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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Los Cristianos
Base here 4–5 nights if you want a beach-and-port town with ferries to La Gomera; skip it if you want quiet or a car-free old town.
Los Cristianos is the working half of Tenerife's southern resort strip: two sandy beaches, a busy port with ferries to La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma, and a town centre where residents and visitors mix. It sits 2 km from Playa de las Américas and 5 km from Costa Adeje, so you can walk the whole strip. It is a base for sun, boat trips and the south coast, not for Teide or the north.
- Country
- Spain
- Best months
- Oct–May for warm, dry weather; Jul–Aug for the warmest sea
- Avoid
- Nothing is closed; Jul–Aug is the busiest and priciest
- Stay
- 4–5 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–95 excl. bed · Mid €95–160 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · National police 091 · Guardia Civil 062
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (café con leche) | €1.50–2.50 |
| Menu del día at lunch | €10–15 |
| Beer (caña) / on the strip | €1.50–2.50 / €3–5 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | €8–12 |
| Titsa bus, local single | €1.50–3 (check) |
| Whale-watching boat trip, 2–3 h | €25–45 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €8–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TFS · Tenerife South (Reina Sofía)
- About 15 min by car or taxi; Titsa buses 111, 343, 450 and 40 serve the town (check current timetables)
- TFN · Tenerife North (Los Rodeos)
- About 1 h by car via the TF-1; bus 110 to Magma stop, then a local bus
Typical fares
- TFS → Los Cristianos, Titsa bus
- about €4, 20–30 min (check)
- Taxi TFS → Los Cristianos
- €25–35, about 15 min (check)
- Ferry Los Cristianos → San Sebastián de La Gomera
- about €30–40 one way, 50 min–1 h 20 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is walkable end to end in about 25 min. Local Titsa buses link Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas and Costa Adeje; the bus station has a ticket office. A tourist road train runs to Costa Adeje. Taxis are metered and easy to flag; a car only pays off for Teide or the north.
See and do
Known for
- Playa de los Cristianos and Playa de las Vistas
- Ferry port for La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro
- Whale and dolphin watching trips
- Year-round warm south-coast climate
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Teide National Park | Car via TF-1 and TF-38, or a Titsa bus from the south (check seasonal services) | 1.5–2 h each way by car |
| La Gomera by ferry | Fred Olsen or Armas from Los Cristianos port, about 50 min to San Sebastián | About 1 h 15 min door to door |
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife | Titsa bus 110 or 111, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
| San Cristóbal de La Laguna | Bus to Santa Cruz, then the tram | About 2 h |
| Puerto de la Cruz | Bus via Santa Cruz, or car on the TF-1 and TF-5 | About 2 h by bus |
| Güímar | Car on the TF-1, about 40 min | About 45 min |
Sleep
- Town centre and Playa de los Cristianos
- Walk to the beach, the port and most restaurants; best for a first trip without a car.
- Playa de las Vistas end
- Quieter, wider beach, 10–15 min walk to the port; good for families.
- Around the bus station and TF-1 side
- Cheapest beds and easiest bus access; 10–15 min walk to the sand.
- Playa de las Américas / Costa Adeje
- 2–5 km (1.2–3.1 mi) up the coast; more nightlife and bigger hotels, walkable or one bus ride.1.2–3.1 mi (2–5 km) up the coast; more nightlife and bigger hotels, walkable or one bus ride.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HolaOH-lah |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
| Where is the toilet? | ¿Dónde está el baño?DON-deh es-TAH el BAH-nyoh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- Beaches are dark volcanic sand and the sea can be rough: heed red flags.
- The resort strip is built for tourists; English is spoken almost everywhere, which surprises some visitors.
- Sun is strong year-round: burn times are short even in winter.
- Bars and restaurants on the strip vary widely in price and quality: check the menu board before sitting.
One of the safer resort towns in Spain; the real risks are strong sun, rough sea on red-flag days and pickpockets around the bus station and port at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Los Cristianos yet. Suggested stay: 4–5 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Playa de los Cristianos and Playa de las Vistas
- Ferry port for La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro
- Whale and dolphin watching trips
- Year-round warm south-coast climate
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tenerife official tourism site: www.webtenerife.com/
- Titsa (Tenerife buses): www.titsa.com/
- Fred Olsen Express: www.fredolsen.es/
- Naviera Armas: www.navieraarmas.com/
- Wikivoyage: Los Cristianos, revision 5297796 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5297796
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Los Cristianos
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The UK, Ireland and most EU states: consulates in Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Las Palmas; the US has no consulate in the Canaries (embassy in Madrid). Check before you travel.
112 works from any phone, including without a local SIM.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/los-cristianos). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.