Dotted with numerous hotels, restaurants and clean, crystalline beaches, Playa de Las Americas is one of the most popular resorts on the island of Tenerife, the largest of Spain's seven Canary Islands off the coast of northwestern Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. Built in the 1960s as a tourist haven popular with Europeans, this beach resort is known for fantastic year-round weather and its many outdoor sport and leisure activities.
Water Sports
Playas de Las Americas has six clean sandy beaches; three made from the sands of the African desert and three made from black volcanic sand. The beaches offer several water sports, including surfing, windsurfing, jet skiing, sailing and diving. For some nontraditional water fun, try banana boating or the underwater scooter safari. Banana boats accommodate up to eight people at once and are pulled behind a speedy, swerving motorboat. The underwater scooter safari allows riders to scoot around safely and simply underwater on a self-driven scooter, while viewing the island's many underwater flora and fauna. It is important to remember that, while waters are calm close to the beaches, further out the Atlantic is turbulent.
Horseback Riding
Just a 10- to 15-minute drive from the beaches, see another side of Tenerife by horseback riding through the valley to the mountains. Along the way, you will see a farm with workers tending to tomatoes, avocados, oranges and palms, and a banana plantation reminiscent of times past. You can also see wild cacti, flowers, countryside, reservoirs, forest, canyons and fabulous views overlooking the Atlantic. A variety of routes exist for either the first-time rider or the expert.
Biking
Bikes are available for rent for everyone from the casual biker to the serious mountaineer. Surreys with fringe-covered tops accommodate large families strolling about town. Two-seat choppers, pedal go-carts and balanze bikes are other casual ways to bike the island. Sturdy mountain bikes are good for the rougher terrain of nearby parks. Those looking for speed can grab a motorbike or quad.
Botanical Garden
To see exotic flowers, plants, waterfalls, streams and ponds, visit the Palmetum of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the island's extensive botanical garden. Open since 1996, and approximately one hour by bus from Playa de Las Americas, the garden was created to transform a degraded landfill into a thriving paradise. Specializing in palms, the garden is divided into geographic regions representing palms from South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Melanesia, Hawaii and Australia to name a few. It houses over 800 species of plants; 500 of which are palms. An ethnographic museum inside the garden educates visitors about the many uses of palm and their historical significance to Canary Island inhabitants, and exhibits palm artifacts from around the world, including a Peruvian canoe.
Mount Teide National Park
With over 50 square miles, this is a great place to hike, bike, walk, explore and to escape tourist crowds. Mount Teide, Spain's highest mountain and the world's third largest volcano, offers many hiking trails, including challenging climbs. With a permit, obtainable through the Park Administration office in Santa Cruz, you can walk to the lip of this dormant volcano. For serious hikers, Pico Viejo, the park's second highest peak, has more challenging climbs. The park center has trail and weather information. For those less inclined to hike, but still interested in taking in the view, the Mount Teide cable car offers rides that travel close to the mountain's summit. To experience Mount Teide at night, excursions offer sunset meals with nighttime jeep rides through the mountains with an experienced astronomer to aid in spectacular stargazing. To get to the park, take a car, ferry or rent a bike and cycle there yourself.
Spas
After a long day of hiking, biking, swimming, horseback riding or exploring, make an appointment at one of the many spas of Playa de Las Americas. For pampering and relaxation, several spas offer Swedish massage, power jet massage, thermal baths, oil showers, flotation pools, steam rooms and saunas.
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