In the second of our series going undercover of the night to check Tenerife’s nightlife, Tenerife Magazine went bar hopping in Costa Adeje.

With the sun casting a golden glow over the land, I knew the perfect place to begin investigating Costa Adeje’s nightlife. Lighthouses usually act as a warning to steer clear, but the one at Faro Chill Art Bar is a beacon attracting the effortlessly cool, beautiful people…well, them and me.

Faro Chill Art Bar – Part One
Über-chic and then some, Faro Chill Art is the type of bar that deserves to be frequented by Hollywood stars. The décor oozes such style and imagination that even if I’d been wearing a carnival queen’s costume I’d have felt dull and conservative by comparison. After being tempted by the Zen terrace and the Mediterranean blue cushions of the Greek terrace, I ordered a glass of vino and climbed to the Ítaca terrace to enjoy the sunset from the rooftop. Drink prices at Faro are higher than average, but a visit is an experience not to be missed – and guys you have to try the bathroom. Feeling like I was being adulterous by simply visiting the loo was a unique experience.

By 10pm, it was time to stop chilling and start rocking.

In & Out
In & Out’s typically beach side tables and chairs can’t match Faro’s style. But you don’t need style when you’ve got heavy metal heroes, Soundchaser wowing the crowds night after night. I’d read rave reviews about Soundchaser, but was still blown away by how good they were. Note-perfect covers of Hendrix, Zeppelin, Dream Theater and Cream classics as well as their own compositions had old and new rockers in the crowd head-banging in ecstasy. Lead singer, Marcos Rodriguez possesses bucket loads of charisma and his witty asides pumped up the entertainment factor; at one point casting his eyes heavenwards in disgust as a woeful version of Sailing drifted down from a karaoke bar above. Again prices were a bit higher than average (€3.50 for a pint of lager, €8 for a spirit and mixer), but good value with a quality band like Soundchaser in the mix.

Captivated by Soundchaser’s demonic spell I’d lingered longer than I’d planned; reluctantly I tore myself away to seek out other forms of nightlife.

I paused outside Moonlight Bar, but strains of Engelbert Humberdinck emanating from inside had me quickening my step again. Following Soundchaser with music that was outdated when I was a teenager just didn’t do it for me. Similarly AJ’s Bar None lacked the buzz I sought and I wondered if I’d been spoiled by Soundchaser. Then the sound of soft reggae weaved its way through the night and I instantly knew my next stop.

Lisboa Bar
An unassuming bar whose mock Tudor beams seemed unusual for somewhere with a Portuguese name. It turned out that it was under new ownership and had only been open in its current incarnation for two months. There was nothing particularly special about the bar except that Grinder Circus, the two guitar playing musicians who formed the bar’s band, were creating some damn fine music; a quasi-acoustic mix of reggae and hip-swaying Cuban sounds with some U2 thrown in for good measure. It was simply a friendly bar in which to knock back a beer (€2).

Eleven thirty and time for pastures new. Onwards and upwards took me past Harley’s. Having a cocktail in the back of an open topped Cadillac looked fun, but I was seeking something livelier. A few steps more and I found it.

St Eugene’s
The perfect holiday bar, St Eugene’s (or Eugen’s – the website has two different spellings) was a revelation. An attractive bar with soft lighting and greenery giving it a warm and welcoming ambience. It was packed with people who weren’t just having a good time; they were having a party. Eugene’s was buzzing and that set it apart from bars I’d body swerved. This was clearly helped by the act, IS who kept the dance floor filled with crowd pleasing tunes ranging from Mowtown favourites to the Black Eyed Peas and Kings of Leon (note to other bars churning out Please Release Me & Little Old Wine Drinker Me – everyone from 16 to 60 year olds sang along to The Kings of Leon). Bar service was quick (just as well as the table service wasn’t) and prices were reasonable given the entertainment (€3 a pint of lager). The atmosphere in Eugene’s was such good fun that I was sorry when IS finished their set.

By 1am bars seemed to be winding down and I was about to call it a night when I noticed that cars were streaming into the area.

Faro Chill Art Bar – Part Two
A botellón (open air party) was in full flow in the plaza outside Faro and hundreds of young Canarios downed JD’s and Coke before joining a massive queue snaking towards the entrance to Faro.

The queues were too long and I felt way too old to re-enter Faro’s world at this point anyway. So, as bars aimed at visitors wound down and those aimed at Canarios filled up, I decided I’d hopped my last bar and it was time for a meeting with the sandman.

Factfile:  All bars featured are located in the area around and above Puerto Colón. Soundchaser perform nightly from 9.30pm at In & Out: There are different acts each night at St Eugene’s from 10pm: Faro Chill Art also regularly features theme nights and live music – keep an eye on their website for details

With summer’s sultry nights heating up the nocturnal scene on Tenerife it seemed the perfect time to have a look at what Tenerife nightlife has to offer visitors and residents. To begin, this Saturday we went in search of lively bars in the centre of Puerto de la Cruz

Standing on Avenida Generalisimo at 10pm on a Saturday night revealed why nightlife in Puerto de la Cruz sometimes earns the reputation of being low key. Plenty of bars lined the avenue, but none had many customers.

Bar Cimaï
Chosen because it was the only bar in the avenue that was remotely busy, but that was because a birthday party was taking place on its upper floor; something I didn’t discover till I accidentally gate-crashed it. Still, the French owner was friendly, a bottle of beer cost €1.50 and the music was nostalgically 80s.

Moving to Avenida Colón at 10.30pm revealed a much livelier scene. The pavement cafés were full and hordes of Saturday night strollers provided a roaring trade for African hair braiders and the caricature artists.

Café de la Noche
The liveliest bar on the promenade; entering past Marilyn Monroe holding down her billowing white dress revealed an interior of art deco mirrors and Tiffany lamps. The dance floor was full, but a tad Strictly Come Dancing. A litre of wine was under €10 but although no spring chicken myself, I felt as though I was there twenty years too early.

By 11pm, it was time to try the old town. En route, singing from Molly Malone’s near the harbour sounded promising. The bar, popular in winter months, was almost empty, so I decided to give it a miss. Same thing with the Jardín Karaoke Bar.

Arriving at Plaza del Charco it explained why a lot of bars were quiet; everybody was there, enjoying the bubbling atmosphere around the palm and Indian laurel tree-lined plaza. At one end, the Plaza Café overflowed with a mix of mature visitors and locals being serenaded by a female Spanish vocalist whilst at the other, in the Frigata, Tasquita and Hannen bars, a younger clientele chattered animatedly above an MTV soundtrack.

As midnight approached it was time to follow the in-crowd to the hottest night spots in town around Calle Blanco and Calle Iriarte.

Blanco Bar
Blanco Bar oozed style and über-chic décor from sleek white walls and ultra violet lighting in the bar and concert area to rattan settees in the outdoor terrace situated on four levels. The bar’s patrons were mainly in their early thirties, but there was a mix of ages. Service was exceptional and I was served quickly even though the bar was heaving. A bit pricier than other bars, a bottle of beer cost €2.50, but then the entertainment is free.
At first I thought the band, Supertrópica, were a comedy group in frilly shirts and Elton John style sunglasses. The lead singer’s curiously cartoon-ish voice didn’t help dispel that assumption. But their infectious performance, an energetic combination of summery pop and R&B riffs had me grinning and chanting ‘otra, otra’ with everyone else at the end of the set.

Limbo Bar
Further up Calle Blanco, a wooden staircase in a colonial courtyard led to Limbo’s huge terrace. By 1.20am it was sardine tin busy and manoeuvring anywhere involved getting intimately close to people. The bar staff were fast workers, but not great at spotting who was next in line, so a couple of ‘oigas’ were essential.
A spirit, the equivalent of three or four UK measures, and mixer was €6.
The young clientele, mainly in their early 20s, included a surfeit of stunningly beautiful girls, many with stiletto heels longer than the hemlines of the chic dresses they wore with the poise and elegance of fashion models.

Azucar
Opposite Blanco, Cuban bar Azucar looked empty at 2.30am. But streams of people were entering and…disappearing. Further investigation revealed a soundproofed glass door which opened as I approached and Puerto was swapped for downtown Havana. The atmosphere inside was beyond hot; it was steamy, and bodies that brushed against me were wet with sweat. One part of the bar was in a courtyard overlooked by an old wooden balcony – straight out of a Bacardi advert. In the dark shadows, figures gyrated sensually to thumping salsa. It felt deliciously illicit. I ordered a mojito (€5) and marvelled at dance moves I’ll only ever achieve in my dreams.

By 3.30am a return to Avenida Generalisimo revealed a very different animal. Clubs that were invisible in daylight hours were filling up, their neon lights attracting clubbers from all over Tenerife’s north coast. Call me lightweight, but by then the only bright light I was interested in was the green one on top of a taxi.

Tenerife Magazine plans to be bar hopping all over Tenerife in the future, so if you know of any great bars, please share them with us…we’d hate to miss out on some secret gems.