In Los Gigantes
At the foot of the cliffs and right beside the Los Gigantes marina, in the municipality of Santiago del Teide, in the south-west of the island. Some listings also call it Argel.
Beach guide · Los Gigantes, Santiago del Teide
Playa de Los Guíos: beneath the Los Gigantes cliffs
Playa de Los Guíos is the black-sand beach of Los Gigantes itself: about 180 metres right beside the marina, with the rock wall rising just behind. Here is how to get there, where to park, what facilities there are and when it is best to go.
180 × 20 mApproximate length and width
Black sandWith stones on the seabed
No car park of its ownMarina car parks, then on foot
Quick answer
Playa de Los Guíos at a glance.
This guide covers the beach only. The cliffs, the village and the boat trips are in the Los Gigantes guide; if you would rather have another option nearby, look at Playa de la Arena in the guide to Tenerife's beaches.
Black volcanic sand
With stones and pebbles on the seabed and along the shoreline. Water shoes are a good idea.
About 180 × 20 metres
A small, urban beach, and the official listings rate its occupancy as high: in high season it fills up.
Calm waters, with caveats
Official listings describe it as a calm-water beach, but this is open Atlantic coast: check the flag before you go in.
Good for its size
Showers, foot showers, toilets, sunbed and parasol hire, bins, cleaning and a lifeguard team; bars and restaurants a few steps away.
1–2 hours
Enough for a swim. If you add a stroll around the marina and a meal, allow half a morning or half an afternoon.
Getting there
How to get to Playa de Los Guíos.
By car, by bus or from the marina itself. Either way you finish on foot along the marina's pedestrian street, because vehicles cannot reach the beach.
Where to park
Where to park for Playa de Los Guíos.
The key is not to look for a space next to the sand: leave the car at the marina and walk a few minutes.
No car park of its own
Official listings say the beach has no parking. The usual solution is to leave the car in the pay car parks at the marina and walk along the pedestrian street. According to the Los Gigantes guide, spaces next to the marina fill up by mid-morning in high season.
How to avoid circling.
From the marina car parks it is 5 to 10 minutes' walk to the sand, depending on where you park. The car parks shown on OpenStreetMap are all pay car parks, along the two breakwaters and next to the marina buildings; they are marked P on the map below.
- Arrive before 10:00 at weekends, in August and on bank-holiday weekends; after that, expect to circle.
- Parking on the village streets is often difficult: do not count on it.
- Check the rates and hours at the ticket machine: they may change and are not in the official listings.
- Do not leave anything visible in the car.
- If you come by bus you avoid all this: look at Titsa routes 473 and 477.
Access from the marina
From the marina to the sand in four steps.
- Leave the car at the marina or get off the bus in Los Gigantes and head for the marina buildings.
- Take Calle de los Guíos, the pedestrian street. It is a paved, traffic-free street that starts next to Calle Poblado Marinero and runs between shops and café terraces.
- Follow it for about 260 metres to the end. There you will find toilets, a shower and a viewpoint over the beach, the marina and the cliffs.
- Go down the wooden walkway that leads from the promenade to the sand.
The distance is measured on the OpenStreetMap map; the total time depends on where you park.
Sea and safety
Usual sea conditions and precautions.
Official listings classify the beach as calm-water. Even so, it sits on the open Atlantic coast, at the foot of walls of between 300 and 600 metres according to Turismo de Tenerife, and sea conditions change from one day to the next.
AEMET does not publish a forecast specifically for Los Guíos: the nearest beach forecast is for La Arena. Also check the coastal warnings before you set out.
- Check the flag and the lifeguard post, and follow instructions: green allows swimming, yellow calls for caution and red prohibits it.
- The seabed is a mix of black sand and stones: wear water shoes.
- In the cover photo you can see protective netting on the slope. Respect any cordoned-off areas and avoid lying right up against the wall.
- With swell or currents, do not stray far from the shore. If a current pulls you out, do not swim against it: swim parallel to the shore and call for help.
- Keep a constant eye on children. In an emergency, call 112.
- Bathing-water quality: check the Ministry of Health's Náyade system.
Facilities
Showers, toilets, sunbeds and lifeguards.
What the official listings record and what you can see on the ground. Prices, season and lifeguard hours are not in the listings.
Showers and foot showers
Recorded in the official listings. According to OpenStreetMap, there is a free shower next to the beach access.
Toilets
There are toilets beside the access promenade, according to the official listings and the OpenStreetMap map.
Sunbeds and parasols
They are rented out on the beach, as is water-sports equipment. Prices are not in the official listings: ask before you settle in.
Lifeguards
The Ministry's beach guide says it has a rescue team and danger signage. Check the post and the flag on the day you go.
Food and drink nearby
There are bars and restaurants on Calle de los Guíos and along the marina promenade, and a restaurant with a terrace next to the beach access. The marina has most of the terraces, as the Los Gigantes guide explains.
Cleaning and bins
The beach has a municipal cleaning service and bins. If you cannot see one nearby, take your rubbish with you.
Accessibility
What the sources say and what to check.
The official sources do not agree. The Ministry for Ecological Transition's beach guide says the beach has access for people with reduced mobility, whereas Turismo de Tenerife does not list it as accessible.
If you travel with a wheelchair or have reduced mobility, confirm access with Santiago del Teide town council before you go.
- Access is on foot and signposted, according to the Ministry.
- Calle de los Guíos is pedestrianised and paved, and the last stretch to the sand is a wooden walkway.
- There is no car park of its own: from the marina car parks, allow 400 to 600 metres of walking.
- The mix of sand and stones on the seabed can make it harder to get into the water.
- The toilets and shower are next to the access, before you go down to the sand.
When to go
Best time to visit Playa de Los Guíos.
Official listings give the beach a high occupancy, so the time of day matters more than the day. The time slots are our own recommendation, not hourly crowd data.
Fewer people and calmer sea
The Los Gigantes guide notes that the sea is usually calmer in the morning. It is when you find a sunbed and space. With the rock wall behind it, direct sun takes a while to reach the sand.
Peak crowds
This is the busiest time for bathers, especially in August, at weekends and on public holidays. If you go now, expect to park far away and find a full beach.
Quieter, better for strolling
Crowds thin out and you can stroll around the marina at your leisure. For sunset, head up to the Archipenque viewpoint in Puerto de Santiago, with views of the coast, the cliffs and, on clear days, La Gomera.
What to do nearby
What to do near Playa de Los Guíos.
Everything below is a few minutes away on foot or by car. Each one has its own guide for the detail.
The marina
A stroll beside the boats, terraces and shops, a step from the sand. It is the liveliest part of Los Gigantes.
Boat trips
They leave from the same marina: cruises to see the cliffs from the sea, with or without a swim. See excursions →
Whale and dolphin watching
Pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins live in the channel towards La Gomera all year round. Dolphin and whale guide →
Viewpoints
There is a viewpoint beside the beach access, with views of the sand, the marina and the cliffs, and the Archipenque viewpoint in Puerto de Santiago. West Tenerife guide →
Los Gigantes
The cliffs, the village and the marina, with everything to see and do. Los Gigantes guide →
Playa de la Arena
About 3 km by road (8–10 minutes by car), in Puerto de Santiago, with road access as well. Beaches in Tenerife →
Have the whole day? From Los Gigantes you can also take the road to Masca and, further north, the lighthouse at Punta de Teno. Note that private cars cannot go up to Punta de Teno; according to Buenavista del Norte town council you get there by bus, by taxi or with authorisation. All of the west, with a map and routes, is in the west Tenerife guide.
Map
Map of Playa de Los Guíos and the marina.
A schematic map with the beach, the marina, the pay car parks and the roughly 260-metre pedestrian walk that leads to the sand.
- 1Playa de Los Guíos: black sand, about 180 × 20 m.
- 2Los Gigantes marina, where the boat trips depart.
- 3Start of the pedestrian Calle de los Guíos; the route, dotted, is about 260 m.
- 4Toilets, shower and viewpoint at the beach access.
- 5The cliff wall, behind the beach (approximate position).
- PMarina pay car parks.
Frequently asked questions
The essentials before you go to Playa de Los Guíos.
The most common questions, answered with data from the official sources.
Where is Playa de Los Guíos?
In Los Gigantes, in the municipality of Santiago del Teide, in the south-west of Tenerife. It is at the foot of the cliffs and right next to the Los Gigantes marina. Some listings also call it Argel.
How do you get to Playa de Los Guíos?
You reach it on foot from the Los Gigantes marina along the pedestrian Calle de los Guíos: about 260 metres that end in a wooden walkway down to the sand. If you come by car, leave it in the marina car parks; by bus, Titsa routes 473 and 477 run to Los Gigantes.
Where do you park for Playa de Los Guíos?
The beach has no car park of its own. The usual option is the pay car parks at the marina, which fill up by mid-morning in high season. Parking on the village streets is often difficult.
Is Playa de Los Guíos a black-sand beach?
Yes. It has black volcanic sand, with stones and pebbles on the seabed and along the shoreline, and it measures about 180 metres long by about 20 wide.
Does it have lifeguards, showers and toilets?
According to the official listings it has showers, foot showers and toilets, and the Ministry for Ecological Transition's beach guide says it has a rescue team. The lifeguard season and hours are not given in those listings: check the post and the flag on the day you go.
Is it safe to swim at Playa de Los Guíos?
Yes. It is classed as a calm-water beach, but it is open Atlantic coast and sea conditions change from day to day. Check the flag, follow the lifeguards' instructions and wear water shoes because of the stones on the seabed.
Is it accessible for people with reduced mobility?
The sources do not agree: the Ministry for Ecological Transition's beach guide says it has access for people with reduced mobility, whereas Turismo de Tenerife does not list it as accessible. Access is along a paved pedestrian street and a wooden walkway, and there is no car park of its own. Confirm the details with Santiago del Teide town council before you go.
What is the difference between Playa de Los Guíos and Playa de la Arena?
Los Guíos is in Los Gigantes, next to the marina and at the foot of the cliffs, measures about 180 by 20 metres and is reached on foot from the marina. La Arena is in Puerto de Santiago, about 3 kilometres by road (8–10 minutes by car), measures about 140 by 40 metres and, according to Spain.info, has moderate waves and access on foot and by car.
Can you take boat trips from Playa de Los Guíos?
The trips leave from the Los Gigantes marina, right next to the beach. Whale and dolphin watching departures and boat rides to see the cliffs from the sea set off from there.
How long do you need, and what is the best time?
One or two hours is enough for a swim. If you add a stroll around the marina and a meal, allow half a morning or half an afternoon. In the morning there are fewer people and the sea is usually calmer; midday is when there are most bathers.
Official sources
Where the data comes from.
Reviewed on 4 October 2026. Official listings may change.
- Turismo de Tenerife: official listing for Playa de Los Guíos (size, sand, facilities, parking and accessibility).
- Spain.info (Turespaña): listing for Los Guíos (occupancy, access, distance to the marina and facilities).
- The Ministry for Ecological Transition's beach guide, as reproduced by inspain.org (in Spanish): rescue service, signage and access.
- AEMET: beach forecast (La Arena, the nearest) and weather warnings.
- Náyade, Ministry of Health: bathing-water quality.
- Titsa: bus routes and timetables to Los Gigantes.
- Santiago del Teide town council: the beach's municipality.
- OpenStreetMap: car parks, streets, toilets, showers and base map.
What is not in the official sources — lifeguard season and hours, car park rates and sunbed prices — is not included here. The time slots and the recommended time are our own estimates.
Next stop
The same cliff, seen from the sea.
Playa de Los Guíos is the gateway to Los Gigantes: from its marina leave the boats that sail up to the base of the wall and out to the dolphins.
Photo of the beach: Mike Peel, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo of the sunbeds: X3m, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo of the beach next to the marina: G.Lanting, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · Photo of the aerial view: Wouter Hagens, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)