Although Playa de las Americas, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain has a reputation as a young peoples clubbing resort, this is far from the truth there is something for everyone. It is true at midnight on "The Strip" (Veronica's) the place is alive with the young drinking and dancing the night away in the very brash clubs and bars, but if you avoid this area in the early hours of the morning a good time can be had by all. For the families and the rest of us, Playa de las Americas has more to offer.
With a fantastic climate and year round sunshine (Las Americas is nearer to Africa than Europe), good communications via the international airport of Sur Reina Sofia (which is a short cab ride away), Tenerife is open to year round tourism and a good proportion of the four or five million tourists every year find their way to the south of the island to Playa de las Americas. This ensures that unlike some of the resorts on the mainland, which can resemble ghost towns in January and February, Las Americas is always bustling.
Developed initially for the package holiday market over the last fifty years, more and more visitors with the aid of the internet are booking their own vacations. There is a wide selection of accommodation, but mainly hotels and apartment complexes to cater for the mass market. Increasingly there are also lots of owners visiting their home from home in the sun. There are certainly some bargains to be found in the local property market, currently studios can be bought for as little as 85,000 euros (that is approximately £63,000 or 124,000$), so I see this trend continuing.
Most places have at least a communal swimming pool where you can while away the day soaking up the sun or one of the fine man made beaches are never far away. They have everything needed for a great day out, with parasols, sun loungers, showers, pedalos and bars and snack bars for when you need some refreshment. If you get bored with that and want to do something a bit more energetic, why not try the local aqua park, go on a glass bottomed boat ride to see the dolphins or take one of the many excursions available including the fabulous Mt Teide volcano.
For eating out there is an enormous variety to choose from, including the many restaurants and bars aimed at the English market to wonderful Spanish restaurants serving the local seafood specialities, with many of them having in house entertainment, all at bargain prices. Bars targeted at all nationalities are on every corner, so you can get your favourite drink and watch the sports channels day or night.