Though
largely
given
over to
the
tourist
industry,
LAS
GALLETAS
still
has the
feel of
a small
coastal
town
with a
handful
of
shops,
bars and
restaurants
scattered
along
the
seafront
and
inland
along
its main
pedestrian
street.
Beside
Las
Galletas
the
large
COSTA
DEL
SILENCIO
resort
now
forms a
couple
of miles
of
almost
uninterrupted
development
containing
numerous
expat
businesses
- mostly
restaurants
and
bars. In
the
absence
of any
real
beach,
growth
here is
spurred
on by
the
success
of the
complex-oriented
holiday,
as begun
at
Ten-Bel
in the
1960s,
and an
apparently
boundless
demand
for
holiday
and
retirement
apartments
in
southern
Tenerife.
Certainly,
it's not
the
peace
along
this
stretch
that
encourages
tourism,
its name
-
meaning
"Coast
of
Silence"
-
something
of a
misnomer
since
the
opening
of the
nearby
international
airport
in 1978.
Yet it's
only at
peak
flying
times
that you
notice
the
planes -
for the
most
part it
is the
continual
din of
pneumatic
drills
and
cement
mixers
on the
numerous
building
sites
that is
most
likely
to
disturb
the
peace.
For this
reason
alone,
it is
worth
avoiding
the
eastern
end of
town on
most
weekdays.
Just
beyond
the
noise of
these
building
sites,
however,
is the
small
protected
area
around
Montaña
Amarilla
, which
provides
a
respite
from
development
as does
the
undeveloped
rocky
outcrop
containing
some
spectacular
cacti
just
beyond.
While to
the west
of Las
Galletas,
Rasca
Nature
Reserve
offers a
similar
arid
landscape
and is a
good
location
for
hikes
west to
Montaña
Guaza
, centre
of
another
nature
reserve.
The
town and
resort
A
pleasant
enough
Canarian
coastal
town in
its own
right,
Las
Galletas
mainly
attracts
visitors
to its
large
adjoining
resort
area,
the
Costa
del
Silencio
. As the
nearest
urban
centre
to this
resort,
the town
has a
small
collection
of
modest
shops,
restaurants
and
cafés -
many of
which
line the
promenade
that
adjoins
a small
harbour
area
, itself
a
pleasant
place
for a
short
stroll.
The main
shopping
area,
however,
is
further
inland,
along
the
pedestrianized,
Calle
Central
, one of
a number
of
narrow
streets
lined
with the
nondescript
modern
buildings
that
make up
the town
centre.
From
here
it's a
short
walk
south to
another,
more
pleasant,
but
considerably
less
lively
pedestrianized
area,
the tree-lined
avenue
La
Rambla
that
hems in
buildings
along
the
seafront.
Here
you'll
find a
small
selection
of
restaurants
overlooking
a
slender
promenade
and a
narrow
pebble
beach,
where
the
waves
crashing
along
the
rocky
shoreline
attract
local
surfers
and body-boarders.
The
beach
continues
well
west of
town,
though
its
length
is
interrupted
by a
large
concrete
sea
defence,
built to
shelter
fishing
boats in
the tiny
harbour.
The
murky
waters
of the
small
man-made
bay are
home to
a number
of small
fishing
boats as
well as
vessels
belonging
to the
town's
numerous
diving
schools,
all are
watched
over by
the
handful
of
sunbathers
that
regularly
lie on
the
surrounding
pebble
beach.
The
focal
point of
Costa
del
Silencio
is east
of Las
Galletas
along
Avenida
Tavio
Alfonso,
the main
road
through
the
resort.
The main
centres
of
activity
along
this
stretch
are
three
charmless
commercial
centres:
CC
Trebol
and
CC El
Chaparral
,
opposite
each
other
and
beside
Ten-Bel
at the
western
end of
the road,
and
CC
Coralmar
Square
, at the
eastern
end.
Each
mall
contains
a
similar
collection
of shops
and
services,
from
small
supermarkets
and
travel
agents
to
restaurants
and bars.
