What to see in Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos, if you are curious beyond the beach
Tenerife's southern resort area is split between two municipalities. Costa Adeje belongs to Adeje and Los Cristianos to Arona, and the boundary runs along the coast: the Playas de Troya beaches are still in Adeje, while the Paseo Francisco Andrade Fumero promenade in Las Américas is already in Arona.
If you only have one day for the south beyond the beach, this order works: in the morning the Barranco del Infierno trail (booking ahead only), then Adeje's old town with the church of Santa Úrsula and what remains of the Casa Fuerte, in the afternoon a walk along the coast from La Caleta, and in the evening the harbour at Los Cristianos, with Montaña de Guaza above the town.
It is a good plan in winter too. The Adeje town hall's tourism website gives an average winter temperature of 22 degrees, but adds that it can turn cool at dusk and at night, so always have a light layer with you.
Adeje's old town: church, square and the water route
The old village is crowned by the Barranco del Infierno gorge, and it is more than a view. The gorge's almost never-failing stream gave the village water in the dry south, and the town hall still threads its walk through the old centre around it today.
The church of Santa Úrsula. A chapel already stood on this site in the first half of the 16th century, one of the very first church buildings in the south, probably built in the years after the conquest of 1496. Its first written record is María de Lugo's will of 1530. A royal decree of 10 April 1560 made it a parish church. The church's two naves come from two periods: the left one is 16th century, while the main nave and the main chapel were added in the 17th century by the Marquises of Adeje. Look out for the Mudéjar-style wooden ceiling, the scratched plasterwork decoration (esgrafiado) on the upper part of the outer walls, and the bell gable, with an idol's head sitting on a small pedestal in its centre, which is a rarity in Canarian architecture. Since 2017 the church has been protected heritage in the monument category, with its own buffer zone.
Plaza de España. The square was redesigned and extended in 2011 by the Canarian architect Fernando Menis. The 27-metre bell tower was built over the village's former ossuary, and the lower part of the square opens out towards the Barranco del Infierno. The redesign won the old and new buildings category at the fifth World Architecture Festival.
Calle Grande and the water route. The main street once ran alongside a channel cut into the tuff, which carried water from the spring in the gorge. The Indian laurels (laurel de Indias) lining the street come from a tree-planting festival: they were planted on 10 December 1911 on the initiative of the village doctor, Manuel Fernández Piñeiro. The town hall has linked the wells, mills and channels that once carried the water from the gorge down to the sea into the Ruta del Agua (the water route). On Calle de los Molinos stands the Tres Chorros fountain of 1890: from here, water was carried to the houses in jars and on donkeys, often by the aguadoras, the women water carriers. You will find the stops on the town hall's Ruta del Agua page.
The church of the Franciscan convent. Only the church survives of the convent founded in 1679; it belongs to the town hall and hosts civil weddings and classical concerts.
Arriving in the village, you are greeted by a statue of the mencey (Guanche king) Tinerfe el Grande. According to historians, he ruled the whole island from here roughly a century before the conquest, and his sons divided the island into the later menceyatos (kingdoms). More on this: Tenerife's invisible map: the nine menceyatos. If you want to drop in on the village farmers' market, the Adeje market listing is here, and we wrote about which Tenerife market opens on which day here: Tenerife's farmers' markets: which day each one opens.
The Casa Fuerte: sugar, pirates and a fire
Opposite the church, on a hilltop looking out to the coast, stands the Casa Fuerte, the Ponte family's former fortified house. In the mid-16th century this was the site of the island's last sugar mill, driven by water from the Barranco del Infierno and the most productive in the whole of Tenerife. In 1553 Pedro de Ponte asked for permission to build a fort against the pirate raids that plagued the coast; he was granted it in 1555, and by 1556 the house was standing. For three centuries it was the political, economic and social centre of the Ponte family's estate. The historian Viera y Clavijo called its archive "the treasure of the Canary Islands".
The building has been a protected monument since 1986. On 9 April 1902 a fire almost completely destroyed it; most of the archive was saved and went to the Museo Canario. In 2019 the heritage association Hispania Nostra put it on its red list of endangered buildings. Since then, one of the owners has restored the southeast part: the tower built for the cannons and gunpowder, the cistern beneath it, the ground floor and the courtyard called the bagacera, where the leftover pressed sugar cane was dried. This part was taken off the red list on 25 June 2024. The palace, the sugar mill, the archive and the great kitchen with its scratched plasterwork are still in ruins. In 2022 the town hall started compulsory purchase proceedings for the building.
The restored part is free to visit. Check the opening hours before you go; the details are on the Casa Fuerte listing.
Barranco del Infierno: booking ahead only
The Barranco del Infierno ("hell's gorge") is a special nature reserve (Reserva Natural Especial). It was first protected in 1987 as part of the Adeje mountains natural park, received its current status in 1994, and covers 1824.1 hectares. It also includes the Roque del Conde, one of the distinctive flat-topped rocks of the southwestern landscape.
The trail starts at the top of Calle de los Molinos, at 350 metres, and follows the old shepherds' path: it passes viewpoints, beehives and an old mill, then continues along an ever narrower bed between sheer walls up to a waterfall. It is roughly 6.5 kilometres there and back, about three hours according to the operator. Lower down, cardón spurge and tabaiba grow; higher up, dragon trees; and at the top, Canary Island pines. Near the waterfall, at a spot called La Tornadera, you can still see the start of the channel that Pedro de Ponte had built to carry the gorge's water further down.
You will find the rules on the official booking website; the essentials:
You cannot get in without booking. Access is limited and you have to book in advance on barrancodelinfierno.es; the Adeje town hall's tourism portal sends you there too. Tickets are not refundable under any circumstances.
Age and equipment. Children under five are not allowed in, and under-16s only with an adult. Footwear suitable for stony ground is compulsory, and you must wear the helmet you are given at the meeting point the whole way. Flip-flops are not enough, and bring extra water.
No animals are allowed, and you must not leave the main path. Swimming in the stream and at the waterfall is forbidden.
You cannot go in when it is windy or raining, because rockfalls are common. If the gorge is closed for this reason, respect the closure.
The entry time slots change with the seasons. Check the exact times on the official website.
Adeje is roughly a quarter of an hour by guagua (bus) from the resort area; in the village, the way to the gorge is signposted. Check the services on titsa.com. The Barranco del Infierno listing is here.
The coast on foot: from La Caleta to Troya
A promenade of roughly six kilometres runs the length of the Costa Adeje coast, right by the water all the way, from the fishing village of La Caleta to Plaza de Troya. Along the way it passes Playa del Duque, Duque Norte, Fañabé, Torviscas, La Pinta and the two Troya beaches. In the morning it belongs to runners and walkers, and at sunset the sun drops behind the silhouette of La Gomera on the horizon.
La Caleta. Its name refers to an old fishermen's shelter, and the old fishing jetty still stands in the middle of the village. It is a thin, rocky shore protected by the bay, with lots of fish restaurants; its bathing spots are La Puntilla, La Punta, El Cabezo and El Muelle (also called Varadero), and it is a favourite swimming place with locals. Wear proper shoes on the rocks and watch out for sea urchins. The big welcome sign at the new Mirador de La Caleta viewpoint is a popular photo spot, and from here you can see the Roque del Conde as well as the sea and La Gomera.
Mirador de La Paloma. It stands between La Enramada and El Beril and looks out over the Atlantic and La Gomera. At the end of the viewpoint you step out onto a raised terrace without a railing, so take care with children. Below it is Playa de la Enramada.
Mirador de El Bufadero. Here the waves run into an underwater cavity, and water and air burst out of the opening above with great force. You only see it when the sea is rough or at high tide; in calm weather there is nothing to wait for.
Playa del Duque. The beach lies next to the Gran Hotel Bahía del Duque, in one of the newest parts of Costa Adeje; it is surrounded by rustic-style buildings, green spaces and promenades, and there is an amphibious beach chair too (no assistant provided). The Playa del Duque listing is here. The nearby Javier Pérez Ramos viewpoint and bronze statue commemorate an Adeje lifeguard who, on 31 March 1998, rescued a tourist from the sea but was himself swept away by a wave. We wrote about the dangers of the sea in the south here: Safety in Tenerife: what you should know.
Fañabé, Torviscas and Troya. British visitors named one stretch of the promenade the Paseo de Los Geranios after its many geraniums. From the Mirador de Salytien viewpoint you look out over Playa de Fañabé and the Puerto Colón marina; the next beach along is Playa de Torviscas. The promenade ends at the Troya beaches, the oldest beaches in Costa Adeje.
If you are choosing a beach, we have collected the island's best here: the best beaches in Tenerife.
Los Cristianos: from fishing village to port town
Los Cristianos started out in the 16th century as a small fishing village, with a harbour from which the area's produce was shipped out. Between the 17th and 19th centuries it suffered many pirate attacks; the present port was built in 1934 and extended in 1971. Today the Arona town hall describes it as one of the busiest passenger ports in Spain: ferries leave from here for La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro. The ferry companies' listings: Fred. Olsen Express and Baleària (Naviera Armas). If you fancy a hop over to the neighbouring island: What to see in La Gomera.
Whale and dolphin watching boats also leave from the harbour, as they do from the harbour at Las Galletas, Arona's other fishing village. Before you book, read how to recognise a responsible trip: Whale and dolphin watching in the Canary Islands.
The town has three beaches, all with accessible ramps:
Playa de Los Cristianos. Golden sand, 345 metres long and 80 metres wide, with calm water. Listing.
Playa de Las Vistas. 150 metres from the previous one, with fine golden sand and a family atmosphere. Listing.
Playa del Camisón. Protected by two breakwaters, so it is a good choice with small children. Listing.
Beyond the beaches there are the shops in the pedestrian streets, the Virgen del Carmen square, where the local festivals are held, and the parish church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen. In Las Américas, on clear days you can see La Gomera from Arona's Paseo Francisco Andrade Fumero promenade.
Montaña de Guaza: the protected mountain above the town
A rugged, broad massif rises over Los Cristianos from the east. Montaña de Guaza lies at the southernmost tip of the island, on the northwest side of the Punta de Rasca headland, and together with the Las Mesas plateau it forms a natural monument (Monumento Natural) of 725.7 hectares. It has been protected since 1987, and its western boundary is Los Cristianos itself and the sea.
Geologically it is an extruded lava dome, and the Mesas de Guaza are the lava flows that belong to it. Seabirds nest on the sea cliffs, and several threatened species live on the mountain: the stone-curlew, the beetle Pimelia canariensis, the viper's bugloss Echium triste nivariense, and there is also a significant population of the giant lizard Gallotia intermedia. We wrote about another Canary Islands giant lizard, the one that lives on El Hierro, here: The El Hierro giant lizard. Pre-conquest burials have also been found on the Mesas de Guaza plateau, and stone has been quarried here since at least the late 17th century; it was used for churches and manor houses on Tenerife and La Gomera, and even made its way to Cuba.
Arona's tourism website describes a route across the mountain: it starts at the northern foot of the mountain, beside the TF-6223 road, climbs to the 430-metre summit, descends on the south side to Playa del Callao beneath the cliffs, and ends in Los Cristianos after 6.5 kilometres. The route on Arona's tourism website. Under the rules for the protected area, hiking is allowed on the paths and dirt tracks; in the strictly protected parts, walking off the marked route is forbidden, dogs must be kept on a lead, and lighting fires is not allowed anywhere.
If you have one more day
Roque del Conde. This volcanic rock of around a thousand metres belongs to the Barranco del Infierno protected area, but the paved path starts on the east side, from neighbouring Arona, and climbs between old cereal terraces. At the top there is a flat plateau with views over the south coast and La Gomera. There is no shade on the way, so think carefully before setting off in a heatwave. The rock's other name, Roque de Ichasagua, recalls the rebel mencey who held out for years after the conquest of 1496. We wrote about waymarked trails in general here: Waymarked trails in the Canary Islands.
Arona's old town. The historic centre of Arona village has been protected heritage since 3 April 2006. At its heart stands the 18th-century church of San Antonio Abad, on the site of an earlier chapel, with the Cristo de la Salud statue inside; around it are cobbled streets and manor houses.
Las Galletas. In Arona's fishing village, the black volcanic sand beach faces the fishing jetty, and the fishermen sell their catch at the harbour fish market. The Las Galletas beach listing is here.
For a rainy day: What to do in Tenerife when it rains. By guagua: The Canary Islands without a car. Arona is close to Tenerife Sur airport; we wrote about arriving here: Canary Islands airports and getting to your accommodation.
In short
Costa Adeje belongs to Adeje and Los Cristianos to Arona; the boundary between the two municipalities runs along the coast.
The restored part of the Casa Fuerte is free to visit; check the opening hours in advance.
You can only get into the Barranco del Infierno with a ticket booked in advance, wearing a helmet and proper shoes, and only from the age of five; it may be closed in wind and rain.
The seafront promenade from La Caleta to Troya is roughly six kilometres, and at its most beautiful at sunset.
Ferries and whale watching boats leave from the harbour at Los Cristianos, and on the Montaña de Guaza trails, stick to the marked route.
Sources: Adeje town hall (adeje.es): pages on the church of Santa Úrsula, the Casa Fuerte, the Franciscan convent, the Ruta del Agua stops (the trees on Calle Grande, the Tres Chorros fountain, the mills, the gorge channel), the beaches and the Casa del Cura; the Costa Adeje tourism portal (costa-adeje.es): viewpoints and promenades, beaches, churches, squares, street art, nature, Barranco del Infierno, Roque del Conde, practical information; the official Barranco del Infierno booking website (barrancodelinfierno.es): the trail and the rules of use; Cabildo de Tenerife, management plan for the Barranco del Infierno ZEC (ES7020051); Gobierno de Canarias, Boletín Oficial de Canarias: protection of the Casa Fuerte (2004) and the church of Santa Úrsula (Decreto 162/2017), protection rules for the Montaña de Guaza natural monument (2008); Arona tourism board (arona.travel): Arona's location, Los Cristianos and its beaches, Las Galletas, Arona's old town, the Paseo Francisco Andrade Fumero, the Montaña de Guaza route; Hispania Nostra, Lista Roja / Lista Verde: the southeast part of the Casa Fuerte; Diario de Avisos (2023): the compulsory purchase of the Casa Fuerte; TITSA.
Cover photo (cropped): fishing boats in the harbour at Los Cristianos, February 2012. Bengt Nyman, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
