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Los Cristianos is a town in Spain with a population of approximately 19,000 (2009), situated on the south coast of the Canary Island of Tenerife. Located in the municipality of Arona between the cone of the mountain Chayofita and the greater mountain Guaza. The town centre is around the Los Cristianos bay, but is rapidly expanding inland with modern development. The town is a popular tourist resort and includes a ferry port. Unlike its bustling neighbour, Playa de las Américas, this town has a history that predates the tourist boom of the 1970s and 1980s. For many years this holiday hub was a quiet fishing village and evidence of its humble origins can still be seen in the typical Canarian architecture of the older buildings. Nowadays however, the town offers a holiday experience, with two black volcanic sand beaches, a multitude of bars and restaurants and its year round sunny climate. There is a wealth of accommodation to suit all budgets, including hotels, self-catering apartments and timeshare resorts. There are also a wealth of excursions focused around the town's busy port including dolphin and whale watching as well as game fishing trips and party cruises. Los Cristianos made international headlines in May 2011 when a British expatriate, Jennifer Mills-Westley, was murdered in a busy supermarket in the town. A homeless Bulgarian man randomly attacked the retired grandmother by stabbing her in the neck fourteen times, beheading her, then carrying her severed head out into the street before being tackled by security.[1] Svenska: Los Cristianos är en stad i Spanien med en befolkning på cirka 19 tusen (2009), som ligger på sydkusten av kanarieön Teneriffa. Ligger i kommunen Arona mellan könen av berget Chayofita och större berget Guaza. Stadens centrum är runt Los Cristianos bukten, men snabbt växande inre med modern utveckling. Staden är en populär turistort och inkluderar en färjehamn. Till skillnad från sin livliga granne, har Playa de las Américas, denna stad en historia som är äldre än turismen på 1970 och 1980-talen. Under många år denna semester nav var en lugn fiskeby och bevis för dess enkla ursprung kan fortfarande ses i den typiska kanariska arkitekturen av de äldre byggnaderna. Numera erbjuder dock staden en semester upplevelse, med två svarta vulkaniska sandstränder, en mängd barer och restauranger och dess året runt soliga klimat. Det finns en uppsjö av boende som passar alla budgetar, inklusive hotell, lägenheter med självhushåll och resorts tidsdelning. Det finns också en uppsjö av utflykter fokuserade kring stadens livliga hamnen med delfiner och valsafari samt spel fisketurer och kryssningar part. Los Cristianos gjort internationella rubriker maj 2011 då en brittisk utlandsstationerad, Jennifer Mills-Westley, mördades i en hektisk stormarknad i staden. En hemlös bulgariska mannen attackerade slumpmässigt den pensionerade mormor genom att hugga henne i halsen fjorton gånger, halshuggning henne, sedan bär hon avhuggna huvud ut på gatan innan hanteras av säkerhet. [1]
Overview and HistoryThe Canary Islands lie off the west coast of Africa and exist as an autonomous community belonging to Spain.There are seven major islands in the archipelago and one minor island, then several small pointy bits which grumble about their diminutive status. The big ones are Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, La Palma, Lanzarote, El Hierro, and La Gomera.The whole group is the result of volcanic activity from 60 million years ago, which is why the beaches have black sand for you to crunch along on. There are no active volcanos at the moment, but one never knows. Another way to say it is that these islands are part of the Atlas Mountain range which can be traced across northern Africa.At one point in the 16th century the islands were called "the sugar islands" for their production of cane sugar. The economy has since developed wineries, agriculture and now tourism as principal activity.Getting ThereThe Canary Islands have six airports in total. Here's a quick reference for the airports. The main international airport is Gran Canaria Airport, the gateway to the islands. It's 18km south of Las Palmas and has EU, International and Inter-Island terminals.TransportationHighway maintenance to the Canary Islands is sorely lacking, ha ha. Ferry service connects the islands to each other, but you can also take a small plane to hop between them.On the islands you can rent a car but be sure to carry your passport and license with you all the time. People ride bikes and take the guagua bus to get around. (It's pronounced "wa-wa".) Bus schedules can be infrequent or sporadic. Tenerife and Gran Canaria have impressive public transport systems that cover most of their islands.People and CultureThe Canary currency is the Euro; the islands are one of the farthest outlaying regions of the Euro zone.The culture is undoubtedly Spanish, but the mainland custom of kissing on both cheeks when you say hello can be abbreviated to only one kiss. You need quick reflexes to get it right. There's an accent that's a little bit different from mainland, and not quite the same as South American spanish either. The saying is that islanders talk "with potatos in their mouth" because of their lazy-sounding pronunciation.Things to do, RecommendationsHere's a basic look at the main islands. The way we see it, if you need directions for how to have fun on a tropical island full of fruit and fish, you're beyond our help.The largest island is Tenerife with about two thousand square kilometers and a wide variety of plant life and terrain. It is home to the highest point "in Spain", the volcano El Teide at 3718 meters. Tenerife has excellent weather all year round, with a wide variety of terrain and vegetation including crops such as bananas, tomatos and potatos.La Palma does not have very many beaches, and they are not very long. Two popular ones are in Puerto Naos on the west side, and Los Cancajos on the east. Most of the island is a biological reserve. It's known as "the green island"; come here for the mountains, sweet bananas and vineyards.On Gran Canaria you can choose from endless sandy beaches, dunes, mountains and also lush green scenery. This island is home to more than half the population of the Canary Islands.Fuertaventura has the oldest history. Homer mentioned it in his brief travel guide called "The Odyssey." Its name may come from the expression "What a great adventure!", or possibly, "strong wind." It's only separated from continental Africa by a narrow channel. Fuertaventura has the longest of all the beaches, and wonderful fine sand.Lanzarote is a Biosphere Reserve under UNESCO declaration, and comprises one of the six universal models of sustainable development according to the World Tourism Organization. Lanzarote is the farthest East of the major islands and has a year-round average temperature of 22 degrees C.La Gomera sports a National Park with dense forestation, crossed by deep ravines and surrounded by a perimeter of cliffs along most of the coast. Islanders have a special whistling language to communicate across the gorges in the forest.Text by Steve Smith.
