Located on Tenerife’s west coast, Puerto de Santiago sits in the centre of the towns of Los Gigantes and Playa de la Arena, but in effect it forms one spiralling resort with Playa de la Arena. It was once a small fishing village, but with the onset of mass tourism there remains little trace of its maritime history, besides a Museum of Fisherman.
In a nutshell, Puerto de Santiago is a low-key resort, ideal for peaceful, relaxing family holidays. It is close to a superb sandy beach at Playa de la Arena, whilst resort facilities are good, with plenty of family-friendly bars, restaurants and a choice of shopping centres. The resort is also close to the dramatic Los Gigantes cliffs, as well as being an excellent base for excursions to surrounding areas of interest, including the Teide National Park and the island of La Gomera.
The closest airport to Puerto de Santiago is the North Airport, though this is primarily used for domestic flights. Instead, almost all visitors to Tenerife arrive into Tenerife South Airport, which is approximately one hour and 30 minutes away by road from Puerto de Santiago.
The long journey from the airport to Puerto de Santiago means a taxi will be expensive. A much cheaper option is to take one of the public buses that departs from the airport to resorts throughout Tenerife each day.
Puerto de Santiago, much like the rest of the island, is renowned for its sensational all-year-round weather, with average temperatures rarely dropping below 60C and frequently rising above 80C.
Furthermore, the cooling sea breezes provide respite from the high temperatures, meaning humidity stays at a minimum.
Summertime in Puerto de Santiago draws many visitors, but the winter is also a busy time, owing to the continued warm weather. Winter visitors should note, however, that evenings can get cold, and they should pack accordingly.
Puerto Santiago is mainly used for relaxing holidays, as well as a base from which to explore surrounding areas.
Within the resort itself is a very small beach that is perfectly good for an afternoon laying in the sun, but perhaps lacks the amenities and attractiveness that you would expect from top-class beaches. However, ample compensation is provided just 5 minute away to the south at Playa la Arena where there is one of the best beaches along this entire stretch of Tenerife coastline.
Paying homage to its fishing village routes, the resort is also home to a small Museum of Fishermen (Museo Pescador), which is located on the main Carretera General road between Puerto de Santiago Post Office and the main plaza.
A popular activity around Puerto Santiago is diving in nearby Los Gigantes, which offers one of the top dive sites on Tenerife. The marina at Los Gigantes also draws visitors for fishing trips, pleasure boat trips and fun water rides.
Puerto de Santiago also offers easy access to the spectacular Teno Mountains with several walking trails around the small mountain village of Masca. Teide National Park is also within reach, whilst the larger, livelier southern resorts of Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos are 30 minutes away by road.