It was such a pleasure to step into a taxi outside my front door and fifteen minutes later to be checking in for my flight from Bournemouth Airport to Tenerife. Despite the early hour, 5 am, cheerful Jet2Holiday representatives, resplendent in red uniforms offered warm greetings and assistance if required. But my attention was distracted by the aroma and sizzle of bacon cooking in the small café just inside the entrance. Fortunately, check-in was quick – no queues – and we were soon seated at a small table enjoying a coffee and a bacon roll. Fortified with food we were ready to face security and delighted to find it did not take long and we had time to browse a comprehensive Duty Free before our boarding gate was announced.
We could see the gate from where we were standing – one of the joys of travelling from a small airport. Our plane climbed into a dark, cold, rain laden sky and four hours later we landed in sunny Tenerife. Although the airport was busy it did not take long to collect our cases and our friendly Jet2Holiday reps directed us to our transfer bus. As we boarded the bus, we were given a small booklet containing contact details and useful information about our stay in Los Cristianos.
Our rooms were not ready when we arrived at our hotel, H10 Big Sur, but this was not unexpected and we were happy to store our luggage and make our way to the Naturalia, an outdoor a la carte restaurant, for some lunch. Sitting outside in the shade, sipping a glass of cold white wine was the perfect start to our holiday. Beyond the hotel grounds we could see the sea, shimmering in the sunshine. We just sat back and enjoyed the moment reflecting on the ease of our journey here and the peace of this adults-only-hotel. All we could hear was the soft murmur of voices drifting across from the outside pool and the clink of cutlery as the waiters glided between the tables that surrounded us.
The view from our hotel room on the seventh floor was spectacular as we could see the white buildings of the new town of Los Cristianos against the brown background of the Chayofita Mountain. After changing into summer clothes, we set off to explore our surroundings. Our hotel was at the far end of a long promenade that skirts several bays from Playa de Los Cristianos to Playa de las Américas the most popular resort on Tenerife. The weather was perfect, a fresh breeze off the sea calmed the heat of the afternoon sun. We did not get far, lured into a small bar by the sight of bulbous glasses containing the popular Aperol Spritz on several tables. We sipped contentedly until the glasses were empty and our watches showed us it was nearly time for dinner.
Breakfast and dinner are served in the hotel’s main restaurant, Blue Bay but during these meals it incorporates the outdoor terrace of the Naturalia a la carte restaurant. Tables cannot be reserved but a helpful waiter had informed us that arriving early for each meal guaranteed a table on the outside terrace and avoided the restaurant rush hour. Both meals feature freshly cooked food as well as extensive buffets. For my first evening I had a freshly made stir fry using ingredients of my choice blended with a delicious oyster sauce and accompanied by a crisp, white wine. Every evening meal in the Blue Bay features a theme and when the theme was Japan all I had was several plates of some amazing sushi. My breakfasts were more predictable – a glass of cava with a mountain of fresh fruit followed by a freshly cooked omelette, and tasty bread rolls. What remained of my bread rolls would be smeared with some yummy fresh honey comb.
After a leisurely breakfast on our first full day, we started from the back of the hotel intending to explore the old town behind Playa de Los Cristianos. This was an interesting experience as it involved crossing the main road but not only are there numerous pedestrian crossings the traffic always stops to allow pedestrians to cross safely. Having established where the nearest bus stop was, in case we decided to explore further we dropped down to the cobbled streets of the old town – via a café for coffee. It was lovely strolling through the narrow streets dipping into the little shops that line them and visiting the beautiful church in the town centre. A hearty breakfast meant we had no appetite for lunch so we made our way back to a small gelateria we had spotted earlier and had an ice cream instead. We strolled along the golden sand of the Los Cristianos beach paddling in the warm salty water on our way back to our hotel. We arrived there just in time for Happy Hour in Mike’s, a coffee bar. The gin and tonics are so good we celebrated this by having two each as we relaxed outside on the small outside terrace.
On our second full day here, we set off along the promenade to see how far we could get without rushing. We stopped for a while on one of the many benches that line the sea side of the promenade to watch some athletic young men playing a no-hands version of volleyball. We concluded they must be footballers training as the ball bounced from chest to head to foot as it was skilfully kept in the air on both sides of the net. Moving on we came to the port of Los Cristianos where colourful fishing boats mingled with small yachts and pleasure boats including a Viking longship. We had considered taking one of the many excursions including a whale and dolphin watching trip but for now we were happy just enjoying our surroundings and the gorgeous weather.
It did take us a while to work out how to get from Playa Los Cristianos to the adjacent Playa Las Vistas but finally spotted a flight of steps that led to the main road which we crossed before descending to the beach. Once there we saw the alternative approach, through a tunnel accessed from the streets of the old town. We were immediately struck by the contrast between the two bays. Las Vistas is a long parade of holiday accommodation, individual shops, shopping malls and cafés. Bright, modern buildings are surrounded by clean public areas. Grassy, tree shaded slopes offered a sand-free alternative to sun-bathing on the golden sand. Some super yachts were moored in this bay and one generally got the sense this was an area patronised by a wealthier clientele. We stopped for a coffee before moving on to the next beach.
The golden sanded beach of Playa del Camison is not strewn with colourful sun umbrellas as the previous two were. It is more subdued with clusters of thatched sun umbrellas. At the far end of the beach, we entered a more natural landscape as the unnatural golden sand peters out amongst the natural black rocks and dark sand. We walked as far as we could along a rocky promontory that divides this bay from the next bay, Playa de al Carnada. A wild sea crashed over the path beyond the barrier that prevented us from going any further. We just stood there for a while breathing in the ozone as a frisky breeze played with our hair and cooled our faces. This bay is good for surfing and a few tentative attempts were made to catch a wave in a sea that was really too rough for success.
And so, one lazy day followed another. Lounging by the pool, enjoying a drink in the Cactus Bar where the evening entertainment also takes place. Best entertainment, the Queen tribute band. Watching a few games of pétanque on the public rinks in front of our hotel. We did not have time to enjoy all the facilities at our hotel and that aqua aerobics class I had promised myself never happened – too busy chilling out. Our departure was a smooth as our arrival – the coach rolled up punctually to collect us. There was plenty of support available from Jet2 staff at both Tenerife South Airport and Bournemouth Airport. I had downloaded the Jet2Holidays app which had kept me informed regarding departure pick up times and possible congestion problems at the airport resulting in long queues. Thanks to the slick organisation by Jet2Holidays I enjoyed the most relaxed holiday I have ever had.
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Valery Collins is the Experienced Traveller.
An excellent raconteur, Valery has been writing about her experiences on the road since she started travelling 30 years ago. After publishing four books she turned to online travel writing.