El Medano is a famous sports resort in Spain in the southern part of the island of Tenerife. The city clearly differs from the noisy, cheerful resorts of the island, but not at all in its nightlife, but in its general love of sports, because almost all the residents here are simply infected with a love of water, wind, waves and active sports.
City of high waves and black sand
In El Medano there is a large extended natural origin. The favorable location of this resort in the middle of two nature reserves, no longer active and Pelada, gave the opportunity for the wind and waves to do their thing every day.
All the secrets are here! El Medano is considered the European capital of active water sports: windsurfing and kitesurfing. Moreover, in all of Spain there is no more suitable place both for teaching beginners how to windsurf and for improving their already acquired skills in this sport.
Tourists come from all over the world to watch wind enthusiasts and learn to windsurf themselves. Thanks to the comfortable warm climate and constant wind, you can practice your skills almost 300 days a year.
Convenient beaches and the opportunity to learn windsurfing
El Médano has several specialized schools for teaching windsurfing: almost all of them are located on the boardwalk and in the area of the Playa Sur Tenerife hotel. Main centers: SurfMedano, TWS, Bahia.
The powerful wind and omnipotent waves make it possible for people with an average level to improve their skills very, very quickly. The maximum wave height is no more than two meters, and very windy days can be found mainly in the summer months. The usual wind direction in El Medano is side-on-shore.
Conditions for kitesurfers in El Médano are also convenient, as the beach is long enough to launch and land kites without any problems. The ski area has the shape of a lagoon, and even if you have an emergency, you will find yourself on the shore of the lagoon, where there is sand and almost no stones. Convenient entry into the water without sudden fluctuations in depth. But in a strong wind, the waves get serious, which makes kiters who ride the wave so happy. In winter and autumn, the wind speed reaches an average of 10-13 m/s, in summer it is 15-20 m/s.
El Medano in Tenerife is one of the most stable and year-round kitesurfing resorts not only in Spain, but throughout Europe.
There are kite schools at the spot, so you can also take a kitesurfing course in Tenerife. But the conditions are not at all simple.
At the Playa Sur spot in El Medano there is a lifeguard for kiters and windsurfers, every day until 5 o’clock.
If you are lovers of a calm urban environment, without particularly noisy establishments, with cozy streets, beautiful picturesque mountains that will be a real boon for photography masters, views of the volcano and most importantly - you cannot imagine your life without waves, living wind and extreme sports, then El- Medano in Spain is the resort for you.
El Medano Beach, (Tenerife, Spain) - location, description, opening hours, entertainment and infrastructure. Useful tips and practical information from “The Subtleties of Tourism”.
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Of course, for many, a beach holiday is a very calm, peaceful and, sometimes, even lazy pastime on sun loungers under an umbrella, with an indispensable cocktail in hand and half asleep. Which, however, cannot be blamed on those who are very tired after a long year. But sea and sand are not only calm seas and leisurely swimming. These are also powerful, harsh waves that extreme sports enthusiasts try to ride with the help of their “boards.” Tenerife has plenty of opportunities for windsurfing and kitesurfing, which are loved by many. One of the most famous and good places in order to practice these wonderful sports, which for obvious reasons are not very common in our latitudes, these are the beaches in the vicinity of the city of El Medano.
“Paradise for surfers” - this is exactly the telling nickname this beach has earned from people in the know. There are all the conditions for athletes, and, most importantly, strong trade winds, and, of course, where would we be without the “signature” beautiful landscapes of this Spanish island.
By the way, the beaches of El Medano have one more feature - it is rich, bright orange sand, which is not found anywhere else on the island. Its origin can be explained by the fact that the wind, over many thousands of years, carried it directly from neighboring Africa. So, we can say that whoever walked the beaches of El Médano also walked the sands of the Sahara.
In fact, there are three different beaches concentrated in the vicinity of El Médano. This is, firstly, El Medano itself, as well as Playa de Leocadio Machada and Playa de la Tejita. The first of them is probably the calmest beach, which is suitable for beginners, as well as vacationers who are far from extreme views. There are calm winds, inexpensive rental of umbrellas and sun loungers, free toilets and showers, and even a playground for the youngest holidaymakers.
Leocadio-Machada
Leocadio Machada Beach, which continues the central beach, is the most popular place on the island among surfers and kiters. Here you can find people sunbathing calmly less and less often. This is, of course, no coincidence: the trade winds in Machada practically do not subside, and the equipment necessary to defeat the wave can be rented at numerous rental points. For those who are just starting to get involved in this sport, there are schools where you can hire an instructor.
Playa de la Tejita
At the foot of the majestic and picturesque mountain called Montaña Roja lies the beach of la Tejita. It is located some distance from El Medano, however, public transport goes here. This option is perfect for those who prefer privacy, but the winds here are very strong. Although there is also an area closed from the elements, directly under the colossus of Mount Roja.
Despite the apparent privacy, there are no problems with infrastructure - sun loungers, umbrellas, amenities, cafes and restaurants are ready to offer you their services.
El Medano
Coordinates
Address: El Medano. The resort is located on the south side of the island, so it is more convenient to choose south airport, where to rent a car or taxi, since there will be no direct bus services to the resort from the airport. For everyone else who arrives at the northern airport of Tenerife, you can also rent a car, or get to the capital of the island by bus, where you can change to a bus to El Médano.
How to get to El Medano
El Médano is a small but cozy resort town on the southern coast of Tenerife. The very location of the resort makes it ideal place for all lovers of windsurfing and kiting. The point is that south coast The islands are not protected from the winds, so there are almost always waves here and almost always suitable for riding. This is the main specificity of the resort. One of the features of El Medano is its long orange-colored sandy beaches (the only one of its kind on the entire island).
Speaking about the beaches, it must be said that they are environmentally friendly, for which they have been awarded the Blue Flag insignia more than once. Also among the attractions of the resort are the neighboring mountains, which are also extinct volcanoes. There is not much entertainment at the resort; they are limited to cafes and restaurants. For water parks, discos and nightclubs, it is better to go to the South-West coast.
El Médano is located quite close to the international arrival airport, just 8 km. You can get from Yuzhny Airport to the El Medano resort by taxi or, for example, by renting a car. The airport and the city are connected by highway No. TF-64. If you wish, you can book an individual transfer in advance, at the time of arrival, then you will not have to look for a taxi on the spot. You can order a transfer from various international services by type , etc. Travel time will take about 15 minutes.
An excellent alternative to a taxi for independent travelers will be . Renting a car will not only help you solve the problem of transferring to the desired hotel, but will also give you a certain freedom of action when moving around the island. You can rent a car directly at Yuzhny airport upon arrival.
Alberto Varela/In the vicinity of El Médano
Where to stay in El Medano
The specifics of the resort are such that the predominant type of housing here is renting apartments or staying in vacation homes. For budget tourists there are several hostels and guest houses. Many apartments are not separate houses, but rooms in residential complexes, so they also have the appropriate infrastructure - an outdoor swimming pool, private parking, Wi-Fi, etc. At the same time, the apartments themselves are equipped with a kitchen or dining area, so the issue of food is removed by itself. If desired, you can choose apartments with different numbers of bedrooms for different numbers of guests.
The cost of renting an apartment in El Medano is, for the most part, quite reasonable, because... The main contingent of vacationers here are those who want to practice water sports. Budget accommodation options include, in particular, an apartment s Sotavento Apartment or Atico duplex Los Martinez. The advantage of almost all apartments in El Médano is that they are located in close proximity to the beaches. You can compare all hotel offers in El Médano for specific dates using special hotel booking services. These, in particular, include Booking, Hotellook and others.
Within a radius of 5-15 km from El Medano there are also several other resort towns, such as San Miguel de Abona, Arona, La Mareta, Los Abrigos, San Isidro and others. All of them also have access to the “orange” coast of Tenerife with its fantastic waves, so you can easily stay at neighboring resorts.
What to see in El Medano
The main attractions of El Médano are its beaches unearthly orange color of enormous extent, turning into the neighboring La Tejeta beach, also no less famous among surfers. Local beaches are clean, landscaped, and have all the necessary infrastructure, including sun loungers, umbrellas, sun loungers and other amenities. However, despite this, you will hardly find families with children or typical beachgoers here.
The thing is that the ocean in these places is rarely calm, which means you can forget about swimming on the coast. But the place is ideal for those sports that require high waves and tailwinds. Also, tourists often come to El Medano for excursion purposes to see the famous orange sands(according to legend, inflated from the Sahara Desert) and explore the extinct volcanoes located in the surrounding area.
Peter Allan/Coast at El Medano Yes, yes, in the vicinity of El Medano there really are two extinct volcanoes - today they are called red head And Bald head. The volcanoes have not been active for a long time, so their calderas are overgrown with vegetation. However, the highest points of the volcanoes offer amazing views of the ocean. It is worth noting that the climb up the mountain is not too difficult and is suitable for any level of training.
If you have a car at hand, then it will not be difficult for you to explore other attractions of the island. On public transport This will be problematic to do, because El Médano is poorly connected by routes to other points in Tenerife. Among the attractions of Tenerife, it is especially worth noting National Park"Teide Volcano", pyramids of Guimar, "Hell's Gorge", de Garcia rocks, Botanical Garden of Puerto de la Cruz– This is a must-see on almost all excursion routes around the island. More details in
.
Interesting tourist attractions also include zoos Las Aguilas And Loro Parque, where you can see amazing shows with animals. You can splash around in water parks on the southwestern coast of the island; there are two large water complexes of this type at once - these are "Siam Park" And "Aqualand", you can come here with the whole family, and there will be enough entertainment for the whole day.
Read more about how to organize your own .
cortto/Beaches of El Médano We will be happy to answer your questions in the comments!
When going on a trip to the Canary Islands, do not forget to take out a travel insurance policy, which is mandatory already at the stage of obtaining a tourist visa. You can take out insurance yourself without leaving your home. There are special services for this, such as , and others. You can purchase a policy online and then print it on a regular printer.
Photo at the beginning of the article: GanMed64
We decided to go to a place called El Medano spontaneously. I remember now that it was quite windy and I wanted to see a new place. We have already wandered towards Las Cristianos and even visited the yellow mountain, but the other side remains unexplored. It didn’t take us long to get ready, especially since the El Medano resort is very close to Golf del Sur. In this article I will tell you about the features of this place and show its photos.
El Médano is a small resort in Tenerife, located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. It is so compact that walking from any place to the sea will take no more than 10 minutes. This means that getting to know him won’t take much time. Its houses are painted in bright multi-colored colors. This color palette looks unusual and creates its own flavor of the place.
The main advantage and disadvantage of the resort is the constant wind. When we arrived here, I was immediately cold, so the walk was not as long as I had originally planned.
My advice to you: if you come here, take a sweater just in case.
El Médano is approximately 7 km away. . It is the southern airport that separates El Medano and. It would seem like just a few kilometers, but the climate here is completely different. El Médano is dominated by wind and waves 10 months a year, making the resort popular among surfers, windsurfers and kite surfers. For them, this is a real paradise, because all the conditions have been created to practice these sports. Such athletes can be seen at sea every day. Some even come here specifically to watch how the waves and wind are tamed.
I don’t know how to swim here in February, but it was cold even for me to walk in a dress. I swam at other southern resorts without any problems. Nowhere else was there such a piercing cold wind as in El Medano. I wanted to quickly wrap myself in something warm. Judging by the reviews, at the height of the season, when the thermometer rises to 28-30 degrees and the wind from the north changes its direction, you also need to be careful. After all, in this weather it’s easy to get sunburned and not notice it.
Photos and attractions of El Medano
The resort does not have any top attractions, but has beautiful views. Let's take a walk around El Medano and see what there is to see here. The first thing that catches your eye is the unusual sculpture Homenaje a Magallanes in the city center. You won’t be able to pass by it, because there is a bus stop nearby.
The resort has everything you need for relaxation: numerous bars, restaurants and souvenir shops. Many of them are located along the sea. You can eat and watch the performance on the water.
On the embankment you can also see monuments that organically fit into the surrounding landscape. They reminded me of a water tap.
Both tourists and locals love to walk along the embankment.
El Médano has very nice colorful buildings.
For lovers of natural attractions, we can recommend trekking along Red Mountain. You will be surprised, but this is an extinct volcano. It is, of course, not as big as, but from its top you can see all the surroundings. The climb up the mountain is moderately difficult, but you can overcome it if you want.
And if you go deep into El Medano, you can see another attraction - the Cave of St. Peter (La cueva del Hermano Pedro). There is practically no information about this place in either English or Russian guidebooks. Peter often stayed in this cave when he was a shepherd. Now the saints are burning here, at the entrance there is an altar, near which services are held on Peter’s Day. Everyone comes to Peter with their own request, with their own desire. On normal days there are almost no people in this place. There is an amazing atmosphere here that you don’t want to leave.
Beaches and surfing
El Médano has several beaches.
- Playa de Montana Roja (Montana Roja Beach) and El Medano – sandy beach with fine dark sand. It stretches from the village to Red Mountain. Even on the map you can see its scale. Its length is more than a kilometer. This is the beach where surfers practice. There is strong wind and waves here. There are several surf schools and sports equipment rentals in the coastal houses.
- Playa de Tejita (Tejita Beach) is located just behind the Red Mountain. If you want to get there, you can use the bypass road; it is convenient to get there by car. There are no waves or wind on this beach. The entrance to the water is gentle. The beach is covered with fine sand, which is pleasant to spend time on. Its length is about 1.5 km. The big advantage of Tejita is the small number of people.
- Playa del Cabezo (Cabezo Beach). This beach is located in the central part of El Medano, of the three considered it is the easternmost. The wind here is not as strong as on the neighboring beach, so there are more vacationers with children. The length of the beach is about 800 meters, width - 30 meters.
El Medano Hotels
If you are passionate about water sports, then El Médano is a great place to relax. The resort is small and there are not as many accommodation options as in the popular cities of Tenerife. I have prepared a selection of hotels with good rating and quality to make it easier for you to decide.
High level hotels:
- Marinedo el Cabezo;
- Villa Las Dunos;
- Hotel Arenas del Mar 4 stars;
- Hotel Playa Sur Tenerife 4 stars.
Inexpensive housing:
- Casa Grande Surf Hostel;
- La Calavera guesthouse;
- Aloe Vera share hotel.
Do you prefer apartments? Take advantage my link and get $25 for the first booking.
There are no direct flights from Tenerife Airport, you will have to take a taxi.
El Medano on the map of Tenerife
You can view the location of the El Medano resort on the map below.
El Medano is a quiet and peaceful resort. It is suitable for tourists who want to relax in a secluded environment with few people. If nightlife with discos is closer to you, then it is better to choose. Also, El Medano is not suitable for people who bundle up at the slightest breeze. They may not feel comfortable here. But people who are interested in (or dream of learning) water sports will be surrounded by like-minded people at the resort.
The island of Tenerife is a piece of paradise and a great place for a beach holiday. The beaches of the island are mesmerizing. The Spanish island of Tenerife attracts tourists with its elegance, beauty and unusualness. The island has been subject to volcanic eruptions, so most of the coast is covered with black sand. This is an unusual place with natural beaches.
Description
On the southeastern coast of the island of Tenerife is the resort town of El Médano. The sunny town has two large beaches with light sand. It is known that the island of Tenerife was subject to a volcanic eruption in the past, so almost all the beaches are covered with black sand. Historical data says that the beaches of the city of El Médano were formed due to strong winds that for centuries brought sand from the coast of Africa.
Windy weather prevails on the beaches of the resort town, so the resort attracts windsurfers from all over Europe. For recent years The resort attracts many tourists because it completely replaces the noisy resorts of the world. The resort of El Médano in Tenerife is calm, the beaches are clean and there is plenty of space.
The first beach is partially located within the city. Its western part is in contact with the Montana Roja volcano. The territory of the volcano is covered with red rocks and small dunes have formed. On the other side of the Montana Roja volcano there is a second beach - La Tejita. The beach is known for having many spacious and “wild” beaches. It's always windy on the coast. This beach is ideal for those who prefer a relaxing holiday and want to plunge into the vastness of wild nature. There are sun loungers for rent on the beach. The most populated part of the beach is adjacent to Mount Montana Roja. There are umbrellas and a small shop here. The end of La Tejita beach is separated by a stone wall from the next naturist beach. Here you can meet the most most of naturists on the entire island of Tenerife.
West of the town of El Médano is the only modern naturist beach in the southern part of Tenerife. The beach is covered with fine sand under the rocks of Mount Montana Roja. Translated, the name means “Red Mountain”. There is an excellent beach nearby, it is not crowded and very beautiful. Nudity is also acceptable on this beach.
Who's coming
To a greater extent, the resort town of El Medano is of interest to surfers, kitesurfers and windsurfers. The resort will also appeal to those who don’t like modern beaches with lots of people. This place is perfect for a relaxing beach holiday away from the hustle and bustle. On the western side of the city along the bay of the same name there is a natural beach - Playa El Medano. On the other side of Mount Montana Roja there is a huge beach - Playa La Tejita. This beach traditionally has more locals than others. The silence of the beach helps you relax and fully enjoy nature. There are days when the raging wind subsides and La Tejita beach turns into a quiet and paradise.
