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One Strip, Three Resorts — Why “Los Gigantes Car Hire” Usually Means Puerto de Santiago
The three resorts along this stretch of the TF-47 are effectively one neighbourhood. Los Gigantes sits at the northern end, built steeply up from the marina below the famous basalt cliffs; Puerto de Santiago is the working town in the middle, with supermarkets, pharmacies and the Vigilia Park shopping centre; Playa de la Arena occupies the southern end, centred on its black volcanic beach and larger hotels. End to end the walk takes roughly 25 to 35 minutes.
Most visitors searching for "Los Gigantes car hire" will collect their car from Puerto de Santiago. That is where the offices are — Vigilia Park has two of them side by side — and it is where hotel deliveries arrive. The Los Gigantes marina end of the strip is notoriously short of parking: narrow one-way streets, a single paid car park near the marina (around €1.90/hour), and a private garage (parkinglosgigantes.com) that fills up at weekends and over lunch. Starting and ending each day in Puerto de Santiago rather than fighting for a space by the cliffs is the practical choice.
The Local Firms, Street by Street
Rent a Car Las Rosas
Avenida 5º Centenario 58, CC Vigilia Park Local 41, Puerto de Santiago
The firm most long-stay visitors on the strip end up recommending. Las Rosas has been run by the same family since 1986, and the reviews across Trustpilot and Google reflect that history: WhatsApp communication, no deposit, no hidden extras, complimentary child seats, and debit-card acceptance. The service area covers the whole west strip from Los Gigantes down to Playa San Juan. Hotel and apartment delivery is their core offering; TFS airport pickup is available on request.
Full insurance and unlimited mileage are included. A second driver is free from five days. Fleet includes Renault Captur, Arkana and Megane; Skoda Fabia; Kia Stonic; Dacia Sandero; and a Mini Cooper Cabrio. They also book excursions, useful if you want whale watching from the marina arranged alongside the hire.
SantiagoRent (SantiagoRent24)
Two offices: CC Vigilia Park + CC Los Balcones, Puerto de Santiago
SantiagoRent runs two offices within walking distance of each other in Puerto de Santiago, making drop-off flexible. Delivery extends island-wide. Long-stay rates start from around €19 per day for rentals of 30 days or more — relevant for winter visits, which account for a large part of the west-coast market. Full insurance is included; child seats available on request; 24/7 roadside assistance.
Cabrera Medina (Cicar Group)
Caleta del Jurado 1, Dragos del Sur, Puerto de Santiago — Mon–Sat 08:00–21:00
Cabrera Medina is the local face of Cicar, the Canary Islands' largest independent hire company: no deposit, full cover with no excess, unlimited mileage, and a free additional driver as standard. The Puerto de Santiago office adds a free Tenerife audio guide. Opening hours of 08:00–21:00 Monday to Saturday suit late arrivals. Fleet runs from Opel Corsa to Seat Ibiza.
Hotel Desk: rentacar.canarias.com at Hotel Landmar
Inside Hotel Landmar Los Gigantes, Juan Manuel Capdevielle 8, Santiago del Teide
For guests staying at the Landmar, this in-hotel representative removes the need to travel to a separate office. Hours are weekdays 09:00–13:00 / 16:30–19:30, Saturday morning and evening, Sunday morning only — worth noting if you plan to collect late on a Sunday.
TMMS Tenerife
Los Gigantes address (38683) — quote by contact, no online booking engine
TMMS is one of the few operators with an actual Los Gigantes postal address rather than Puerto de Santiago. Fleet includes VW Polo, Seat Ibiza, Hyundai Kona and i20, Renault Clio and Nissan Micra, plus the option to request convertibles or a Mustang for special occasions. Because bookings are done by contact rather than online, they suit visitors who prefer a conversation before committing.
AtlasCar
Office in Adeje; Puerto de Santiago listed as a free pickup point
AtlasCar's base is in Adeje (Avenida Adeje 300), but Puerto de Santiago is one of eight pickup locations where they offer free collection and drop-off. Comprehensive insurance and unlimited kilometres are included. Minimum driver age is 23. Free cancellation up to 48 hours before pickup.
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| Firm | Address / Location | Insurance | Mileage | Deposit | Min Age | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Rosas | Vigilia Park L41, Puerto Santiago | Full, no excess | Unlimited | None (debit OK) | — | Hotel/apt + TFS on request |
| SantiagoRent | Vigilia Park + Los Balcones | Full included | — | — | — | Island-wide |
| Cabrera Medina (Cicar) | Caleta del Jurado 1, Dragos del Sur | Full, no excess, no deposit | Unlimited | None | — | — |
| Hotel Landmar desk | Inside Hotel Landmar LG | — | — | — | — | In-hotel only |
| TMMS | Los Gigantes (38683) | — | — | — | — | Quote by contact |
| AtlasCar | Pickup: Puerto de Santiago | Comprehensive | Unlimited | — | 23 | Free pickup/drop |
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Hotel Delivery vs Airport Pickup
The west coast of Tenerife has a well-established delivery culture, and it makes practical sense here. TFS is 42 km from Puerto de Santiago — roughly 35 to 40 minutes on the TF-1 west then the TF-47 north. Collecting a car at the airport means driving that route twice: once arriving, tired, in the dark if you are on an evening flight, and again when returning. The final descent into the resort on the TF-47 is steep and poorly lit at night.
A cleaner pattern is to take a pre-booked transfer from TFS to your accommodation, settle in, then call Las Rosas or SantiagoRent the next morning for a hotel delivery. You pay for only the days you want the car — for a fortnight stay, often five to ten days rather than the full trip.
If you do pick up at TFS, read the Tenerife South Airport pickup page first. Major-brand desks at TFS routinely require a €1,100–1,200 credit-card deposit if you decline their desk insurance, plus a separate fuel hold, and queues of 45–90 minutes are common. Booking a local west-coast firm directly avoids that entirely.
Living with a Car on the Strip — Parking and Fuel
Hotel Parking Costs
| Hotel | Daily Parking Cost |
|---|---|
| Landmar Playa La Arena | €8/day (no reservation needed; some free street parking nearby) |
| Royal Sun Resort | ~€10/day |
| Barceló Santiago | €20–22/day |
| Ona el Marqués Resort | Free public spaces nearby (not guaranteed) |
Parking costs add up fast. A fortnight at the Barceló Santiago with a hire car parked daily adds over €280 — roughly as much as the hire itself. Check your hotel's rate before assuming it is included.
Street parking in Los Gigantes core is limited: narrow one-way streets, a paid marina car park at around €1.90/hour, and the private garage at parkinglosgigantes.com as the most reliable fallback. Puerto de Santiago and Playa de la Arena have more street spaces, though availability drops at weekends and in school-holiday periods.
Fuel
Petrol 95 typically runs €1.18–1.55/litre on the Canary Islands — cheaper than UK prices because the islands apply a reduced tax rate (IGIC) rather than mainland VAT. The nearest cheaper stations are DISA toward Tamaimo and the PCAN station in Alcalá on the TF-47, both on natural return routes. Live prices by station: geoportalgasolineras.com. Fill up before returning to the marina end — no petrol station there.
Buses Versus a Car
TITSA runs two routes from Los Gigantes: Line 477 south to Costa Adeje (approximately hourly, ~53 minutes) and Line 473 to Los Cristianos via Callao Salvaje (~90-minute headway, ~80 minutes). Both are useful for day trips to the southern resort strip without having to park in Playa de las Américas.
What the buses cannot do: there is no direct route to Mount Teide, no service to Punta de Teno (where private cars are in any case prohibited — only TITSA Line 369 from Buenavista runs there), and no bus to TFS airport. If your plans include any of the mountain roads north of Santiago del Teide, the road to Masca village, or a day trip to Garachico and Icod de los Vinos via the north coast, a hire car is the only practical option. The Los Gigantes car hire comparison page covers how the main options compare on cost and terms.
Where You Will Actually Drive
Pick up the TF-436 from Puerto de Santiago and within 15 minutes you are climbing through Tamaimo toward Santiago del Teide, the starting point for the almond blossom trail (at its best in February) and the departure point for the TITSA minibus to Masca gorge. Teide's western approach via the TF-38 from Chío adds another 40 minutes from the resort and rewards with the drive up to the cable car base at 2,350 metres — though the road closes several times each winter for snow, so check the Cabildo road-status page before setting off. For a longer day, the north coast circuit through Garachico and Icod de los Vinos is around 40–45 minutes from the strip, and the Erjos tunnel currently under construction (expected Q1 2027) will cut that journey significantly once open.
For everything worth doing in and around the resort without a car, see the things to do near Los Gigantes guide. For visitors considering excess insurance before pickup at TFS, the no-excess car hire Tenerife page explains what the local firms include by default and where the gaps are.