A descriptive guide to Los Gigantes, Puerto Santiago and Playa de la Arena
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Los Gigantes is only a short distance away from the other two resorts. These three are neighbours on Tenerife's picturesque west coast. Situated in the municipality of Santiago del Teide, they can be found just south of the famous acantilados de los gigantes cliffs of Los Gigantes (The Giants), and about 20 miles (30 kilometres) north west of Playa de Las Americas and Los Cristianos. It is generally acknowledged that the year-round climate in this, the island's most westerly region, is among the best in the Canaries.

Los Gigantes, Puerto de Santiago and Playa de la Arena are small and tranquil, and a far cry from the bright lights and noise of their larger southern cousins, Playa de Las Americas and Los Cristianos. But this is not to say that you can't find somewhere to let your hair down round here too! Tenerife is all about holidays, fun and having a good time, so whatever your tastes are, you can be sure that you'll find something to suit your needs, wherever you are on the island. More local info here

The town of Los Gigantes is named after, and lies at the foot of, the imposing cliffs of the same name. The cliffs also mark the southern boundary of the beautiful Teno mountains, which cover the entire north-western corner of Tenerife. The cliffs are visible in all their glory from the Archipenque Mirador or viewpoint, but are best experienced up close from a boat where they loom over you and you can distinguish the different colours and textures of the volcanic strata. Directly south of Los Gigantes is the old fishing village of Puerto Santiago, which despite extensive development, still retains an unhurried, homely atmosphere. Further south, and effectively joined on to Puerto Santiago, is the growing resort of Playa de la Arena. Below we'll describe the resorts separately and in greater detail.

Los Gigantes
Los Gigantes is a very pretty resort. Great care has obviously been taken over its design and construction. With the exception of one multi-storey hotel, all of the resort's central apartment complexes and residential areas are low-rise and blend in well with the surroundings. It is a small, tranquil place and has an air of exclusivity about it. There is not much danger of the resort losing this atmosphere and ambience by expanding in any direction either, closed in as it is on all sides, nestling between the area's natural rocky confines and the Atlantic Ocean.
The roads in Los Gigantes are very narrow, with a one-way system operating throughout most of the town. It has a climate that is second to none in the Canaries, some beautiful scenery and many amenities. Lying at the foot of the cliffs there is a small, clean, black sand beach which is rarely crowded, despite being suitable for children. Parking near the beach can be a problem.
Right next to the public beach is the marina, where you will find an array of pok boba een the west coast of Tenerife and the neighbouring island of La Gomera.
You can have a drink or a meal at the bars and restaurants that line the front of the marina, or you can walk on top of the protective sea wall that surrounds it, thereby getting a good look back at the boats and the town and the apartments and villas, rising up into the cliffs
Los Gigantes commercial centre is just inland (and therefore, uphill) from the marina. Although small, it hosts a variety of bars and restaurants, plus shopping for everything from fruit and veg to designer label clothes. In the central square (the Plaza) you'll find a pedestrian zone based around the church. This also where the majority of events such as the (carnaval de los gigantes) towns carnival (the week after Ash Wednesday) take place.

Puerto de Santiago

Puerto Santiago (the 'de' is usually left out) lies between Playa de la Arena and Los Gigantes. Its main thoroughfare, which links the other two towns, culminates in a narrow winding serpentine known to the ex-pat community as “Spanish corner”. There are frequent blockages here -great fun if you happen to be on a bus at the time its negotiating the worst bend. It is possible to get from Los Gigantes to Playa de la Arena by going the 'long way round' - via the main island ring road - but then you'd miss all the fun.
In Puerto Santiago you'll find a small fishing port but limited in terms of Beaches. There is a top, middle and bottom part to the town, making the area rather sprawling, a mixture of homes, hotels and apartments. As you would expect from a tourist resort, there is a huge assortment or bars, shops, restaurants, a post office, and nightlife mainly in Santiago bajo. As there are a large number of locals resident in the area you'll find some excellent Canarian food available in the traditional restaurants and Tapas bars. The anual firework display is not to be missed

PUERTO SANTIAGO FIREWORK DISPLAY JULY

Playa de la Arena
If approaching from the south, the first of the three resorts you will encounter will be the unimaginatively named Playa de la Arena (or in English ..... Sandy Beach!). Playa de la Arena does boast the finest beach in this region - it has been awarded the European blue flag for many years in succession. Although smallish, it can confidently stand comparison with any other beach of similar size on the island. This is especially true when you consider that while many of Tenerife's popular beaches are man-made using imported sand, the beach here is natural. Its black sand is a constant reminder of the island's powerful volcanic origins. The beach is situated centrally along the main coastal thoroughfare, the Avenida Maritima, which has relatively easy (and free) parking facilities. If you get hungry or develop a thirst you will find yourself spoilt for choice by the many bars, restaurants and shops adjacent to and opposite the beach.
Playa de la Arena beach offers a gentle gradient and often calm waters. Don't forget though that as we are a small island and out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, we are sometimes subject to rough seas, especially in the winter months. On the occasions when weather conditions prohibit bathing, a red flag flies on the beach. Don't ignore it!
The resort itself is somewhat elongated, being built up in a thin strip along the length of the Avenida Maritima (coast road), which cuts through the resort. It runs more or less parallel to the sea front for a couple of miles, with the beach at its heart. Here you'll also find the beachfront promenade where you can have a stroll in the sunshine. Playa de la Arena is very much a modern resort and as such you will find some contsruction ongoing. There are new apartments and hotels in progress and you will notice constant 'cosmetic' work being carried out, such as planting of decorative palms. But the degree of ongoing building work is not likely to detract from the atmosphere of the resort or your overall enjoyment thereof.
For a relatively small resort, Playa de la Arena boasts a mind-boggling array of bars and restaurants of all shapes and sizes, although 'nightlife' in the sense of clubs and discos, while it undoubtedly exists, is on a much smaller scale than the larger resorts in the south.
Playa de la Arena is also home to a Tourist Information office. Here you will find English-speaking staff who can give you on-the-spot help and information, plus there is always a multitude of leaflets and pamphlets freely available, which will give you further facts and figures about the region.