Los Gigantes
Encyclopedia
Los Gigantes is a resort town
Resort town
A resort town, sometimes called a resort city or resort destination, is a town or area where tourism or vacationing is a primary component of the local culture and economy...
in the Santiago del Teide
Santiago del Teide
Santiago del Teide is a municipality in the Canary Islands, and part of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Its area is 52.26 km², the population is 10,777 . Resort towns in the municipality are Acantilados de Los Gigantes, Puerto de Santiago, Playa de la Arena and Santiago del Teide....
municipality on the west coast of the Canary Island
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
. Its main feature are the giant rock formation
Rock formation
This is a list of rock formations that include isolated, scenic, or spectacular surface rock outcrops. These formations are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock...
s, Acantilados de Los Gigantes
Acantilados de Los Gigantes
Acantilados de Los Gigantes are vertical cliffs along the western coast of Tenerife. They are vertical walls reaching heights of 500 metres in some places...
, that rise from the sea to a height of 500-800 metre
Metre
The metre , symbol m, is the base unit of length in the International System of Units . Originally intended to be one ten-millionth of the distance from the Earth's equator to the North Pole , its definition has been periodically refined to reflect growing knowledge of metrology...
s (1,640–2,625 ft) after which the town has been named. Los Gigantes means "The Giants".
Nearby to the south are the resorts of Puerto de Santiago and Playa de la Arena
Playa de la Arena
Playa De La Arena is a resort town located just south of the resorts of Los Gigantes and Puerto Santiago in the Santiago del Teide municipality on the West Coast of Tenerife. Close to Los Gigantes, the giant cliffs of the resort can be seen from across Playa De La Arena...
. 3 km to the North is the village of Masca
Masca
Masca is a small mountain village located in Buenavista del Norte on a small mountain road named Masca. The village is home to around 150 inhabitants. The village is in the Teno mountains, which range from 600 to 800 m and extend up to the northwesternmost point of Tenerife. The village in the...
which can be reached by boat or car.
The town has a marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
which is completely surrounded by concrete walls to dampen the effect of the rough seas around the area. A small black sand beach lies between the rocks and the marina. The marina has a boulevard with many restaurants. Close to the harbour is a lido.
The cliffs at Los Gigantes, Acantilados de Los Gigantes
Acantilados de Los Gigantes
Acantilados de Los Gigantes are vertical cliffs along the western coast of Tenerife. They are vertical walls reaching heights of 500 metres in some places...
in Spanish, are one of the island's major tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
s. There are three viewpoints in the village, the main one on main road to towards Tamaimo, another above the sports club and a third on a coastal path around the Hotel Barcelo. The village has many small shops and restaurants servicing the tourists that visit the area, especially on the one way road loop around church and plaza, and also near to the marina and beach.
Each year, in February, there is a carnival which parades through the village.
As can be expected of a town resort, Los Gigantes has only one hotel but lots of apartments compared to regular residences.
Other resorts nearby include Puerto Santiago and Playa De La Arena
Playa de la Arena
Playa De La Arena is a resort town located just south of the resorts of Los Gigantes and Puerto Santiago in the Santiago del Teide municipality on the West Coast of Tenerife. Close to Los Gigantes, the giant cliffs of the resort can be seen from across Playa De La Arena...
.
Demographics
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.134 | 2.194 | 2.398 | 2.493 | 2.536 | 2.581 | 2.617 | 2.640 | 2.692 | 2.721 |
See also
- White cliffs of DoverWhite cliffs of DoverThe White Cliffs of Dover are cliffs which form part of the British coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliffs are part of the North Downs formation. The cliff face, which reaches up to , owes its striking façade to its composition of chalk accentuated by streaks of black flint...
in the United Kingdom - Cliffs of MoherCliffs of MoherThe Cliffs of Moher are located in the parish of Liscannor at the south-western edge of the Burren area near Doolin, which is located in County Clare, Ireland....
in Ireland - Cabo GirãoCabo GirãoCabo Girão is a lofty sea cliff located along the southern coast of the island of Madeira, in the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira. Cabo Girão is a popular lookout point, and starting point for hikers, as well as the location of the Encosta Cabo Girão a complex of 120 apartments located on the...
on Madeira