos and Playa de las Américas.
Restaurants are certainly not a problem
Both resorts have an enormous range of places to eat.
- 🥘 Spanish and Canarian restaurants
- 🐟 Seafood
- 🍝 Italian and Mediterranean food
- 🍽 Familiar British and international options
Los Cristianos arguably feels a little more like somewhere you might develop favourite local restaurants during a longer stay, while Las Américas offers an extraordinary concentration of tourist dining and entertainment.
In reality, the resorts are so close together that visitors can easily enjoy both.
Transport is easy from either resort
A hire car is certainly not essential if you stay in this part of Tenerife.
- 🚕 Taxis are plentiful
- 🚌 Public buses serve both areas
- 🚶 Many local journeys can be made on foot
- 🚌 Excursion companies collect from major hotels and meeting points
Our guide to taxis and transport in Tenerife may help if you are planning a holiday without a car.
Which is better for a longer stay?
For a two, three or four-week winter stay, Los Cristianos often has a slight advantage for older visitors.
Its combination of tourist facilities and ordinary everyday life makes it easy to establish a routine.
- 🛒 Supermarkets and everyday shops
- ☕ Regular local cafés
- 🌴 Easy daily promenade walks
- 🚕 Good transport connections
However, anyone who enjoys entertainment, shopping and a livelier evening scene may prefer Playa de las Américas.
So which should you choose?
Choose Los Cristianos if you prefer a relaxed atmosphere, an established town, easy access to cafés and restaurants and a holiday that can comfortably move at a slower pace.
Choose Playa de las Américas if you want more entertainment, shopping, nightlife and the energy of a major holiday resort while still having excellent beaches and promenades nearby.
And remember that the boundary between them matters far less once you arrive. Stay in the right location and you can easily enjoy both.
If mobility is an important consideration, you may also find our comparison of Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos for elderly travellers useful.
The bottom line
For many older travellers, Los Cristianos probably has the edge because of its relaxed atmosphere, established community and suitability for slower-paced holidays.
But Playa de las Américas should not be dismissed as simply a young person’s nightlife resort. Choose the right part and it can be an excellent base for older visitors who want a little more activity around them.
For official information about both resorts and the surrounding Arona area, visit:
Arona’s official tourism website.
If you are planning a Tenerife holiday and would like occasional help while you are here, you can explore our care and support services, request care or get in touch with Tenerife Carers.