Things to Do in Los Gigantes, Tenerife: Beach, Views, Day Trips

Start with Playa Los Gigantes, the beach in the heart of the resort. It is the natural base for a slow morning, and it is where most visitors find their bearings before branching out along the coast.

Then walk or drive up to the Mirador de Archipenque, a viewpoint about half a mile from town in Santiago del Teide. It gives you the wider view of this stretch of the west coast and is an easy, short outing, best timed for softer light early or late in the day.

If a Los Gigantes boat trip is high on your list, the tours and tickets section on this page lets you compare what is on offer from the resort, alongside the other activities listed for the area.

In Los Gigantes and Puerto de Santiago themselves, things to do centre on the beach, the viewpoint and the sea. It is a compact place rather than a sprawling strip, and that is much of its appeal; evenings follow the scale of a small town, so anyone researching Puerto de Santiago nightlife should picture a modest resort rather than a big party centre.

For a change of scene, Los Cristianos ferry port is about 16 miles away by road, the jumping-off point for sea crossings from the south. Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the island's capital and second ferry port, is around 39 miles away, while Las Palmas de Gran Canaria lies about 88 miles off across the water, which makes a neighbouring island a realistic day out for the energetic.

A hire car makes these excursions far simpler, and you can compare car hire on this page before you travel.

For families, the best thing about this resort is how little travelling the main sights demand. Playa Los Gigantes is in town and the Mirador de Archipenque is only about half a mile away, so neither outing tests small legs or patience.

The transfer from Tenerife South is around 30 minutes, which matters after an early flight with children in tow. The summer school holidays bring the hottest, driest weather, with highs of 26°C in July and 28°C in August and almost no rain, so plan beach time around the midday heat. October half-term is still warm at around 26°C, and you can browse family-friendly tours and tickets from this page.

Most British travellers arrive on a package holiday combining flight, hotel and transfer, landing at Tenerife South, which has direct flights from the UK and sits about 30 minutes from the resort. Tenerife North is around 49 minutes away but has no direct UK service. You can compare packages from Jet2holidays, TUI, loveholidays and On the Beach here, and expect school-holiday weeks to cost more than term time.

The weather works almost all year: every month except February counts as a good time to go, February being the shoulder month at around 20°C with six rain days. March sees the heaviest rainfall, though still only five rain days.

Tours and tickets, hotel prices and car hire can all be checked from this page, so it is worth booking the experiences you care about most before you fly.