Puerto de Santiago Holidays

Puerto de Santiago is nicely situated on the west coast between two good beaches. It's a quiet former fishing village that descends the hillside to a tiny beach. You'll find it very relaxed, with a few bars and restaurants. For interested visitors there's a little fishing museum. You can walk a short distance in either direction to access the beaches at Playa de la Arena and Los Gigantes.

Because of its volcanic nature, you'll find the sand in Tenerife is black. Puerto de Santiago has its own small black sand beach where you can swim, and the Blue Flag beach at Playa de la Arena is also within walking distance. The beaches are often surrounded by cliffs, and there are some interesting cave formations. A cruise from nearby Los Gigantes will take you into the volcanic caves for a voyage of discovery.

If you fancy an intrepid day out, take a trip to the third highest volcano in the world. Mount Teide is also Spain's highest mountain and it's still emitting sulphurous fumes. It'll take you about an hour to drive there from Puerto de Santiago, where a cable car will take you to just below the summit. You can also get there on foot, if you hike up for five hours. Whichever you choose, it's well worth the journey. You can see a long, long way to the other Canary Islands, and examine the weird rock formations.