El Médano (Windsurfing & Kitesurfing Capital)

A laid-back coastal town on Tenerife's south-east coast, world-renowned as one of the best windsurfing and kitesurfing destinations in the world. El Médano hosts multiple international windsurfing and kitesurfing championships annually on the PWA World Tour. The consistent trade winds (locally known as "El Médano Effect") provide ideal conditions year-round, especially from April to September. The town features a 2 km-long natural sandy beach split into several sections: the main Playa de El Médano (central, family-friendly), Playa de Leocadio Machado (also called Playa Chica), and Playa de la Tejita — a vast undeveloped beach to the south backed by the Montaña Roja (Red Mountain), a 171 m volcanic cone. The town retains an authentic Canarian character with a pedestrianised centre, seafood restaurants, surf shops, and a relaxed, international atmosphere popular with the global windsurfing community.