Puerto de Santiago lies on the west coast of Tenerife near to Los Gigantes. Once a small fishing village it has spread to accommodate the demands of modern tourism and now is almost one with Los Gigantes and Playa la Arena.
A Puerto de Santiago holiday offers year round sunshine in a relaxed resort with a range of leisure activities for all the family. Its high quality hotels and apartments with large swimming pools offer an excellent base for exploring both the local area and further afield. The beach is very small but a five minute walk takes you to neighbouring Playa l’Arena which has a much larger Blue Flag beach.
Puerto de Santiago appeals mainly to families and to couples looking for a place to relax in the sun. This is a resort that is built up the side of a hill so is not suited to those with mobility problems.
Puerto de Santiago is a year round holiday destination having pleasantly hot summers and warm winters. Although there is occasional rain on the island, it is mainly in the north. There is no specific rainy season and showers are short.
Puerto de Santiago on the south-west coast of Tenerife enjoys longer hours of sunshine than the north of the island. The cliffs of nearby Gigantes rise out of the sea and reach the height of between five and eight hundred metres. They are at their most impressive when viewed from the sea when the scale of their grandeur can be truly appreciated.
The resort has steep inclines and is not suited to those with mobility problems. Although Puerto de Cruz shops provide essentials, serious shoppers must look further afield. It has many restaurants serving a wide variety of food.
The beach at Puerto de Cruz is very small and is fine black sand. Beach lovers will find a much better beach at Playa l’Arena only five minutes walk away.
Attractions on the island include Siam Park, a recently opened themed water park with animals as well as water rides. The children’s jungle area is very popular.
Loro Park is well worth a visit. It provides amazing habitats for its animals including an Antarctic island for its penguins where the temperature is minus two degrees. It also is part of a breeding programme for endangered species including gorillas.
A cable car ride to the top of Monte Teide, weather permitting, gives amazing views over the lunar landscape.
Nightlife in Puerto de Santiago is quiet and relaxed reflecting the family nature of the resort with many of the hotels providing in-house entertainment. There are a number of bars and restaurants but Puerto de Cruz retires to bed soon after midnight.
There is no large shopping centre in Puerto de Cruz. The retailers here provide the day to day essentials and the usual beach and gift stores. One of the attractions of shopping in Tenerife is that it is tax free with perfume, alcohol, cigarettes, cameras and electronic goods being considerably cheaper. To take advantage of this you will need to take a local bus to a larger resort.
There are many restaurants in Puerto de Santiago serving a wide choice of food catering for most tastes. Fish restaurants with their locally caught fresh ingredients rarely disappoint the palate. Try the deliciously spicy ‘mojo’ sauce, a Canarian speciality, with fish or meat. Children are always given a warm welcome even in the finest of restaurants.
