Best known for its long sandy beaches and breezy conditions, allowing great year-round windsurfing, the small town of EL MEDANO , 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

El Médano centres on Plaza Principe de Asturia , a multilevel plaza surrounded by restaurants and cafés and bordering the large main beach. It also marks the start of a boardwalk that heads west along the coast above the warped sandstone rocks that line the beach and lead to an area reserved for windsurfers to assemble their equipment before launching off into the reliably good winds here. West of the plaza is the town's second main square, Plaza Roja . A coastal road leads from here around a flat headland to a line of quiet beaches five minutes walk further east, where prevailing winds whip up waves for surfers and bodyboarders, making the beach too windy for sunbathing.

Two striking hills of warped and twisted volcanic rock flank the town at either end of the coastline. To the west the 171-metre high Montaña Roja is the centre of a nature reserve protecting a dune ecosystem. One path through this area leads to the summit while another rounds the hill on its inland side. The latter leads to a massive, beautiful, windswept and shadeless Playa de la Tejita . To the east, along a dirt road that flanks the coast, is the magnificent crater of Montaña Pelada , shaped by the influx of seawater during a volcanic eruption. A hiking trail begins from a sheltered sandy bay on the west side of the mountain - a favourite with nudist sunbathers - and leads steeply up to the crater rim, from where there are good views along the coast and over the couple of tiny, quiet beaches below. You can follow a trail around the crater rim, returning back down the steep west side, or descend on its northern side to link up with a track that leads east to a wind farm, Parque Eólico . The hike is about a three hour return trip and is detailed in a free booklet available from the tourist office. It's also fun to explore the area by mountain bike on trails that require little off-road experience.