Los Gigantes - human settlement

Los Gigantes is a resort town in Tenerife. The greater area includes Puerto de Santiago and Playa de la Arena to its south, all of which nowadays have merged together into one connected entity. This article covers the whole area.

Understand

The resort itself only consists of about 2,700 people, but the greater area inhibits many more.

The town has a marina surrounded by concrete walls to dampen the effect of the rough seas around the area. A small black sand beach lies between the rocks and the marina. The marina has a boulevard with many restaurants.

There are three viewpoints in the village, the main one on main road to towards Tamaimo, another above the sports club and a third on a coastal path around the Hotel Barcelo. The village has many small shops and restaurants serving the tourists that visit the area, especially on the one-way road loop around church and plaza, and also near to the marina and beach.

Get in

Los Gigantes is well connected by road, and it is a convenient hub for trips to Masca, the Los Gigantes canyons, El Bujero (the rock eye), the almond trees trail, Chinyero, and even El Teide.

By bus

• Los Gigantes Bus Stop, 28.2420177°, -16.8388458°. Not a real bus station but the main bus stop in the area. All connections to this area run through here. 2023-03-24

Bus 325 connects to Puerto de la Cruz 3-5 times a day via Santiago del Teide. Buses 473 and 477 (direct) connect to Costa Adeje every 1-2 hr via Alcala and San Juan.

There are further buses that connect nearby villages:

• 461 – Arguayo
• 462 – Arguayo, Chio, Guía de Isora
• 493 – Alcala, San Juan, Guía de Isora

See Tenerife#Get around for more general information.

Get around

The best way to get is on foot.

However, all buses coming to this area run through Playa Arena, Puerto Santiago and Los Gigantes–check the incoming and outgoing connections for Los Gigantes in case you want to use the bus.

See

Los Gigantes has notable cliffs in view of the resort and a picturesque marina.

• Acantilados de Los Gigantes (Cliffs of the Giants), 28.296521°, -16.855774°. 2019-10-27

Do

• Carnival. Each year in February/March, the carnival hits the island and parades through the villages and towns of Tenerife, including Los Gigantes. 2023-03-20

• Dolphine and whale watching. Many excursions are run from Los Gigantes for things such as whale watching. 2023-03-20

• Natural swimming pool. 2023-03-20

• Oasis, Avda. Jose Gonzalez Forte 7, 28.24469°, -16.84289°, info@oasislosgigantes.com. Posh pool complex with water slides. You cannot bring in your own food or drinks. Adults €10, children €5 2019-07-26

• Alcala. Has some nice beaches, due to a high end hotel being there, a relaxed promenade, and (the highlight) a bay in front of the town center where you can snorkel and see sea turtles. 2023-03-20

• Playa San Juan. One of the best beaches in Tenerife. 2023-03-20

• Playa Abama. An artificial high end beach with wave break that belongs to a 5-star hotel but is also open to the bourgeoisie. 2023-03-20

Hiking

Besides the opportunities below, also check out Santiago del Teide#Hiking and Teno Rural Park#Hiking, which are in easy reach by bus, car or thumb from Los Gigantes or Puerto de Santiago.

Tamaimo will be your preferred village to aim for when starting or finishing hikes–so, remember the name and check the bus connections (325, 461, 461). Hitchiking is of course always on option.

• El Bujero 📍 – An interesting half-day hike to the eye of Los Gigantes that you can see from the town itself down at the sea. Take bus 325 at 11:00 up to Tamaimo and start hiking from there. You will need an offline map and GPS, because the second half of the trail is not well maintained. On the way up, you will pass the Cruz de los Misioneros 📍 viewpoint. Instead of heading back to Tamaimo or down to Puerto de Santiago, you can potentially continue down the canyon on the northern slopes and then use the tunnels to return to civilisation—see descriptions below for more information.

The following trails and destinations should be undertaken by experienced hikers only:

• Los Gigantes Cliffs (Acantilado de Los Gigantes) – The start of Acantilado de Los Gigantes 📍 trail is at the end of the village. It goes along the Los Gigantes about 100 m above the water level. There are two or three places where it is not clear where the trail continues, so it is good to have GPS with you or check twice before potentially continuing into a dangerous dead end. Trail coordinates: GPX, KML.

But the Los Gigantes provide many more adventures beyond that trail, with numerous water tunnels, canyon trails and impressive cliffs that can easily beat the Masca gorge. All of the water tunnels are open, except for the two that lead into the Masca gorge. For the tunnel through Risco Blanco, you will have to squeeze yourself through a small opening in the gates though. For the tunnels you will need a flashlight, but your phone's one should be enough. The tunnels have sharp rocks inside, so a helmet would be optimal, but also a basecap will lower potential injuries in case you do not pay attention and hit your head. There are always trails (more or less proper ones), and you are not required to go "off-road". The trails and tunnels are mapped on Openstreetmap—Google Maps is of no use here. The MapsMe or Organic Maps apps are ok-ish, but it is recommended to use OsmAnd or Mapy.cz, which are much better in reading and recognising the trails. Plan well ahead, canyons and tunnel require their time, and always tell someone where you are going, or just go in a group. You can download the here mentioned markers as GPX using the top right GPX icon on this website.

• At the end of the latter Los Gigantes Cliffs trail you will find the first water tunnel 📍 that you can cross to reach Barranco Mancha de Los Díaz.
• If you follow the water canal, it keeps continuing through dozens of shorter tunnels and opening called Windows of Barranco Seco 📍 about 150-200 m above the Playa Seco with impressive and exciting views. This is a difficult trail and should only be undertaken if you aren't afraid of heights and can deal with and walk steep cliffs.
• Alternatively, you can hike up in the canyon of Barranco Mancha de Los Díaz and head back through the second and longest tunnel 📍, the third tunnel 📍, or the fourth tunnel 📍. They will lead to the Camino de Santiago de Tenerife on the southern side of the mountain, which leads down to Puerto de Santiago again. You can also extend the hike via El Bujero or just across the mountain down into Tamaimo.
• In case you are bold or already on the other end of the Windows of Barranco Seco path, you can experience the second canyon further north called Sauces Canyon 📍, which is more impressive than Barranco Mancha de Los Díaz and more similar to the Masca gorge. There is a trail in good condition in this canyon, even though a few parts have fallen apart. It connects the Windows of Barranco Seco path exit and the fifth tunnel (Risco Verde) 📍, which leads back to Barranco Mancha de Los Díaz where you can exit through one of the former tunnels or across the mountain down to Tamaimo, as explained before. You can also use this firth tunnel as continuation of the El Bujero hike (explained above at El Bujero) in the other direction.
• As a last trail alternative, the Sauces Canyon and Barranco Mancha de Los Díaz canyon are also connected via Playa Seco 📍—swimming not recommended!

Buy

• Lidl, 28.23902°, -16.83950°. Daily 08:00-22:00. 2023-03-20

Eat

There are restaurants along the marina, the many promenades in the area and in the centre(s). CK's Bistro, in the village, serves English cuisine, but Indian and Chinese are readily available.

• El Paseo, 28.23815°, -16.84106°. M-Fr 08:30-22:00, Sa 08:30-14:00 19:00-22:00 (Pizza from 12:00). The must see Italian-run pizzeria in town–super affordable but still super delicious. They also sell mouth-watering pastry. €5/pizza 2023-03-20

• Casa Gusto, Avenida del Emigrante 28, 28.1810609°, -16.8187723°, +43 642 00 27 90. Tu-Su 18:00-22:00. A small restaurant with ocean view run by a French couple that took pride in importing specialties from Brittany, and preparing them in some of the most delicious combinations imaginable. €15-30 2019-08-02

Drink

There are some bars, but nightlife is not the priority here—daytime activity is.

Sleep

The area has numerous hotels and at least one hostel, Arena Nest Hostel. For further cheap accommodation check the Alberge in San José de los Llanos.

Go next

• Masca – A picturesque mountain village in the Teno Rural Park and starting point to the Masca Gorge, one of the most popular treks on Tenerife.
• Teno Rural Park – The park itself offers numerous hiking opportunities and include Punte de Teno, the western most point of Tenerife with a lighthouse.
• Guía de Isora – Desert town known for its greenhouse cultivation of bananas, tomatoes, and flowers.