Guide · West coast

Jet ski safari at Los Gigantes, Tenerife: the cliffs and Punta de Teno

A jet ski safari at Los Gigantes, Tenerife, trades hotel fronts for sheer volcanic walls. Here is how the hour runs, who may ride, and how it compares with the south coast.

Check availabilityfrom $81 · no cancellation fee

Editorial team, jetskisafaritenerife.comUpdated October 26, 2026Reading time 6 min29 sources

The tour this guide is about Tenerife: 1-hour Jet Ski Safari in Los Gigantes 4.8 (45 reviews) 1 hour from$81per person Check availabilityFree cancellation up to 24 hrs before

The essentials

01The ride: 1 hr from the Los Gigantes marina towards Punta de Teno.
02The cliffs: Up to 600 m high, dropping straight into the sea.¹
03Price: From $81, averaging 4.79 from 45 reviews.
04Who rides: Drivers 18, or 16 with parental permission.
05Protected sea: Inside the Teno-Rasca Special Area of Conservation.²

Why the west coast feels different

The south-coast rides pass beaches, hotels and marinas. The west coast offers something else entirely: a wall of rock that rises straight out of the Atlantic. The Los Gigantes cliffs in Santiago del Teide belong to Teno Country Park and reach up to 600 m, plunging directly into the sea.¹ At their foot the sea floor lies some 30 m down.³

Turismo de Tenerife says that one of the best ways to take in the height of the cliffs is from the sea.⁴ A jet ski puts you closer to the water line than any deck, and the scale is hard to grasp until you sit beneath it with the engine idling. Bring sunglasses on a strap: the light reflecting off the water and the pale rock can be intense in the middle of the day.

The ride starts from the Los Gigantes marina, at Puerto de Los Gigantes in the municipality of Santiago del Teide.⁵ It is a long drive from Costa Adeje or Las Américas, and the trip is worth combining with lunch in the town or a stop at a viewpoint on the way back. The town is small, the marina compact and easy to find once you are there.

Step by step

The safari from Puerto de Los Gigantes

At the shop

Training

A short lesson on the jet ski and the safety gear.
Out of the port

Along the coast

The group leaves the marina behind the guide.
Under the cliffs

The rock wall

Cliffs given as up to 600 m high above the water.
Towards Teno

Protected sea

The route heads for Punta de Teno inside Teno-Rasca.
On the way back

A dip

A stop to swim before the ride ends in port.

How the hour on the water runs

The listing booked on this page lasts 1 hour, keeps groups to 8 and is guided in Spanish and English. You meet at the operator's shop in Puerto de Los Gigantes, where the staff give a short training on the jet ski and the safety equipment before you leave the port. It starts from $81 and averages 4.79 from 45 reviews.

From the harbor the group heads out along the coast and under the cliffs, then on towards Punta de Teno, inside the Teno-Rasca Special Area of Conservation. On the way back there is a stop for a dip in the sea. The guide shares local facts along the way, so stay close at the stops; you will not hear much over the engines while moving.

The pace is set by the guide and the sea, not by the clock. Expect stretches of steady riding broken by pauses where the group gathers in front of the rock face. Those pauses are the moment for photos, but not with your own camera at the controls: the listing does not allow personal cameras while you drive. Leave your phone ashore and enjoy the view with both hands on the bars. Ask at the shop whether the guide takes pictures of the group; if photos matter to you, that question is worth settling before you sign anything.

Along the route

From the marina to Punta de Teno

Place	What it is	Figure
Los Gigantes marina	Start of the ride	1 hr out and back
The cliffs	Part of Teno Country Park	Up to 600 m high
Foot of the cliffs	Sea floor	Some 30 m deep
Teno-Rasca	Special Area of Conservation	69,489.68 ha
Punta de Teno	Headland and viewpoint	-

Figures from the listing, Turismo de Tenerife and MITECO; a dash means no figure is given.¹ ³ ² ⁶

Three ways to see the cliffs

From the saddle, from the town, or from the headland

Closest view

From a jet ski

1 hr from the marina

Height: Up to 600 m
Group: Up to 8
Price: from $81

Check dates

From land

Archipengue viewpoint

Puerto de Santiago

Access: By road
View: From above
Best for: The whole wall

Check dates

Far west

Punta de Teno

The headland

Access: By road
View: From the north
Best for: Looking south

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Decision helper

West coast or south coast?

Weigh the drive against the view you want

Los Gigantes

The cliffs rise up to 600 m straight out of the sea.¹

The San Miguel safari

It starts on the south coast, from $47.

Either, with consent

At 16 a driver needs written parental permission.⁷

Ask the operator

Personal cameras are not allowed while you drive here.

Los Gigantes

The ride stops for a dip on the way back to port.

One of the best ways to admire the imposing height of the Los Gigantes cliffs is from the sea on a boat trip.

Turismo de Tenerife (webtenerife.co.uk, official tourism site)Source 4

Age, height and weight rules for this ride

Read the limits before you book, because they are stricter than on some south-coast rides. The minimum driving age is 18, or 16 with written parental permission. Companions riding behind must be at least 8 years old and at least 1.35 m tall, and each jet ski carries at most 200 kg. Knowing how to swim is recommended.

Spanish rules allow 16 and 17-year-olds to drive with their parents' or guardians' consent.⁷ The consent has to be a signed document with a copy of the parent's ID card or passport, and the young driver must be able to show it at any moment.⁸ Print it before you leave home and keep it in a dry bag; it is easy to forget on holiday.

Pregnant women, people with heart or back problems, and anyone who has taken alcohol or drugs are advised against this ride by the listing. Reckless driving and ignoring the guide are not allowed, and nothing may be thrown into the sea. Those rules are not decoration: open water under a cliff is no place to improvise.

Map

Where the jet ski rides start and what they pass

First the south and west coast with every starting marina, then the stretch from San Miguel to Montaña Roja, the beaches of Costa Adeje, and the cliffs from Los Gigantes to Punta de Teno.

Map of south and west Tenerife with the San Miguel marina, Las Galletas, Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas, Puerto Colón, Los Gigantes, Punta de Teno and Chío — The coast

Map of the south coast with the San Miguel marina, Montaña Amarilla, Costa del Silencio, Las Galletas and Montaña Roja — San Miguel to Montaña Roja

Map of Costa Adeje with Puerto Colón, La Pinta, Fañabé and El Duque beaches, La Caleta and Playa de las Américas — Costa Adeje

Map of the west coast with the Los Gigantes marina, Puerto de Santiago and Punta de Teno — Los Gigantes

1
San Miguel marina
The safari booked here starts at this marina; you arrive 30 minutes before your time.
In Google Maps ↗
2
Montaña Amarilla
A Natural Monument of 27.8 ha born of a marine eruption, on the safari route.⁹ ¹⁰
In Google Maps ↗
3
Costa del Silencio
Its bay is one of the named points of the safari booked here.
In Google Maps ↗
4
Las Galletas
Fishing village with Marina del Sur; one safari of 1 or 2 hours leaves from here.¹¹
In Google Maps ↗
5
Montaña Roja
A 171 m volcano inside a Special Nature Reserve of 166 ha.¹² ¹³
In Google Maps ↗
6
Los Cristianos
Pickup point of the double ride, with a jeep transfer of 20 minutes.
In Google Maps ↗
7
Playa de las Américas
One 1-hour tour from Puerto Colón runs along this stretch of coast.
In Google Maps ↗
8
Puerto Colón
Marina in Adeje; several rides meet at gate 9.¹⁴
In Google Maps ↗
9
Playa La Pinta
The beach beside Puerto Colón, 180 m long and calm behind its breakwaters.¹⁵ ¹⁶
In Google Maps ↗
10
Playa de Fañabé
A beach of 600 m in Adeje.¹⁷
In Google Maps ↗
11
Playa El Duque
Blue Flag beach of 390 m, joined to other beaches by a promenade.¹⁸
In Google Maps ↗
12
La Caleta
A 3-minute break on one Puerto Colón safari.
In Google Maps ↗
13
Los Gigantes marina
Start of the 1-hour safari along the cliffs towards Punta de Teno.⁵
In Google Maps ↗
14
Puerto de Santiago
The Archipengue viewpoint here gives the best land view of the cliffs.⁶
In Google Maps ↗
15
Punta de Teno
The Los Gigantes safari heads this way; its viewpoint also shows the cliffs.⁶
In Google Maps ↗
16
Chío
Start of the 3-hour quad part of one jet ski and quad combo.
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Checklist

Before you drive to Los Gigantes

Pack

Signed consent for drivers aged 16 or 17
Sun cream and a towel for afterwards
Water for the drive back

Check

Height of children riding behind
Weight per jet ski for two riders
Time to park before the start

Cost calculator

West coast against south coast

Enter your group size to compare the 2 rides.

Los Gigantes safariCliffs to Tenofrom $81 San Miguel safariSouth coastfrom $47

People 2

Total from$162

per participant from $81

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Each total multiplies a listing's GetYourGuide starting price, converted at the European Central Bank rate; the final figure appears on the booking page.

Video

A jet ski safari at Los Gigantes

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A protected stretch of sea

The water you ride over belongs to the Teno-Rasca marine strip, a Special Area of Conservation of 69,489.68 ha that washes the coasts of Buenavista del Norte, Santiago del Teide, Guía de Isora, Adeje and Arona.² It has been a Special Area of Conservation, a Natura 2000 designation, since September 2011.¹⁹ Its seabed holds sandbanks, seagrass meadows known as sebadales, maërl beds, sea caves and reefs.²⁰

At least 358 fish species are recorded in the area.²¹ Loggerhead and green turtles are regularly present in its waters.²² Whether you meet any on a given hour is a matter of luck, and nothing on a jet ski should be done to chase them. Turismo de Tenerife lists snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding and scuba diving around Los Gigantes for those who want to look below the surface.²³

Spanish rules protect whales and dolphins with an exclusion zone of at least 60 m around any animal.²⁴ If cetaceans appear closer than that to a craft, its engine goes into neutral at low revs or is stopped.²⁵ On a guided ride you follow the guide's lead, and it is worth knowing why the group may suddenly slow and drift for a while.

When to go and what the season brings

Los Gigantes is pleasant all year, but the seasons feel different. Turismo de Tenerife gives temperatures generally between 20 °C and 23 °C from November to May, and says July and August are warmer and sunnier, sometimes above 30 °C.²⁶ For a jet ski, warm air matters less than a calm sea, and that changes from day to day rather than by month.

Rides need good visibility and good weather, and the harbour master can change riding times and zones or ban riding for a while when conditions call for it.²⁷ ²⁸ If bad weather cancels the ride, the operator offers a new date or a full refund. Ride in the first days of your trip, so a postponed booking still fits before you fly home.

Riding is only allowed in daylight, from 1 hour after sunrise to 1 hour before sunset.²⁹ The west coast gets the evening sun, and the cliffs glow in the late light, so a slot in the afternoon suits photographers. Morning slots tend to suit families, who can then spend the afternoon on a beach in the town. Our best-time guide covers the months and the sea in more depth.

Planning the trip from the south

If you are staying on the south coast, plan the drive into your day. Leave enough time to park and walk to the shop; a late rider holds up everyone in the group. Wear your swimsuit under your clothes and bring a towel, water and sun cream for afterwards. The road along the west coast is winding in places, so anyone prone to car sickness should eat lightly before the drive and save the big meal for after the ride, when the harbor cafés are a welcome sight.

After the ride, look at the cliffs from land too. Turismo de Tenerife recommends Puerto de Santiago, above all the Archipengue viewpoint, and the Punta de Teno viewpoint.⁶ Seeing the wall from both sides, first from beneath and then from above, gives a sense of its size that neither view gives alone.

If the drive is too much, the south-coast safari booked on this site from the San Miguel marina is a simpler morning and starts from $47. It passes volcanic cones rather than cliffs, Montaña Amarilla and Montaña Roja among them. Choose the west if scenery comes first, the south if time and budget do.

Your hour at sea