Located on the south east coast, El Medano is Tenerife's kite boarding and wind surfing capital, and boasts some of the best golden sandy beaches on the island. Frequented by a liberal crowd of surfing enthusiasts, ‘chill out’ merchants and families, the resort boasts a distinctively laid back and friendly atmosphere, lacking the forceful bustle of some of its counterparts in the south.
The resort's beaches are certainly the hub of activity, but head inland from the watersports action and visitors will find remnants of the town’s past as a quaint fishing village, as well as a magnificent plaza, cafés and restaurants. In a nutshell, El Medano offers the perfect compromise between tranquillity and energy.
The closest airport to El Medano is Tenerife South Airport, which is just 7km away, and connects to a huge number of cities across Europe.
Given that the resort is just a few kilometres away, the most convenient way of getting from the airport to El Medano is certainly by taxi. Alternatively, you can pre-book a hotel transfer or pick up a hire car from the airport.
El Medano enjoys a temperate climate, with average summer temperatures of around 28C. The resort’s location in the south of the island means it is well guarded from prevailing winds, helping to ensure consistently good weather throughout the seasons.
Indeed, whilst the peak period is during the summer, the resort is also a fantastic winter retreat thanks to this enduring sunny weather.
Since many visitors to El Medano will be coming for watersports, it will also be of interest to note that the sea temperature fluctuate very little as well, remaining pleasant all year round.
At the heart of El Médano life are the endless golden beaches that extend for over 3km along its coast. Whilst many of them meld almost into one, they are all distinctive in one way or another. Here follows a brief description of them all:
Firstly, the stretch of sand close to the main Plaza de Principe de Asturía is particularly family-friendly, with a children’s playground nearby. Then there is possibly the south’s most beautiful natural beach, La Tejita, which can be reached on foot from El Médano.
At the far western edge of the resort is Playa Machado which is entirely given over to surfers. For naturists, marking the easternmost edge of the resort, at the foot of the Pelada Mountain is Playa de La Pelada, one of Tenerife's most popular nudist beaches.
Finally, rounding the headland on the eastern side of the resort is a stretch of beach that is often used for international surfing and boarding competitions. Here, the winds bluster at their strongest, creating manna from heaven for the watersports fraternity.
All that beach action is likely to leave you famished, and for eating out you won’t be short of options in El Medano. For a relatively small resort, it has a wealth of restaurants ranging from cute tapas bars with small terraces, to Mexican, Japanese and various other international cuisines.
For nightlife, this is not the resort to come to if you want your nights filled with comedy and cabaret. But if you enjoy stylish, laid-back Bohemian bars, then you’ll love El Médano’s chilled-out scene. One of the most popular venues is Flashpoint, located at the western end of the boardwalk, while around Plaza Roja on the east side of the village is where you’ll find most of the late night venues like Manfred’s Soul Café, Jeip and Que pasa.