Origins of Tourism
The Origins of tourism in Los Cristianos lie with a Swedish man, Bengt Rylander (known locally as Don Benito) who came to Los Cristianos in 1956 suffering from multiple sclerosis, hoping the warm climate and clean air would help ease his ailments. He convalesced well and spread the word of the mild and sunny climate he had discovered to his friends in Sweden, and since he was formerly a writer and TV commentator, so word spread quickly. In 1957 he was joined by several friends who suffered from poliomyelitis and rheumatic diseases.
So the origins of tourism in Los Cristianos during the late 1950s and early 1960s are as a resort for ailing & convalescent Swedes. These unlikely pioneers have left their mark on the town, with the main high-street in Los Cristianos known as “Avenida de Suecia” (Avenue of Sweden) and the “Casa Sueca”, now a Swedish Lutheran Church, located on the sea-front.
Tourism wasn't limited to the Swedes, growing numbers of visitors from other European Countries. The 1960s saw the construction of the first large buildings in Los Cristianos to house the growing number of tourists, these included Cristianmar, Rosamar and the four-star Oasis Moreque Hotel. The steady number of disabled Swedish visitors also led to the opening of the Vintersol public rehabilitation clinic in 1965.
The Tourism Boom
Whilst tourist numbers in Los Cristianos grew steadily in the 1960s and 1970s, it was only after the inauguration of the new International Airport in the south of Tenerife (Reina Sofía) that tourism really began to boom in the south of the island.
A number of new hotels and apartment blocks were built during the 1970s to house the growing number of tourists and workers, but it was in the 1980s when the town began to expand massively. As well as holiday makers, Los Cristianos began to attract a number of British expatriates who emigrated either permanently or semi-permanently to escape the cold British winters. As English is as widely spoken as Spanish, there are also a number of British owned bars, restaurants, shops and services aimed predominantly at the tourist sector.
Los Cristianos Beaches
Los Cristianos is home to two world-class beaches: The main beach (Playa de Los Cristianos) is a sandy beach sheltered by the Harbour and boasts a number of facilities including watersports, beach volley ball, showers and a children's play area. Las Vistas Beach is located in the next bay beyond the harbour and is man-made, protected by break-waters, it also boasts a number of facilities including watersports, showers and a tourist information site.
There is also a rocky, black-sand beach in the "Rincon" area of Los Cristianos, (between the headland near the Puerto Viejo and the cliffs of Montaña Guaza.) This beach has no real facilities but is popular with Naturists.
Los Cristianos Economy
Nowadays Los Cristianos is a busy tourist resort, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Dozens of hotels and self-catering holiday apartments are available; many can be booked direct or through major tour operators. Tourism related industries are the main employer in Los Cristianos
Los Cristianos is also home to a plethora of bars and restaurants of varying styles, from ‘tapas’ bars to high quality local and international cuisine. Eating out is inexpensive; so many visitors opt for half-board or self-catering accommodation.
As a consequence of the tourism boom agriculture went into terminal decline and the last banana crop was harvested in the early 1990s. A small fishing fleet still operates from the harbour, but commercial shipping has all but been replaced with pleasure cruises and ferry services to the neighbouring islands of La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma.
Los Cristianos is also a major commercial centre for the south of Tenerife, with a vibrant high-street offering a range of small stores, catering for both tourists and residents alike. There are a number of small shopping malls as well as a number of major national-chain supermarkets.
Los Cristianos is also rapidly replacing Arona as the administrative centre of the south of Tenerife, with its own “Centro Cultural” which takes on many of the roles of the town-hall and Los Cristianos is also home to the “Juzgados de Arona” (County Courts). |
