How Our Tenerife Hostels Build Community Through Sport
Picture a Tuesday evening on a small football court in El Médano. Two teams, picked at random. One player grew up here in Tenerife, another flew in from Berlin yesterday, two more are passing through on a Nest Pass — and nobody fully shares a language. But everyone knows exactly what to do when the ball arrives.
By full-time they’re swapping handles and arguing about where to get dinner.
That scene has played out more than 45 times across Tenerife since November 2022. It’s the simplest idea we’ve ever had, and the one we’re proudest of: get people moving together, and the friendships sort themselves out.
Random teams, all ages — the whole point is that no two players are from the same place.
45+ events in 15 months
3 towns — El Médano, La Laguna and Puerto de la Cruz
150+ travellers and 100+ locals at the El Médano games alone
Most events free to join — guests and neighbours both welcome
El Médano: where football doubles as an English class
In El Médano, our weekly games ended up doing something we never planned: helping local kids practise their English.
The free street sport festival in El Médano — football, ping-pong, skateboarding and zero pressure to be good at any of them.
It happens at a little street pitch — the Polideportivo de El Médano — that’s brought together more than 150 international travellers and over 100 locals across 15 months: kids, teenagers and adults. When the games started, most local players could barely follow a conversation in English. A few months of playing alongside visitors changed that. Turns out the fastest way to learn a language is to actually want to talk to the person passing you the ball.
It kicked off properly on 26 February 2023, when we ran a free street sport festival at the polideportivo. More than 65 people showed up for street football, ping-pong and skateboarding — trophies for the winners, and a go for everyone. Parents came down just to watch their kids, and ended up playing too.
La Laguna: sport that quietly breaks down walls
In La Laguna, our tournaments bring together travellers, locals and young people from the nearby Las Raíces reception centre — and watching those groups turn into teammates is honestly the best part of the job.
We stay in touch with one of the centre’s team leaders, who brings a group of young people along whenever we organise a tournament at the Polideportivo José David Reyes Díaz. The first few times, some people kept their distance. A few games in, that faded — and the same faces started looking out for each other, on and off the pitch. Sport did most of the talking. We’ll keep showing up.
Mixed teams at the Polideportivo José David Reyes Díaz in La Laguna.
Puerto de la Cruz: beach volley by day, a kids’ camp at heart
Over in Puerto de la Cruz, we run beach volleyball at Playa Jardin — and we’ve opened up our hostels to host free football camps for local kids.
Beach volley at Playa Jardin — guests, locals and anyone passing by.
The beach games pulled in our guests, local players and the regular expat crowd who already play there for fun. It worked so well that some of the locals started running their own tournaments. And because Playa Jardin is a popular spot anyway, anyone wandering past can jump in — as a player or just to cheer.
Then there’s the camp. In July 2023 we hosted five kids and two parents for two full days, completely free — accommodation, food, transport and a proper sports programme, all on us. All five are Tenerife locals with roots in Brazil, Latvia and Lithuania, and the idea was simple: back young people who actually want it, and let them see a different corner of their own island.
Five kids, two parents, two days — accommodation, food and a full sports programme, on us.
Why we keep doing this
Our sports activities manager, Maksim, sums it up in one line:
“Being patient and consistent is the key to making a big impact.”
— Maksim, sports activities manager
That’s the whole idea. We’re not trying to change the world in a weekend — just to build something real, one game at a time, for everyone who shows up, whatever their age, background or reason for being on the island.
FAQ: A few quick questions
Does Nest Hostels organise activities for guests in Tenerife?
Yes. Since November 2022 we’ve run more than 45 sport events across El Médano, La Laguna and Puerto de la Cruz — football, beach volleyball, basketball, skateboarding and more — alongside regular social activities at our hostels. Most are free and open to guests and locals alike.
Do I need to be good at sport to take part?
Not at all. Teams are picked at random and mix all ages and abilities, so you’ll always have people to play with. The point is meeting people, not winning — beginners are genuinely welcome.
Are the events free?
Most of our sport events are free to join for guests and local residents, and some special days even come with trophies and prizes. Just ask at reception or check the hostel WhatsApp group for what’s coming up.
Do travellers and locals actually mix at these events?
That’s the whole point. Mixed random teams put visitors, Canarian locals and young people from the community on the same side — which is exactly how the language swaps, the friendships and the odd dinner plan tend to start.
Come play
The next game’s never far off. Grab a bed at one of our Tenerife hostels and you’ll hear about everything that’s on — usually within an hour of checking in.
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With the NEST PASS, you can explore multiple islands at your own pace. Stay at any of our hostels across Tenerife and Gran Canaria and switch locations freely.
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Stay with us to enjoy exclusive discounts for stays of 7+ days, make new friends, and dive into the local culture. Our hostels provide a unique and friendly environment for all travelers.
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