Santiago del Teide takes up the western strip of Tenerife, between the Los Gigantes cliffs and the mid-altitude slopes of the Chinyero. Almost everyone arrives by car, and it is under an hour and a half from either airport, but the last few kilometres are not motorway: there are bends, gradients and tight parking at peak times. This page sorts the options by where you are coming from.
From Tenerife South airport (TFS)
By car, about 50 to 60 minutes: the TF-1 to Adeje and then the TF-47 along the coast. By bus there is no direct line: take the 40 to Costa Adeje station and there the 477, which runs direct to Los Gigantes, or the 473, which goes along the coast.
From Tenerife North airport (TFN)
Around an hour and a quarter. By car, the TF-5 to Icod and then the TF-82 towards Santiago del Teide. By bus, the 343 —express, and it calls at both airports— to Costa Adeje, and there the 473.
From the southern resorts
From Los Cristianos or Costa Adeje, line 477 runs direct from Costa Adeje station to Los Gigantes, and the 473 covers the same trip calling at Adeje, Armeñime, Playa San Juan and Puerto de Santiago. By car it is some thirty to forty minutes on the TF-47.
From the north of the island
Line 325 links Puerto de la Cruz and Icod with Los Gigantes and Playa de la Arena, passing El Tanque and Santiago del Teide. It is the direct connection from the north and takes about an hour and three quarters.
Which of the four are you heading to?
Los Gigantes
Cliffs, marina and the boat trips. It is the area with the most pressure on parking.
Puerto de Santiago
Coastal promenade, restaurants and an easy walk to Playa de la Arena.
Playa de la Arena
Black sand, services and the easiest option if you are travelling with children.
Masca
A mountain hamlet. Narrow, winding road: allow more time than the map suggests.
Prepare the visitDecide where you are sleeping first
Los Gigantes, Puerto de Santiago and Playa de la Arena are minutes apart, but access and parking differ quite a bit between them.
Allow for bends and gradients
The time your navigator gives holds on the motorway, not on the access roads. Add a margin if you travel with children or if someone gets carsick.
Arrive with time to park
Demand near the marina in Los Gigantes is high and the streets are steep. If you have a boat trip booked, this is what decides whether you catch it.
If you come by bus, check the timetable
TITSA connects the municipality with the rest of Tenerife, but frequencies are not those of a city. Check the route on the day, not the night before.
Public transport and taxi
Getting around the municipality
Line 462 runs from Guía de Isora through Chío, Arguayo, Santiago del Teide, Valle de Arriba, Tamaimo, Playa de la Arena and Puerto de Santiago to Los Gigantes. It is the one that links the old town with the coast.
Across the interior
Line 460 crosses from Icod de los Vinos to Costa Adeje station via El Tanque, Santiago del Teide, Tamaimo and Chío. Useful if you are staying in the mid-altitude villages.
The Masca bus
You reach the start of the ravine trail on line 355, which links Buenavista del Norte and Masca with Santiago del Teide. That ticket is one of the documents required at the access control.
Taxi
Taxi Los Gigantes: +34 922 861 627. Useful for getting back from a boat trip, or if you would rather not move the car between the marina and the beach.
The guide’s advice
Line numbers and timetables are published by TITSA and change by season, so check them on the day at titsa.com or in their app. And if it is your first time, avoid arriving at night by the Masca road: it is narrow, full of bends and has no hard shoulder.
See where to park See the practical guide