Los Gigantes (Tenerife)is a picturesque village on the Atlantic Ocean. The hallmark of the resort is the impregnable gray cliffs, which not only give the area a special charm, but also protect the town from bad weather.
General information
Los Gigantes is a resort village in Tenerife (Canary Islands). Located in the western part of the island, 40 km from Arona and 80 km from Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The area is known for its beautiful nature and comfortable climate.
Los Gigantes is popular with tourists because the northern part of the resort is protected from winds and cold currents by high rocks of volcanic origin, so that in this part of the Canary Islands the temperature is always several degrees higher than in neighboring resorts. You can relax here even at the end of October – the water temperature is so comfortable.
It is not difficult to guess that the name Los Gigantes is translated from Spanish as “Giant”.
Los Gigantes Village
Los Gigantes is a small village on the Atlantic Ocean, where married couples or retired people (mostly from England and Germany) prefer to relax. There are no huge shopping centers and noisy night entertainment here. Dozens of luxury hotels are also missing – everything is quite modest, but with taste.
There are not many residents in the village – only about 3,000 people, and most of them are engaged in fishing or farming. Some families have their own business cafe or small grocery store.
Since Los Gigantes is located 500-800 meters above sea level, the village was built uphill – the newest houses are at the top, and those that are older-at the bottom. It is not possible to determine the exact area of the town.
Speaking about the sights of the resort, it is worth noting the seaport – of course, there are no huge liners here, but there are many beautiful snow-white yachts and sailboats. You can rent one of them and take a walk on the ocean.
Los Gigantes Rocks
The calling card of Los Gigantes is the volcanic rocks. They are visible from any part of the city, and protect the settlement from strong winds and cold currents. Their height ranges from 300 to 600 meters.
As always, a beautiful legend is associated with the impregnable rocks. Locals say that in numerous gorges pirates hid treasures-gold, ruby and pearls. Some of the jewelry they never took, and today they can be found by anyone. Alas, it is impossible to check this – the rocks are very steep, and it is simply life-threatening to climb high.
Cliff Walk
However, you can still visit some areas of the rocks. The best place to start your trip is the high-altitude village of Masca, which can be reached via the TF-436 highway (the distance from Los Gigantes is only 3 km).
Officially, the descent can only be carried out on one route, the safety of which is confirmed. The length of the gorge, which is allowed to descend, is 9 km, so only physically prepared people should go on such a journey. The distance will take from 4 to 6 hours to complete. Unfortunately, shorter routes have not yet been developed.
While walking on the cliffs of Los Gigantes, you will not only see stunning views of the surrounding area, but also meet the winged inhabitants of these places-eagles, gulls, pigeons of Bol and other birds. Also pay attention to the plants – there are many herbs and shrubs growing here. But there are no flowers at all – after all, the proximity of the Atlantic makes itself felt.
As tourists note, the route itself is not difficult, but because of its length, it becomes difficult to control your body at the end, and you need to be extremely careful. This is especially true for the last kilometer of the race – the road ends, and you need to go over boulders, which are very slippery after the rain. You should also be careful when going down the rope ladder at the very end of the trip.
Some useful tips from tourists:
- If you are not sure of your abilities, but want to go on a trip – take a professional guide or a local resident with you.
- You should spend the whole day visiting the rocks.
- During the descent, be sure to take breaks of 5-10 minutes.
- If you get lost and don’t know where to go, wait 10 minutes. There are a lot of tourists on the trail, and they will tell you where to go next.
Beach
In the village of Los Gigantes in Tenerife, there are 3 beaches, and they have similar characteristics. The largest and most popular is Playa de la Arena.
Playa de la Arena
The sand on the beaches is of volcanic origin, so it has an unusual grayish-black hue. The structure resembles flour. The entrance to the water is gentle, sometimes there are stones, and the shell rock is completely absent. The depth near the shore is small, so families with small children can relax on the beach.
The water in the Atlantic Ocean has a cool bluish-turquoise hue. High waves often rise, so it is not recommended to swim behind the buoys. In spring, especially in early April, the wind is very strong, so even though the water is already warm enough, you will not be able to swim.
On the Playa de la Arena there are sun beds and umbrellas (the rental price is 3 euros), there are showers and a large number of bars. Especially for tourists, local residents offer to ride on water attractions.
Los Gigantes
The beach of the same name in the village of Los Gigantes is quite small, and there are not too many people here. It is located near the seaport, but this does not affect the purity of the water in any way. The entrance to the ocean is gentle, there are no rocks or sharp cliffs.
Tourists call this beach the most atmospheric in Los Gigantes, because it is located at the foot of volcanic rocks.
Periodically, high waves rise, which is why rescuers hang out a yellow or red flag, and do not let people into the water. Also, the disadvantages of the beach are the almost complete lack of infrastructure.
Chika
Chica is the least crowded and quiet beach on the coast. It is very small, and thanks to its convenient location, there are never any waves here. Lifeguards are not on duty here, so you can swim here even in April, when the neighboring beaches have high waves.
The sand is black and fine, the entrance to the water is gentle. Stones are often found. The depth of the ocean in this part is small, but children are not recommended to swim here – there are too many stone ledges.
There are problems with the infrastructure – there are no toilets, changing booths and cafes here. Only a cold shower works.
Also, tourists note that on the beach of Chika:
- you can always meet crabs, cuttlefish and other marine life;
- sometimes it smells strongly of fish;
- the sun appears only after 12 days;
- after heavy rains, it erodes, and the black sand disappears under a layer of pebbles.
How to get
Tenerife is a relatively small island, so you can get to Los Gigantes from anywhere in less than 1.5 hours. The largest city of the island is Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where 200 thousand people live.
From Tenerife Airport and the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Tenerife has two airports at once, but the largest number of flights arrives in Tenerife-South. It is 52 km away from Los Gigantes. The easiest way to cover this distance is by bus No. 111 of the Titsa carrier. You need to take this bus to the station of Playa de las Americas, and change there to the bus number 473 or number 477. Get off at the end station.
Take the same bus routes to get to Los Gigantes from Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Take bus 111 at Meridiano station (this is the center of Santa Cruz de Tenerife).
Buses run every 2-3 hours. The total travel time is 50 minutes. The price is from 5 to 9 euros. You can follow the schedule and promotions on the official website of the carrier: https://titsa.com
From Las Americas
Las Americas is a popular youth resort located 44 km from Los Gigantes. You can reach it by direct bus number 477. The journey time is 45 minutes. The price ranges from 3 to 6 euros.
Useful tips
- There are very few bus routes in Tenerife, so if you plan to actively travel around the island, you should consider renting a car.
- Tourists recommend buying the “Atlantic Residents ” tour. Local travel agencies promise that during the boat trip you will see more than 30 species of fish and mammals, including dolphins and whales.
- If you want to bring back from Los Gigantes not only vivid impressions, but also interesting photos of Tenerife, take a couple of shots in the village of Masca (3 km from the village).
- There are several large supermarkets in the city: Lidl, Merkadona and La Arena.
- If you have already visited all the sights of Los Gigantes, go to the nearby village of Masca – a high-altitude settlement that is considered one of the most beautiful places in Tenerife.
- Every February, a carnival takes place in Los Gigantes. It lasts for a week, and every day in the main square of the city, Plaza Bougainvillea, local musicians give concerts. At the end of the holiday, tourists can see a colorful procession that follows along Jose Gonzalez Forte Street.
Los Gigantes, Tenerife-a resort with beautiful nature and a comfortable climate.
