Properties in Los Cristianos Lupain Tenerife Estate Agents

Properties in Los Cristianos from Lupain Tenerife Estate Agents

Los Cristianos and how it all began

The impression by many foreigners is that like Playa de las Americas, Los Cristianos is a purpose built resort catering to sun seekers & pubs drinkers which is nowhere than the truth. In fact this may surprise many as Los Cristianos is a village with a history going back over a 100 years from the boom of tourism which only started in 1980s.

The actual history dates as far back as the 16th century which may surprise a few people. Los Cristianos has been for many years been a fishing village and today still retains this tradition which makes buying a property in Los Cristianos more attractive. History shows that in 1860 this fishing village consisted of just 4 houses but by 1888 boasts of growing in popularity and to 29 houses. Twenty years later the foundation was set to build the port which it is still here and commonly known as ‘El Puerto Viejo’. By 1919 the locals started tomato and banana plantations to supplement the fishing trade together with a salt pan and together with factory for salty fish. With all this and bringing riches to the area it also generated an influx of workers from other parts of the island and the village grew and the building of a new church which was dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Due to the flourishing fish industry a larger port was commissioned, to accommodate all the fishing industry and this also started a budding business into commercial shipping dedicated to the importation and exportation for this area of Tenerife.

So how did the tourism industry start in los Cristianos. This is credited to a Swede called Bengt Rylander who came to Los Cristianos in 1956. As he was suffering from multiple sclerosis he arrived here for the warm climate which helped with his heath. Being in this climate he found it beneficial and being a writer and TV personality he was able to spread the word in his Nordic countries this brought over much need publicity and the start of the tourism boom.

The above gave Los Cristianos popularity as a resort for sun seeking Swedes who came here for their health. Due to this the local town hall named one of its main street ‘Avenida de Suecia’ and the building of ‘Casa Sueca’ a Swedish Church located close to the beach front. As this gained fame with other nationalities namely British & Germans developers started to build new development to cater for accommodation in Los Cristianos. This created Costamar, Cristimar, Rosamar and Princess Dacil Hotel were built to house the tourists and still being used today. Built over 50 years they are today not the prettiest of buildings but even today due to their location very sought after properties. The mass tourism started in 1970 when the new Reina Sofia South Airport was opened and this brought in a flood of developers and mass construction.

Los Cristianos old Town

Los Cristianos has managed, even with the purpose built construction to accommodate its tourists, to keep its original old town architecture and its fishing village appeal. There is has an old town center narrow streets much of which have been regenerated recently but still keeping the with its humble origins. Walking down these old narrow street is evident that the typical architecture of the old town houses are Canarian and many locals still live here with their families.

Today the town is still small and very handicap friendly with most streets with ramped for easy access for our wheelchair aided holiday maker. For the rest of us it’s easy to wander though, with plenty of modern outdoor cafes, shops, tapas restaurants. The village being close to the sea offers relaxing shopping experience ideal for tourists and locals alike. Every Sunday there is a big outdoor market situated close to the Las Tarajales beach. While in the winter it is pleasant to walk round this market due to the mild temperature shopping for local handicraft.

Now a buoyant tourist destination with numbers increasing every year the town hall has realized that this potential to attract tourists needs to be kept and therefore needed upgrading. The first area to ben regenerated was the beach front and this has been updated with new decking, old buildings renovated, more benches to sit and enjoy the warm days. Also the seafront has seen a major improvements in play parks for the younger guests and the creation of new gardens which are regularly maintained. There has been new holiday complexes built a little further away from the seafront like Cristian Sur, Victoria Court, El Mirador (which has many popular bars & restaurants) where property is very much in demand. None of these are high rise and they have been built to cater for holidaymakers or the expat who lives here on a permanent basis.

The harbour of Los Cristianos

The port of Los Cristianos is a hub of activity as it is still full of fishing boats and fresh fish is sold at the harbour by the locals every day. A bigger port was extended in 1975 and now houses large ferries which sail to the nearby island of Gomera several times a day. On the beach promenade walking towards the harbour you will find of excursions shop selling trips from the port for glass bottomed boats to see whales and dolphins. You will also get stopped by street sellers offering you fishing and diving excursions to various parts of the island.