Los Gigantes Things To Do
Mount Teide National Park
There’s an incredible range of plants and animal life, excellent trails for hikers and awe-inspiring views, including Mount Teide itself, one of the world’s third largest volcanoes. A cable car takes visitors to within two hundred metres of the summit, although the ascent is almost vertical and not for the faint-hearted. From the top, it is possible to see all of the Canaries.
Los Gigantes Marina
The focus of the town features plenty of bars and restaurants, a nearby black sanded beach and all kinds of boats. Visitors can learn to handle a power boat, try sailing, book a fishing trip, set off on a restored galleon or take a glass-bottomed boat to view the sea life, which includes whales and several schools of dolphins. A boat trip is also the best way to appreciate the magnificent cliffs that give the town its name.
Carnival – February/March
Night after night over a quarter of a million people pack the streets of the island’s capital, Santa Cruz, and party until dawn. Highlights include the Grand Procession on Shrove Tuesday and the finale, when a giant papier mâché sardine is set alight amidst a massive firework display. Los Gigantes holds its own four-day carnival the weekend after.
Diving and other activities
Tenerife’s best area for scuba diving, holidays in Los Gigantes features diveing for beginners and the more experienced alike, with a choice of centres and plenty to see. The sea is sheltered by the cliffs, and is clear, particularly between November and February, and warm. There are facilities for all kinds of water sports and the island’s rocky terrain is perfect for hiking, mountaineering, climbing, canyoning and mountain biking.
Golf
Tenerife has a good choice of courses offering excellent facilities and superb views. Although there are none in Los Gigantes itself, the nearest is just half an hour away and so can make an ideal base for a golfing holiday. There’s also a spectacular championship course on La Gomera. This peaceful island is a short boat trip away and is worth a visit even for those who wouldn’t go near a golf course.
Garachico and the Dragon Tree
Across the bay lies this historic town that was almost destroyed by a massive volcanic eruption, but is worth a trip to see the buildings that survived and the nearby Dragon Tree – the largest and oldest of its kind. Now found only on the Canary Islands, these trees were valued for their mystic powers and red sap, or dragon’s blood, once used for everything from healing to embalming.
