Where is Playa de las Américas?

Which of the places listed below isn’t actually located in Playa de las Américas?

  • Playa de las Americas Bus Station
  • Casino Playa de las Americas
  • Siam Park and Siam Mall
  • La Casita de Taby (the number 1 restaurant in Playa de las Américas according to Tripadavisor reviewers in Aug 2016)

It’s a trick question as none of them are located in Las Américas.

Overlooking Playa del Bobo, Costa Adeje, Tenerife
So are we in Las Americas or is it Costa Adeje?

Some people might raise sceptical eyebrows at this point, especially those who have visited Playa de las Américas many times over the years and know exactly where they’ve been laying out their towels on the sand/sunbed.

The thing is anyone who knows for a fact that any of the above, and surrounding hotels/bars and restaurants, are in what they were told was Playa de las Américas might not be wrong. They just aren’t right.

The key words are ‘what they were told’.

For years much of the area which makes up the central part of Tenerife’s main southern resorts was known as Playa de las Américas.

Playa del Duque, Costa Adeje, Tenerife
There’s no question about where Del Duque is.

But then brand ‘Costa Adeje’ really took off, especially following the development of luxury hotels in the Del Duque area. As Costa Adeje became known as being the ‘upmarket’ part of the resort area, more and more areas were taken back into the fold by the municipality they belonged to, Adeje. Playa de las Américas, like Los Cristianos, is in Arona.

Over the years some names have been changed to reflect this. Some happened quite quickly, some have only been changed relatively recently.

Playa Troya, Costa Adeje, Tenerife
They’re close, but Playa Troya I and II are in Costa Adeje.

When we first moved to Tenerife, Playas Troyas I and II were known as Américas I and II. More recently Estación de Guaguas Playa de las Américas has become Estación de Guaguas Costa Adeje. Playa de las Américas bus station has ceased to exist.

Casino Playa de las Américas is still there, for the time being. But check out their website and you’ll see a header which reads Casino Playa de las Américas, Adeje. To confuse matters further the address on the same page is Av Rafael Puig Lluvina, Arona. The explanation for this, and for some other places with seemingly confused identities, is Av Rafael Puig Lluvina bridges two municipalities; Adeje and Arona.

It’s no wonder people are confused.

Basically Torviscas, San Eugenio, Puerto Colón, Fañabe and Del Duque are all in Costa Adeje. In fact any of the resort area west of Barranco de Troya and Barranco del Rey is located in Costa Adeje.

Bus station, Costa Adeje, Tenerife
When it WAS called Playa de las Americas bus station.

We’ve written about this before and there are plenty of people who remain unconvinced. I don’t blame them as many places have been popularly known as being in Las Américas for a long, long time. In theory there’s an easy way to check. Simply look at any establishment’s official address. Take the Hotel Troya immediately to the west of Barranco Troya, a stumble from Veronica’s which you’ll be glad to know is still in Playa de las Américas. Search for the hotel on Google Maps and the address shown is Playa de las Américas. Check the location on the hotel’s own website and you’ll find this – ‘… the Troya Hotel, located in Costa Adeje… ‘

Another very simple and conclusive way is to look at Adeje municipality’s boundary. That makes it very clear where Adeje’s coast (Costa Adeje) starts.

Bridge between Costa Adeje and La Americas, Tenerife
Where Costa Adeje meets Playa de las Americas.

The most amusing victim of all this confusion is La Casita de Taby, Tripadvisor’s number 1 restaurant in Playa de las Américas (as at 18 August 2016). Yet the little tapas restaurant is located near Playa del Bobo, quite deep into Costa Adeje territory.

So that’s the confusion cleared up then… or is it?

This is Tenerife, so things are rarely straightforward. Recently I’ve noticed a couple of bars located in Playa de las Américas which are now promoting themselves as being in Costa Adeje. Ironically, the winds of popularity have truly changed direction.

Maybe in another decade or so Playa de las Américas will no longer exist.

About Jack 434 Articles
Jack is co-editor, writer and photographer for BuzzTrips and the Real Tenerife series of travel websites as well as a contributor to online travel sites and travel magazines. Follow Jack on Facebook

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