Playa de Las Americas, or more widely know as just Las Americas,
is Tenerife's largest tourist playground, a purpose-built haven for
holidaymakers of all ages and stages who come here for fun in the sun from all
over the world. The resort is situated in the south of the island near the
Reina Sofia airport. It has grown vastly during its 30 years of existence and
now covers four zones - the original Las Americas, San Eugenio, Fanabe and
Toviscas. There are three natural beaches in the resort area and three man
made ones, all covered with dark volcanic sand and can be extremely crowded
during the summer season. The beaches are linked by a long promenade, which
winds along the busy waterfront, backed by dozens of high rise hotels and
holiday apartment blocks. A mini train runs around the resort stopping at
scheduled points every hour and there are plenty of free buses to assist
visitors in getting around to make the most of the entertainment venues, shops
and sports facilities that abound. Don't expect to soak up any Canarian
culture while holidaying at Playa de Las Americas, but for those who enjoy the
hullaballoo of a carefree summer vacation, this resort is sure to exceed
expectations.
There are restaurants catering for every taste in Las Americas - along
the seafront are dozens of fast food stalls and restaurants advertising
English breakfasts and Sky TV, but international dishes of all varieties are
also offered including Indian, Chinese, some great pasta restaurants and, of
course, excellent tapas and local Canary Island cuisine. Many of the better
restaurants are located in the Troviscas area and in the neighbouring resort
of Los Cristianos. There are also some nice restaurants overlooking the marina
in Puerto Colon.
With more nightclubs than some British cities, Las Americas is a honey
pot for those looking for more of a nocturnal holiday. The area known as The
Patch is the best place to start the evening, there is a fine choice of
nightspots and most have a happy hour or two. Many of the bars have good live
music, often with impersonators. Later on the Veronicas strip and the Starco
commercial centre are the places to head to if you want to party the night
away. The streets are packed with revellers until the early hours,
particularly during the busy summer months.
Las Americas has entertainment for all ages including tennis courts,
amusement arcades, bowling, water parks, go-carting and all sorts of
watersports can be arranged from the beaches from jet skiing and windsurfing
to scuba diving and banana rides. Bungee jumping can be done at the Sky Park
and visitors can swim with dolphins at Aqualand and horse and camel riding can
be arranged nearby. Boat trips leave regularly and bottlenose dolphins and
whales are often seen.
Las Americas is not short on the shopping front either, you will find
lots of electical goods and duty-free shops abound and many shopping centres,
however, The Plaza del Duque shopping centre in Fanabe is the ultimate
shopping experience, open every day of the year of 10:00 to 22:00 hours. The
commercial centre includes fashion shops such as Escada, Eva Divine and Paris
Glamour and a gorgeous Cartier jewellery shop. There are a number of
restaurants to choose from including Sushi Bliss Coffee Lounge or the
exquisite international cuisine of The Willow Tree. If you need to top up your
funds during your shopping trip there is the Santander bank as well as a
pharmacy, opticians, travel agency and much more to see and do.