Sea Kayaking & Paddleboarding

Out on the Water

There are few better ways to understand why these cliffs are called The Giants than from the water. On land you get a view — on a kayak or SUP, you get a sense of scale that genuinely stops you in your tracks. The walls rise 600 metres straight out of the Atlantic, and when you’re sitting at sea level looking up, it’s one of those moments that reminds you why you came here.

The water around Los Gigantes is exceptionally calm compared to much of Tenerife’s coastline, which makes it ideal for paddling even if you’ve never done it before. The cliffs shelter the bay from the prevailing winds, and the Atlantic here is clear, warm, and genuinely turquoise on a sunny day. Paddle out from Playa de Los Guios and within a few minutes you’re beneath the cliff face, often with turtles surfacing nearby and the odd cove clear enough to see the volcanic rock twenty feet below.

A kayak is the easy, stable choice — double kayaks especially, which are more forgiving and more fun when you’re trying to take photos. SUP is a slightly different feel: slower, more meditative, and best on a glassy morning when there’s no wind. If you fall off — and you might — the water’s warm and the board doesn’t go anywhere.

Rent and Go, or Take a Guide

You don’t need a tour to do this. Renting your own kayak or SUP for an hour or two is cheap, simple, and lets you go at your own pace — out to the cliffs, into a quiet cove, back for a coffee. It’s the nicer option if you’ve paddled before or just want the freedom to stop where you like. Nautilos SUP on the marina is the go-to for this: good kit, a locker for your things, and rates around €20–25 an hour. Popular with people staying longer who go out several times.

If you’d rather have someone show you the best spots and keep an eye on things, a guided tour is worth it — particularly your first time, or if you want to combine paddling with snorkelling. Teno Activo (Dock 6, the most established operator here) runs guided kayak and snorkel trips with multi-lingual guides and a support boat, roughly €35–60 depending on the trip. El Cardón NaturExperience is a smaller, well-reviewed alternative on a similar route, and a good fallback if Teno Activo is full.

Practical Tips

• Mornings are calmest. The water is flattest before midday, and afternoon winds can pick up and make SUP in particular much harder work — it’s the safe choice if you’re new to it or nervous about conditions.
• But late afternoon is when the cliffs come alive. They face west, so as the sun drops the whole rock face turns gold and then deep orange, and the light on the water is genuinely worth timing a paddle for. If the wind’s light, a late-day kayak into the sunset is the better experience — just keep an eye on the conditions and don’t push it if it’s choppy.
• Parking is a genuine headache. Leave more time than you think you need. The marina car park costs around €2 an hour — worth paying rather than circling the streets.
• You don’t need to be fit. The pace is entirely yours and the bay is sheltered. Take it slow and stop whenever you like.
• Bring sun cream and a cap, not a towel. Rentals and tours provide the rest.
• Check the conditions the night before. If the wind’s up, skip the SUP — a calm morning is a completely different, better experience.

A note on accuracy: prices and availability change — always check directly with the operator before booking or renting.