Best known for its long sandy beaches and breezy conditions, allowing great year-round windsurfing, the small town of EL MÉDANO , 7km east of the Golf del Sur, has developed into a laid-back resort for sporty types. As a pioneer of tourism in the region, the town has not escaped the on-going building boom, yet it has managed to retain a pleasant easy-going atmosphere thanks to some thoughtful development and its continued popularity with Tenerifian's, many of whom have holiday homes here.

 

The central Plaza Principe de Asturia , which joins a boardwalk spanning the length of the large, natural main beach is lined with shops selling clothing and watersports paraphernalia to the windsurfing crowd that congregate here; and the presence of health-food shops and places running yoga courses also help to give the place a trendy, bohemian feel. Despite the presence of several large beaches , however, it's best not to have your heart set on sun bathing, since the local winds that make this place so popular for surfing often create sandstorms that make it an uncomfortable and chilly business. On these days it's worth hiking to the two nature areas around Montaña Pelada and Montaña Roja that flank the town's east and west sides respectively.

In the week before Easter El Médano gets particularly lively, filling with young islanders who come here to party and whose tented villages spring up on the beach, joining the large camper vans of the windsurfing community