I recently read a blog in which the blogger posed the question, what is it about Puerto de la Cruz that makes some people recommend it so frequently on forums such as Tripadvisor. After all, you can number the ‘what to dos’ of the resort on the fingers of one hand, particularly for teenagers, whereas the resorts of the south are jam packed with theme parks.
It got me wondering how many holidaymakers from the UK now rely on manufactured entertainment in order to enjoy themselves?
I can honestly say that in all our years of traveling, Jack and I have never once, even remotely, considered what a place had to offer in terms of things laid on for visitors before deciding to travel there. In fact, if anything that would be a factor against going.
All the fun of Siam Park without the entrance fee
Our very good friends, the Largies’ have been coming to stay in Puerto de la Cruz ever since we moved here. To begin with they just brought their then 14 year old daughter and her friend but they had so much fun that next time the party had grown to include their 17 year old son and his friend. Now completely hooked, they all arrived again the following year when the offspring and their friends were16 yrs and 19 yrs respectively.
In fact, they all enjoyed it so much and wanted to come back so frequently that we had to put a stop to it as we were having far too much fun and not actually working for a living – a balance that can only lead to one destination – Skintville.
Crater capers
In all the times the Largies came they only left the resort twice – once to go to Mount Teide with which they were blown away, and once to go to Aqualand which they thought was an overpriced disappointment.
I have no doubt they would have enjoyed Siam Park, on the other hand the waves at Playa Jardín gave them just as many adrenalin-packed thrills and spills and didn’t cost anything. They may have enjoyed a visit to Veronica’s or Starco’s but instead they danced the nights away in the streets at Carnaval and in the local clubs where they met a cosmopolitan set of new friends. Perhaps Castillo de San Miguel would have been a novelty for them but instead they played Russian roulette over plates of pimientos de padrón in Bar Louis and practised their Spanish over ordering postres and drinks.
I don’t consider that Puerto de la Cruz is the only resort on Tenerife and it certainly won’t suit the majority of visitors who seem to want their sun, sand and sea accompanied by cabaret and theme parks. But I’m not convinced that everyone needs their entertainment to be packaged, admission charged and sold as ‘get your fun here’, regardless of what age they are…are you?
Isn’t the beauty of this island that we, actually, have alternatives in such a small space, and with such consistently good weather? Maybe some people are too lazy or too tired, or too conditioned-by-whatever to think about what they want to do, and need to have it manufactured for them, and maybe others feel the need to explore and be stimulated by new experiences. Then again there are times when we need the choice, and there are times when we don’t have money for the manufactured stuff. Almost always I would go for the “natural” …….. this from someone who has been to Disneyworld five times…….to everything there is a season, and for visitors to Tenerife there is something for every mood I think.
Indeed we are lucky and it’s great to have so many choices of things to do and I agree absolutely that Tenerife can be many things to suit many people and moods.
I have noticed though that some places are labelled as ‘not suitable’ for anyone under the age of 50 because they don’t have the requisite number of theme parks and man made attractions. I worry that, with the advent of advanced entertainment systems like Playstation and CGI, that Brits have become dependant on manufactured enjoyment to keep boredom levels at bay.
Happily, our friends’ teenagers clearly disproved that point but I suspect that, had we not been living here in Puerto, they would have gone to PDLA or Costa Adeje and not known any different.
LOL! You just reminded me of something which happened when I was working for a telecommunications company (no names, no packdrill). Customer living on certain golf resort rang to say ADSL not working. After roughly 24 hours or so, during which the company wasn’t able to restore it, he rang again complaining bitterly that his children had nothing to do because they couldn’t play their online games! This in summertime, here, on a complex with a magnificent swimming pool, and within easy reach of several beaches, just to name a couple of options open to them!
i stayed at tenerife and it was amazing best holiday for ever xxx