A new Which? reader ranking of the Canary Islands’ 15 biggest resorts placed Playa de las Américas in Tenerife at the bottom, with visitors criticising its value for money, tourist attractions, shopping and atmosphere
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The worst resort in the Canary Islands has been slammed as unattractive, chaotic and overpriced, with some calling it the ‘new Benidorm’.
One person’s tropical haven is another’s nightmare. Plenty adore Benidorm with its budget Sunday dinners, towering hotels and lively entertainment district, while others would sooner stay home with the curtains drawn than venture to Alicante.
The same applies to Spain’s Canary Islands. A fresh Which? reader survey of the archipelago’s 15 largest resorts positioned a chic, upscale destination at the summit, and a spot notorious for all-night revelry and cut-price pints at the very bottom.
Playa de las Américas in Tenerife has landed at the foot of a Which? reader survey. Visitors criticised the resort’s value for money, tourist attractions, shopping and atmosphere.
Its accommodation performed more favourably, securing four out of five stars. At the opposite end of the rankings, Puerto de Mogán in Gran Canaria seized first place, with acclaim for its food, accommodation and scenery. Which? readers aren’t the first tourists to slate Playa de las Américas. One Mumsnet contributor remembered: “One of the overriding memories was the amount of cockroaches – they were EVERYWHERE.”
Travel guide Wikivoyage also cautions about overcrowding, noting: “The beaches are crowded during all hours of the day.”
Last year, Swedish content creator @amberleigh.travels attracted attention in the Spanish media after drawing comparisons between Tenerife and another well-loved Spanish holiday hotspot.
“I fear that Tenerife is slowly becoming like Benidorm,” she said in a TikTok video that has attracted more than 1.5 million views. She pointed out the abundance of mobility scooters in the resort and the large number of British tourists she came across.
It’s not difficult to understand why so many Brits flock there. EasyJet, Jet2 and Ryanair all operate direct flights from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Tenerife, with fares starting from as little as £30 this December.
In a recent piece titled ‘the brutal truth behind the Tenerife tourism trap’, journalist Ava Hughes suggested that the issues stretch beyond Playa de las Américas to other areas along the island’s southern coastline.
“For decades, the southern coast of Tenerife-specifically Los Cristianos and Playa de las Américas-operated on a simple promise of sun, sand, and cheap beer. That model required constant expansion to remain profitable. Developers took every available inch of coastline, building upward and outward until the natural charm of the volcanic landscape was buried under layers of asphalt and breeze blocks,” Hughes wrote.
Yet other travel writers maintain that Playa de las Américas delivers precisely what it advertises. Nomad Traveller characterises it as a purpose-built destination created for mass tourism, rather than a peaceful getaway.
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“It does that job well, and on its own terms it delivers hard-to-beat value for sun, sea, and nightlife. But it is not trying to be anywhere else, and understanding that is the key to deciding whether it belongs on your itinerary,” the publication notes.
Which? takes a comparable stance, advising tourists to assess the resort based on its true nature.
“At the risk of sounding like a contrarian, can we suggest that the complaints are misplaced? To moan about budget tourism’s excesses in Playa de las Américas is like complaining that Las Vegas is brash. It’s in the place’s DNA. The resort has never pretended to be anything else since it appeared practically overnight in the late 1960s,” it says.
The consumer group also highlights more peaceful accommodation options and numerous attractions beyond the drinking establishments.
“Avoid Playa de las Américas beach unless you want to watch surfers. There are five other options for a beach towel, including calm Playa del Camisón. Hundreds of rental outfits, tour operators and Siam Park waterpark mean you’re as likely to run out of activities as bar options. It’s not even rowdy if you stay around Camisón beach. The trick to Playa de las Américas is to visit with your eyes open. Who knows, you may have a blast.”
The complete list of the 15 resorts can be found on the Which? website.
