What you can see on the Los Cristianos webcam
The camera faces north-west along the coast. In the foreground there is a palm and a shelf of dark volcanic reef that shows at low tide; beyond it, the line of breaking waves where local surfers paddle out, and in the distance the hotels of Costa Adeje climbing towards the mountains. It is a time-lapse of the last 24 hours rather than video, which makes it easy to see how the tide and the swell have changed since the morning.
Las Américas shore and surf, by Los Cristianos
This camera stands on the seafront at Playa de las Américas, a short walk west of Los Cristianos, and looks north-west along the coast. A palm leans into the left of the picture; below it a shelf of dark volcanic reef is uncovered at low tide, with the surf breaking just beyond. In the distance, the hotels of Costa Adeje climb towards the mountains.
Its owner lists it as a surf camera, and that is its best use: you can see how big the waves are, whether they are peeling cleanly along the reef and whether the wind is ruffling the water. It is a time-lapse of the last 24 hours rather than video, so you can also scroll back through the day and watch the tide come and go.
From Swedish convalescents to the La Gomera ferry
Tourism here began with a Swede. In 1956 the writer Bengt Rylander came to Los Cristianos hoping the dry, warm air would ease his multiple sclerosis; friends with polio and rheumatism followed him, and the town's main street is still called Avenida de Suecia. Las Américas was built from scratch in the 1960s a few miles away, much of its beach sand brought in because the island's own is dark. The harbour, rebuilt in 1975, is where the daily ferries leave for La Gomera and where whale- and dolphin-watching boats head out.
When to watch Los Cristianos
Tenerife keeps the same clock as the UK and Ireland all year, so the time on the camera is the time at home. The south is the driest, sunniest side of the island, sheltered by the mountains from the north-east trade winds, and daytime temperatures stay in the low 20s °C even in winter. Late afternoon is the best time to look in: the light turns warm and the sun goes down over the sea beyond Costa Adeje.
Around Los Cristianos
A seafront promenade runs from Los Cristianos past Playa de las Vistas and the beaches of Las Américas towards Costa Adeje. Montaña de Guaza rises behind the town, and the ferry puts La Gomera within easy reach for a day out.
Visiting Los Cristianos
Tenerife South airport is about 9 miles (14 km) away as the crow flies. The reef in front of the camera is a place for surfers, not swimmers: for a calm dip, the sheltered town beaches of Los Cristianos and Las Vistas are the better choice.
