Los Gigantes

...Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos, both of which are fairly teaming with nightclubs, high rise hotels, neon signage and fast food eateries. To be frank, Playa de la Americas is rather dirty and seedy looking in places - it's really seen better days. Los Cristianos (once a quiet and sleepy fishing village) is a little newer and shinier. However, both resorts are loud, brash and overcrowded.

Yet if you are after a little bit ...
...Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos put you off a trip to the south of the island. Quieter resorts can be found a little further up the coast. Los Gigantes (as well as neighbouring Playa de la Arena and Puerto Santiago) are all very nice and offer almost year round sunshine.

We discovered the resort of Los Gigantes over 15 years ago now, and we pop back every few years or so, and invariably find that nothing has very much changed ... more

Tenerife is the largest and the second most popular of the Canary Islands. Sadly, nowadays Tenerife has developed a bit of a reputation for pubs, clubs and chavs. Luckily, the north (Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz de Tenerife) of the island still retains a better reputation, being rather more picturesque and lush. However, the south of the island is a lot more built up, with the most popular southern resorts being Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos, both of which are fairly teaming with nightclubs, high rise hotels, neon signage and fast food eateries. To be frank, Playa de la Americas is rather dirty and seedy looking in places - it's really seen better days. Los Cristianos (once a quiet and sleepy fishing village) is a little newer and shinier. However, both resorts are loud, brash and overcrowded.

Yet if you are after a little bit of sunshine, then the south of Tenerife is still your best bet. However, please don't let the brashness of Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos put you off a trip to the south of the island. Quieter resorts can be found a little further up the coast. Los Gigantes (as well as neighbouring Playa de la Arena and Puerto Santiago) are all very nice and offer almost year round sunshine.

We discovered the resort of Los Gigantes over 15 years ago now, and we pop back every few years or so, and invariably find that nothing has very much changed there at all. There is still a total lack of nightclubs, very little noise (or light) pollution, and it's still as pretty and charming as ever.

~*~ GETTING THERE AND GETTING AROUND ~*~
Flights from the UK to Tenerife take around 4 to 4½ hours. You can fly to Tenerife from most European cities, with or without stopovers in Spain. Some airlines do daily scheduled flights there (Monarch or British Airways), but you can usually pick up something cheaper by booking a charter flight. Charter flights to the island invariably operate on Tuesdays or Fridays. A direct flight from the UK will set you back around anything from £120 upwards, dependent on the time of year. In the last few years, some of the smaller regional airports have started selling direct flights to Tenerife, so you are really spoilt for choice, and are not just limited to flights from the bigger airports. We flew with Thomson (not recommended) from Bournemouth Airport direct to Tenerife at a cost of £180 per person. It's really not worth me listing any tour operators or airlines in this review, as all the major ones operate packages and flights to Tenerife, all at competitive prices.

Tenerife has two airports. The biggest is Aeropuerto Reina Sofia in the south of the island and it is clean and efficient. I have never flown into the airport in the north of island (Los Rodeos), but it seems to have put the huge air disaster of 1977 firmly behind it, and is bringing in an increasing number of flights into the island nowadays. However, if you've booked to stay in Los Gigantes, chances are you'll be flying into Reina Sofia airport, as it is the closest.

Once you've landed at Reina Sofia, a taxi to Los Gigantes (about 40 kilometres away) will set you back around €30. Possibly your best option if you want full mobility on your holiday is to hire a car. Car hire is easily organised in Tenerife, with all the major firms (Avis, Hertz, Europcar) having offices at the airport, as well as other sites throughout the island. Car hire is relatively cheap in Tenerife with something simple with a small engine (and recommended air-conditioning) costing you around £240 for a fortnight. Most of the roads in Tenerife are well tended so it's easy enough to find your way around. Being Spanish, they do of course drive on the right hand side of the road, and cars are therefore left hand drive.

~*~ THE RESORT ~*~
Los Gigantes (The Giants) gets its name from the towering grey cliffs which rise majestically from the sea surrounding the resort, and they can be seen for miles around. The cliffs range in height from between 300m to 800m. The only way to get close to the cliffs is by boat, and there are various boat trips you can take from the marina at Los Gigantes to view them close up.

Los Gigantes is a rather pretty resort, as it is not too built up or over-crowded. There is only one high rise building (Los Gigantes Hotel), and everything else fits snugly into the surrounding slopes and valleys. Los Gigantes is very quiet and peaceful - there is a little bit of neon signage, a couple of noisy bars/pubs but no loud nightclubbing scene. As I said earlier, one of the nicest things of all about Los Gigantes, is that it very rarely changes over the years. There has been no over-excessive development of the town, and it retains all its original charm and tranquility. I guess that the sheer cliffs to one side, and the Atlantic Ocean have put paid to adding in too many new developments.

Being on the west coast of the island, Los Gigantes has a lovely all year round warm and sunny climate - it's like an eternal springtime. In the summer the temperatures can reach as high as a sweltering 40ºC. It does, of course, get cooler in the winter, but compared to temperatures back home, it's no contest! Winter temperatures average anything from 18ºC to 24ºC. The resort is busy all year round, but high season is usually around Christmas, January and February. I love that you can sunbath and swim in the sea all year round there. You do experience the occasional tropical rainstorm - but they tend to go as quickly as they come.

The focus point of the town is the square which houses the Catholic church in its midst. This looks particularly charming at Christmas with all its lights. There are various restaurants, shops and bars dotted around the square, and it's a great place to sit and watch the world go by. Once you've rested a while, if you carry on down the hill towards the sea, you can find the one tiny beach in Los Gigantes. Although very clean and tidy, it does have the black volcanic sand that doesn't appeal to some. Similarly, you have to choose your times carefully for visiting this beach, as the sun does tend to get blocked behind the cliffs at certain times of the day. The beach at nearby Playa de la Arena is much nicer and sunnier to be honest. Although the sand is black there as well, the sea is much rougher and makes for a rather exciting swim at times.

Right next to the beach is the marina, which is always worth a walk around. There's a high sea wall surrounding the marina, and it's a good place to climb up and get a view of Los Gigantes sprawled out high on the hills above you. You can feed the fish which throng at the edge of marina, or you can admire the various yachts and cruisers moored there. The marina has a good selection of waterfront bars, restaurants and gift shops. It's a great place to sip a cold beer and watch the sun go down. You can also book various boating or catamaran trips here too (more on than later).

If you love the sun and a swim, but hate getting covered in sand (like me), there are a couple of public pools in Los Gigantes, both of which are nice to spend a day in. El Laguillo Oasis is right by the marina, and has a lovely rocky natural sea water pool, as well as a huge swimming pool. Cost of entry is €4.50 per day or €20 per week. Nearby is The Oasis Club, which is a smaller lido. It's nice, but a bit dated in places. You can also play bowls or tennis, and there is an internet café. Cost of entry is €4 per day or €16 per week. However, if you just want a quick swim in a sea pool, there is one at Crab Island, just a short walk away. It's totally free to use, but at your own peril, as it is unsupervised. Sometimes the sea is very rough; the waves do crash over the sea wall and the pool isn't safe to use.

The roads in Los Gigantes are very narrow, and this coupled with a one-way system prevents too much traffic. However, parking can be a bit of a nightmare, as there is no actual car park in the resort and parking is whatever space you can find by the side of the road in and out of Los Gigantes. Therefore, it's best to go everywhere on foot. Be warned though, as the resort is built on the side of a slope, it is rather hilly. It's a long climb back up the hill, if you've taken an evening stroll down towards the marina/harbour. Therefore, I would say that this resort is not all that suitable for the very elderly or infirm, as it takes quite a bit of puff to climb back up the hill, and that isn't good at the height of the summer when temperatures are soaring.

~*~ NEARBY RESORTS ~*~
You cannot really write a review on Los Gigantes without mentioning its nearby sister resorts, which are only a short distance away. Puerto Santiago and Playa de la Arena are both as small and almost as quiet as Los Gigantes.

Puerto Santiago lies between Playa de la Arena and Los Gigantes. In Puerto Santiago there are no beaches, just a small fishing port. It's a mostly residential area, but there are a good assortment of traditional bars and restaurants which are frequented mainly by the locals. This is a great place to get off the tourist trail, practice your Spanish and enjoy a good plateful of tapas.

Of the three resorts, Playa de la Arena is the noisiest, and is the most likely to have construction underway. It does, however, boast the finest beach in the area, which has been awarded the European blue flag for cleanliness. The beach is situated along the main coastal road, the Avenida Maritima, which is lined with plenty of bars, restaurants and shops. Although there is a bit of nightlife in this resort, it's on a relatively small scale and therefore not too intrusive.

~*~ CURRENCY AND SHOPPING ~*~
Although the official language of Tenerife is Spanish, English and all the other major European languages are well catered for. The currency here is the Euro, and all major credit cards are widely accepted in shops and restaurants. You can even use your UK bank cash point card in some of the Spanish banks. All the Canary Islands remain tax free so you can pick up really cheap fags and booze. Don't leave it until you get to the airport, bottles of quality spirits and liqueurs are much cheaper purchased in the supermarkets throughout the islands. Booze, fags, cameras, perfumes, watches and electrical goods are all very reasonably priced in the Canaries - much cheaper than you'd pay at home.

If you're doing the self-catering bit, then are plenty of supermercados to choose from in the area. Similarly, there is always a market being held somewhere on the island, and you can pick up a few bargains if you get there early.

~*~ EATING AND DRINKING ~*~
The food on all the Canary Islands is reasonably cheap and invariably plentiful; cooking is simple but tasty. Prices are fairly reasonable - a delicious dinner with starters, main courses and drinks will cost you around £25 to £35 for two. It's not unusual to be presented with an enormous heavy book-like menu with choices listed in 9 or 10 languages. This often makes amusing reading as some the translations are rather colloquial.

The cuisine of Canaries combines traditional Spanish recipes with Latin-American and African influences. Most menus offer a huge amount of choice, but with the usual Spanish favourites like gazpacho (cold tomato soup), paella and tapas. There is plenty of fresh seafood and fish on offer caught locally off the island. I always plump for the gambas, huge king prawns pan-fried in garlic - they're delicious and a lot cheaper than you'd pay in the UK (6 or 8 huge juicy king prawns for around £10). Lots of dishes are served with a local specialty called papas arrugadas (Canarian potatoes) - small potatoes, still in their skins, boiled in heavily salted water and served with two types of mojo sauce - a milder green sauce blended from garlic, coriander and vinegar and the fierier red sauce of oil, garlic, chili-peppers and paprika. The potatoes do look a bit unappetizing - small, wrinkled and very salty to taste, but they are definitely worth a try. Other local specialties include roast baby goat. Small and sweet tasting bananas are readily available, as there are a good few banana plantations on Tenerife. You'll often be served a complimentary banana (or other flavoured liqueur) at the end of your meal as a thank you from the proprietor for dining with them.

There is a vast amount of international cuisine on offer in Los Gigantes and nearby, with a variety of restaurants serving Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Indian or Thai food. If you're not a fan of foreign food, then you can rest assured that there are a few outlets serving all day English "gut buster" breakfasts or Sunday roasts. However, if you're after KFC or McDonalds then you'll probably have to take a trip into Playa de las Americas or Los Cristianos.

However, if you enjoy Spanish food as much as I do, you will be spoiled for choice in Los Gigantes, as there are many lovely restaurants to choose from.

Down by the beach in Los Gigantes, there is a terrific restaurant called Restaurante Marinero Jesse. Lots of lovely seafood dishes as well as traditional Canarian specialties and local wines. Their gambas al ajillo (king prawns shallow fried in garlic) are wonderful - served simply with a bit of salad and a dollop of mayonnaise.

Further up the hill and overlooking the square in Los Gigantes is El Pescador, a very popular restaurant with a huge menu, all of which is done very well. I always have pan fried pork escalope here. It is served piping hot, with the merest hint of batter and a huge wedge of fresh lemon to bring out the flavour.

CK's Bistro (also in the main square) serves a good selection of home cooked traditional English dishes, as well as more international ones. All the staff are British and it's very popular with all the ex-pats in the area.

If you fancy a rest on your way back up the hill to your apartment, they serve delicious cakes and coffee at the Bamboo Patisserie. We often forgo dessert in our chosen restaurant of the evening, just so we can stop off for a pastry, cake or biscuit there. Coupled with a coffee or brandy, this is the perfect place to round off an evening….and to gather your strength for that final climb up the slope to your apartment.

Further afield, there are a couple of nice locally run restaurants called Pedros and Los Corales in Puerto Santiago (they're next door to each other), both of which serve a good (and cheap) plateful of local cuisine. If you get there early enough, you can bag tables on their outside terraces, which have breathtaking sea views…just don't look down.

In Playa de la Arena, we always favour a Thai restaurant called Sala Thai, which serves some of the best Thai dishes we've ever tasted, and at a fraction of the price you pay in UK Thai restaurants.

Drinks wise, although there are many local wines and beers, all the restaurants serve huge ranges of the better known wines, beers and spirits all at extremely reasonable prices and overly generous measures (optic measurements are alien to most venues and a quadruple brandy is a "usual" measure). Oh and don't forget to try the Sangria - red wine, brandy and lemonade served with pieces of fruit and ice in a large jug. It doesn't taste particularly alcoholic, but believe you me it is.

~*~ WHERE TO STAY ~*~
Los Gigantes only has one hotel that you can stay in - Hotel Los Gigantes, which has an excellent location overlooking the sea. If you're set on a hotel, then there are more hotels available nearby in Puerto Santiago (Hotel Barceló Santiago) or Playa de la Arena (Spring Hotel Playa La Arena).

However, to be honest it's easier to opt for hiring a villa or apartment if you want to stay in Los Gigantes itself. Most of the available accommodation in this resort is of the self-catering variety. The Harbour Club (watch out for the cockroaches) is a good central location. Nearby accommodation can be found up the hill at Las Rosas, El Marques, Vigilia Park or Tamaimo Tropical - all of which offer good, quality self-catering apartments. Keying any of these resorts into Google will give you a variety of private rental options. On average, I would say that you can rent a one bedroom apartment for around £225 to £300 per week dependent on the time of year.

~*~ THINGS TO DO NEARBY ~*~

~~ Boat Trips ~~
There are several boats offering dolphin or whale safaris from Los Gigantes marina. The Nashira Uno or Katrin offer various different cruises. You can take a dolphin or whale spotting trip from €15 per person (sadly we spotted nothing at all), or you can take a sail up to Masca Bay for a swim. On all these trips you do get the most spectacular views of the cliffs close up, and you can really appreciate how very vast and domineering they are.

~~ Masca ~~
Masca is a village high up in the Teno Mountains. The houses in the village seem to perch precariously on the sides of the slopes. This trip is best undertaken by only the most confident of drivers, as the road to get to the village is very steep, narrow and winding, and the views down into the ravine rather vertigo inducing. However, the views are stunning, overlooking deep ravines and to the sea beyond. The village is rather remote and was only connected to the rest of Tenerife when a road was completed in 1991.

There are a couple of nice cafés with delightful views. If you are feeling energetic you can take a three/four hour hike down the ravine to the sea below. There are several organized tours where you can take this hike with a guide and then be collected by boat at the bottom and taken back to Los Gigantes. The cost is approximately €35 per person.

NB Tours need to be booked in advance at Los Gigantes marina with one of the boat tour companies. It's no good hiking to the bottom of the ravine at Masca and then expect a passing boat to pick you up! However, you can also hike independently (without a guide) and book your boat taxi back to Los Gigantes by purchasing a ticket at one of the cafés at the top of the ravine.

~~ Parque Nacional del Teide ~~
The most striking feature of Tenerife is the huge dormant volcano called El Teide, which can be viewed from almost anywhere on the island. A day out to the park involves a long and steep climb by either car or coach. Once in the park you can take an eight minute cable car ride almost to the summit of Mount Teide (the peak is 3,718m above sea level). A climb on foot will take closer to four hours…so no contest really. Beware though, the queues for the cable car are horrendous, especially at peak season, and it's not cheap (€10 for adults and €5 for children). Any variations in weather or the slightest hint of wind and the cable car stops running.

~*~ RECOMMENDATION ~*~
I really do enjoy visiting Los Gigantes every few years. I love the way it hasn't really changed much at all in the last fifteen years. It still retains all its original tranquility and charm. It's nice that it remains relatively untouched by time and the massive development that has taken place in the rest of Tenerife. Obviously it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. I would imagine it would be far too quiet and pedestrian for most young people, and it may be too quiet for families looking for non-stop activities. Similarly, it's not going to be suitable for the infirm or elderly as the terrain is very hilly. However, if you're looking for a place to spend a week to ten days just soaking up the sun, enjoying the scenery, and relaxing - it's ideal. Coupled with year round sunshine, cheap "duty frees" and reasonably priced meals, it's certainly worth a visit. And of course, it's only 4 hours away from England.

Recommended.

~*~ MORE INFORMATION ~*~

http://www.losgigantes.com/
http://www.canaries-live.com/UK /index.html 

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