Svenska Kyrkan Los Cristianos Teneriffa

The origins of tourism in Los Cristianos lie with a Swedish man, Bengt Rylander, known locally as Don Benito. He came to Los Cristianos in 1956 suffering from multiple sclerosis, hoping the warm climate and clean air would help ease his ailments. He convalesced well and spread the word of the mild and sunny climate he had discovered to his friends in Sweden and, since he was formerly a writer and TV commentator, word spread quickly. In 1957 he was joined by several friends who suffered from rheumatic diseases. So the origins of tourism in Los Cristianos during the late 1950s and early 1960s are as a resort for ailing and convalescent Swedes. These unlikely pioneers have left their mark on the town, with the main high-street in Los Cristianos known as "Avenida de Suecia", the Avenue of Sweden and the "Casa Sueca", now a Swedish Lutheran Church.