Nightlife in Las Américas is vast in quantity but limited in variety, based as it is around clubs and fun-pubs churning out live music of dubious quality, often by celebrity lookalikes. Though numerous bars and restaurants are to be found throughout the resort, three commercial centres are particularly renowned for their high concentration of bars and clubs. The first,
CC Veronicas is the most notorious and centrepiece of the alcohol-fuelled, nocturnal world from which this resort gets a large part of its reputation. Slightly more salubrious is
CC Starco , across the road, which contains fewer clubs, but more bars, and tends to get busy earlier (from around 10pm) - only when bars here close (at around 3am), do patrons migrate to the clubs in Veronicas. In both of these areas you'll be accosted every few paces by a tout trying to drag you into a club or bar . The third area,
The Patch is in northern Los Moritos, and tends to cater to an older clientele. Filled with more than its fair share of naff restaurants and unattractive bars full of plastic patio furniture, venues here tend to dabble in vaguely music hall-style cabaret, or host musicians impersonating the likes of Elvis Presley, Elton John, Tina Turner or Billy Idol.
By virtue of its popularity with an older set of holiday-makers, nightlife in Los Cristianos is much more sedate than that in Las Américas, with just one notable bar in the centre and a couple worth checking out on the fringes of the resort.
Touts
While being
touted to go into the various bars and clubs in the resorts can quickly become irritating, you can use the system to your own advantage, since most clubs give discounts on your first drinks (usually well above normal island prices), if you arrive accompanied by a tout. And to make the most of the system, it therefore pays to swap bars frequently. (No cover charge is levied at any of the bars or clubs in town.) However, before going in anywhere, you'd be well advised to check it's not empty first. The proliferation of bars and clubs mean that though all usually fill with patrons eventually, particularly in the summer months, many also have long idle spells in the early evening, - particularly in the off season - when they are devoid of atmosphere.
Las Américas
Aside from what's listed below, there's the flamboyant shows of the Pirámide de Arona at the Mare Nostrum Resort (tel 922/796 360), which puts on various acts, including regular and reasonable flamenco, occasional ballet and the odd theatre performance. Tickets bought through agents and hotels are usually cheaper than those at the venue. There's also the Casino Royal in the same complex for classy gambling in smart dress only - note that you'll need to take your passport along as ID here. A curious but popular and well-promoted evening attraction (and served by shuttle buses from the resorts - pickup arranged with ticket purchase) is a large beige, breeze block castle, Castillo San Miguel , on the road to Buzanada, off the San Miguel - Autopista del Sur road (Jctn 62), that hosts mock jousting and much other medieval-style merriment (Mon, Wed, Thurs & Sat 8pm; from ¬24). After a kitsch banquet The Drifters take the stage playing 60s hits to round things off. Tickets are available through various hotels or can be bought on the door at 7.30pm.
Bobby's , CC Las Veronicas. Thanks to exposure in a Sky TV docusoap, this dark first-floor club is the most famous in Veronicas. It shares a landing with another, similar club Busby's . Both get busy from about 2am and concentrate on pumping out thumping dance music onto their meat-market dance floors.
Bonkers , CC Las Veronicas. Small busy basement club playing contemporary pop and many standard party favourites. The club's DJs try to showcase themselves, interspersing music with somewhat feeble, but somehow captivating, attempts at entertaining cabaret. Bonkers tends to get busier earlier than many other clubs, chiefly due to arrangements it has with tour operators who bring their flocks of fun seekers here on nights out.
Dubliner Pub , Hotel Las Palmeras , Los Moritos. Dependable source of good craic in a fun atmosphere near The Patch. The pubs popularity is based on word-of-mouth rather than busy touts, with an enthusiastic live band playing a mix of vaguely contemporary hits to a large, mixed-age crowd. Busiest between 10pm and 4am.
Leopard Lounge , CC Las Veronicas. Stylish, though often empty club on the southern side of Veronicas. Unusually for the area, it is patronized by a high proportion of non-British holiday-makers.
Lineker's Bar , CC Starco. Fun party atmosphere orchestrated nightly by DJs in a bar owned by former England footballer Gary Lineker and run by his brother. This is one of the few places to get going early (around 10pm) and the bar is also open during the day (from noon) to peddle souvenir merchandise and show live sporting events.
Moonlight Fun Pub , Pueblo Torviscas. Consistently popular fun-pub drawing a mixed-age crowd to its excellent location overlooking the ocean from a seafront promenade. Cheesy nightly shows feature Billy Idol and Tina Turner lookalikes.
Noctooa , Beside CC Las Veronicas. Vast club almost exclusively patronized by locals. The place is packed and fun on weekends and devoid of the tawdry, down-at-heel atmosphere present in nearby Veronicas.
Soul Train , CC Starco. Large dark basement club serving up R&B and hip-hop, this is one of the few venues in Las Américas not playing Techno or dance music. Usually gets going from around 3am.
Tunnel , CC Las Veronicas. When most clubs are closing, this dingy basement club begins to fill, mostly with cliques of off-duty touts from the other clubs, who tend to be a bit stand-offish towards outsiders. Trance, hard house and garage thumps here until dawn.
Los Cristianos
La Bohéme , C/Juan XXIII 16. A stylish cocktail bar mostly popular with young Canarians.
Café Mestiz , Paseo Maritimo. A pleasant laid-back terrace bar with a vaguely South American theme, whose drinks menu includes some good cocktails.
Chicago's , Paseo Maritimo. An American theme bar with a large terrace that overlooks the sea, serves a good range of American-style bar food..
Establo , C/Pablo Abril 5. By virtue of being the only disco in the centre of the resort, the mediocre Establo has a stranglehold on the tiny Los Cristianos club scene. Closed mid-Nov to mid-Dec.
