Los Gigantes Cliffs

Sheer sea cliffs rising 500–800 metres from the Atlantic on Tenerife's west coast, seen from the village and by boat.

Los Gigantes Cliffs, known in Spanish as Acantilados de Los Gigantes, rise from the Atlantic to a height of 500–800 metres on the west coast of Tenerife, in the municipality of Santiago del Teide. The resort of Los Gigantes, whose name means "The Giants", is named after them. The cliffs are one of the island's major tourist attractions, seen from three viewpoints in the village and from the sea on boat cruises.

Rock Formation

Entrance: Free to view from the viewpoints in the village; boat cruises are a separate, paid trip.
Parking: Two paid car parks about 430–440 m away in a straight line.
Difficulty: No hike: the cliffs are seen from viewpoints in the village and from the sea by boat.
Transport: Bus stop Los Gigantes, about 800 m away in a straight line.
Hours: Open at all hours.
Address: 38489 Buenavista del Nte., Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

What makes it special

Stand by the marina and the cliffs take up the whole view to the north: dark rock dropping straight into the sea, 500 to 800 metres of it, with the village and its harbour tucked in at the foot. The town took its name from them. Los Gigantes means the Giants.

From the viewpoints in the village the wall reads as one long face running up the coast. Out on a boat the scale shifts, and the houses on shore shrink to a white strip while the rock keeps climbing. Masca lies 3 km to the north and can be reached by boat as well as by car.

Back on land, a black sand beach sits between the rocks and the marina, and the harbour boulevard is lined with restaurants.

Good to know

Three viewpoints in the village frame the cliffs: on the main road towards Tamaimo, above the sports club, and on the coastal path around the Hotel Barceló.
The full height of the wall shows from the water; boat cruises go out along the cliffs.
Free public toilets are about 330 m away in a straight line. There is no drinking fountain nearby, so buy water in town.
A souvenir shop near the viewpoint serves coffee, drinks and cake; more bars and restaurants line the marina and the streets up the hill.
The tourist office is about 550 m away in a straight line.

Getting there

Los Gigantes sits on the west coast of Tenerife, and the cliffs rise along the shore to the north of the village. Two paid car parks lie about 430–440 m away in a straight line, and the bus stop named Los Gigantes about 800 m. From either, the rest is on foot through the village.

The main viewpoint stands on the main road towards Tamaimo, a second above the sports club, and a third on the coastal path around the Hotel Barceló. To see the cliffs from the water, you go out on a boat cruise.

Best time to visit

Best: late afternoon into sunset, when the sun comes round to the west and falls on the cliff face.

Avoid: early morning for photographs, when the wall faces away from the sun and stands in its own shadow.

The cliffs face the open sea to the west, so the light on them follows the afternoon sun.

Sun & daylight

Beach

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Tenerife in One Day: the 10 Stops Worth Driving To

One day and a car are enough to see ten of Tenerife's signature locations, from the lava fields of Teide to the laurel forest of Anaga. The list runs from the volcano and the Los Gigantes cliffs to black-sand beaches and historic towns.