Los Gigantes
Best for. Swimmers and water lovers who want a calm, scenic dip and the best whale, dolphin and kayak launch on the west coast.
Best spot. The black sand close to the breakwater for the calmest water, then the marina beside it for a boat trip out along the cliff wall.
Know this. The cliffs steal the sun early, so the sand falls into shade in the afternoon. Come in the morning for full light and the settled sea, and the water deepens fast so it suits swimmers more than small paddlers.
Playa de los Guios is the small black sand beach that sits at the foot of the Acantilados de Los Gigantes, the giant sea cliffs that give the town its name and climb in a sheer wall straight out of the Atlantic. It is not a long resort strip, it is a tidy little pocket of dark volcanic sand wedged between the harbour and the rock, and that setting is the whole story. Few beaches on the island give you scenery on this scale from the moment you put your towel down.
For the swim, this is one of the gentler entries on the west coast. The harbour breakwater takes the sting out of the swell, so on a typical day the water sits calm and clear where other west coast beaches can be churned up, and a lifeguard is usually on duty through the season. The catch is the profile of the sand, which shelves into deep water fast, so it reads as a swimmers beach rather than a place for small children to wade. Read the sea, follow the flags, and treat the calm as typical rather than guaranteed.
What pulls the active traveller here is not a wave, because the breakwater keeps this beach flat. It is what launches from the marina right beside the sand. The deep, sheltered water under the cliffs is some of the most reliable whale and dolphin habitat in the Canaries, with resident pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins around year round, and the boat trips, kayak hire and sea activities run from the harbour a two minute walk away. Paddling a kayak out along the base of an eight hundred metre cliff wall is one of the genuinely big experiences on Tenerife, and it starts here.
Time it right and the beach rewards you. The honest snag is light. The cliffs are so high and so close that they cast the sand into shadow well before the day is done, so the afternoon sun disappears off the beach earlier than you expect. Come in the morning for the fullest light and the calmest sea, swim early, then take a coffee on the harbour wall and let the late sun set the cliffs glowing while you are pointed the right way to see it.
Who should skip it. If you want a wide golden strip with rolling space for the kids, the small dark cove and the quick drop into deep water will not be your beach, and the resort sand of Costa Adeje suits you better. But if you want a calm, dramatic swim and the island best base for whales, dolphins and the kayak of a lifetime, Los Gigantes is hard to beat.
Clubs on this beach
Los Gigantes is a small town beach with cafes and a marina rather than a daybed club on the sand, so for loungers, pools and table service we route you to the beach clubs of southern Tenerife.
No beach club on this beach
Los Gigantes is a working harbour town with a small public beach, cafes and a marina rather than a club with daybeds and table service. You can hire a sunbed and a parasol on the sand in season, but for a full club style day with pools and food brought to your lounger the scene gathers on the south coast around Las Americas and Costa Adeje, and we list every option in the Tenerife beach clubs directory.
Los Gigantes, west coast
Los Gigantes sits on the west coast in the municipality of Santiago del Teide, roughly an hour by car from the southern airport. The beach is below the town beside the marina, with paid parking nearby that fills early in summer, so arriving in the morning helps with both light and a space.
On site there are sunbeds and parasols for hire in season, plus showers, toilets and changing rooms, and the cafes, shops and restaurants of the town are a short walk up the hill. The sand is free to use and you only pay for a lounger or a drink.
The marina beside the beach is the reason many people come. Whale and dolphin boat trips, kayak hire and sea activities run from here along the cliff wall, and booking ahead in the busy months is wise. Operators, schedules and prices are to be confirmed at the time.
Photo: Klara via GoogleBook a beach club
Tell us your dates and party size and we will help arrange a daybed or table at a beach club on the south coast, where the island club scene lives. We reply by email.
We are an independent editorial resource. Booking requests are passed to clubs and operators, and some may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices, availability and opening status are set by the venue and are to be confirmed at the time of booking.
Common questions about Los Gigantes
Can you swim at Playa de los Guios in Los Gigantes?
Yes, and it is one of the calmer swims on the west coast. The harbour breakwater shelters the little black sand beach, so on a typical day the water is settled and a lifeguard is usually on duty in season. The sand shelves into deep water quickly, so it suits swimmers more than small paddlers, and you should still read the sea and follow the flags before you go in.
Is Los Gigantes a black sand beach?
Yes. Playa de los Guios is dark volcanic sand, the natural colour of this coast, set right beneath the towering cliffs of Los Gigantes. It is small and tidy rather than a long resort strip, and the black sand against the ochre rock and blue water is a large part of why people come.
What is the best time of day to visit Los Gigantes beach?
Late morning to early afternoon. The giant cliffs throw the beach into shadow earlier than open sand would, so the sun leaves the sand well before sunset. Come in the morning for full light and the calmest water, and if you want the cliffs glowing gold, watch them from a boat or the harbour wall in the late afternoon instead.
Can you whale watch and kayak from Los Gigantes?
Yes, this is one of the best launch points on the island. The sheltered waters off the cliffs hold resident pilot whales and dolphins year round, and boat trips, kayak hire and other water activities run from the marina beside the beach. Booking ahead in the busy months is wise, and operators and prices are to be confirmed at the time.
Are there sunbeds and facilities at Los Guios beach?
Yes, for a small beach it is well kept. There are sunbeds and parasols for hire in season, plus showers, toilets and changing rooms, and the cafes and shops of Los Gigantes town are a short walk up the hill. It is free to use the sand, and you only pay if you want a lounger or a drink.
