SeaTV · Spain · Canary Islands · Tenerife · Las Galletas · Marina del Sur
Marina del Sur (Las Galletas) — The Old Fishing Village Marina · Tenerife South Coast
28°00.45’N · 16°39.71’W · Puerto Deportivo de Las Galletas · in the heart of the historic fishing village of Las Galletas (municipality of Arona) · 176 berths · max LOA 20 m · max draft 7 m at high tide / 2 m at low tide · 24h security · first aid · fuel · water + electricity · Wi-Fi · whale + dolphin watching base · Friday Artisan Market 09:00-14:00 · ~15 km from Tenerife South Airport (TFS) · ~5 NM W of Marina San Miguel · operated by the Las Galletas fishing community.
+34 922 783 620 · [email protected] · VHF Ch 9 · the most authentic Tenerife S-coast marina · less developed, more local than San Miguel
Marina del Sur is the marina built into a working fishing village. Las Galletas — a small traditional fishing settlement on the southern tip of Tenerife in the Arona municipality — kept its identity even as the surrounding S-coast resort sprawl grew · the village remains a place where you’ll see fishermen unloading the morning catch alongside charter yachts coming in for fuel · the ratio of locals to tourists is the highest of any Tenerife S marina. 176 berths arranged on multiple pontoons accommodating boats from 4 m to 20 m, max draft 2 m at low tide / 7 m at high · facilities include 24h surveillance, first aid, fuel, electricity + water + Wi-Fi at every berth, toilets + showers, a crane for haul-out, and several dockside cafés/restaurants. For sailors the appeal vs. Marina San Miguel (5 NM E) is character: Marina del Sur is the lower-key, more authentic option, with the Friday Artisan Market on the dockside (09:00-14:00) and a real Canarian seafood scene in the village. For whale-watching: Las Galletas is one of the two main departure points (with Los Cristianos) for the resident pilot-whale + bottlenose dolphin pods that live year-round between Las Galletas and Los Gigantes — possibly the best cetacean viewing in Europe. For walkers + divers: Playa de Las Galletas (black volcanic sand beach) is within walking distance, and the calm waters around the marina make this one of the better dive-school bases on Tenerife.
⚠ Reality check before you arrive:
→ ⚠ Wide tidal range affects entry depth · 7 m at high tide drops to 2 m at low tide · time your entry around tide tables for deep-draft boats
→ ⚠ Trade Wind acceleration on S coast · 25-35 kt common · plan handling assistance
→ ⚠ Limited superyacht capacity · max LOA 20 m · larger boats use Marina San Miguel (40 m) or Santa Cruz (80 m)
→ ⚠ Fishing fleet co-location · working harbour with active fishing operations · respect the commercial side of the dock
→ ⚠ Canary Islands customs status · Schengen but OUTSIDE EU customs union · special VAT regime · clear in/out properly
→ ⚠ Book ahead Sept-Dec · transatlantic season fills berths quickly
⚓ Marina del Sur at a Glance
Coordinates
28°00.45’N · 16°39.71’W
Berths
176
LOA range
4-20 m
Max draft
7 m at high tide / 2 m at low tide
VHF
Ch 9 (working) · Ch 16 (distress)
Phone
+34 922 783 620
Address
Puerto Deportivo Pesquero de Las Galletas · 38631 Arona
Distance · TFS Airport
~15 km · 20 min via TF-1
Distance · Marina San Miguel
~5 NM E · sister marina
Distance · Santa Cruz
~40 NM NE by sea · 75 km road
Best for
Whale-watching · authentic village · diving · day stops
Whale & Dolphin Watching — The Resident Pods
Why this stretch is special
→ The waters between Las Galletas and Los Gigantes (the SW cliffs of Tenerife) host resident pods of short-finned pilot whales + bottlenose dolphins year-round
→ The deep-water channel between Tenerife + La Gomera (~1,000+ m depths just offshore) brings cetaceans close to the coast
→ 21 cetacean species recorded in the Canary archipelago · sperm whales, false killer whales, Atlantic spotted dolphins, Risso’s dolphins
→ “World Whale Heritage Site” designation 2021 (the first in Europe) · the WCA recognises responsible operators
→ Whale-watching boats depart Las Galletas daily heading W toward the cliffs of Los Cristianos and Palm Mar — typical 2-3 hour tour
Approach & Entry
Approach
→ From Marina San Miguel (5 NM E): short coastal hop · pass Punta de Rasca lighthouse
→ From Los Cristianos (5 NM W): short hop along the resort coast
→ From Santa Cruz (40 NM N): follow the E + S coast around the island
→ From La Gomera (50 NM W): direct passage through the inter-island channel · expect Trade Wind acceleration
→ ⚠ Tide-aware entry · for boats > 2 m draft, time your entry to mid- or high-tide window
Entry procedure
→ Call “Marina del Sur” on VHF Ch 9 when 1 NM out · request berth assignment + handling.
→ Pass to starboard of the breakwater · the harbour entrance is shared with fishing fleet · keep a clear lookout for departing fishing boats early morning + late afternoon.
→ Marina pontoons inside the inner basin · designated visitor pontoon for first arrivals.
→ Most berths are bow-to / stern-to with lazy lines · narrower-than-Med pontoon spacing · ask for assistance.
The Las Galletas Village
Walking distance from the marina:
→ Playa de Las Galletas · black volcanic-sand beach · 5 min walk · swimming + sunbathing · clean clear water
→ Avenida Marítima promenade · seafront stroll · Canarian seafood restaurants on the way
→ Friday Artisan Market · 09:00-14:00 on the dockside · local crafts, produce, prepared foods
→ Mercado del Agricultor (further inland) · weekend farmer’s market · local Canarian produce + cheese + wine
→ Diving + sailing schools at the marina · calm protected waters make this the main learning base on Tenerife S
Canarian food specialties to try here:
→ Papas arrugadas con mojo · wrinkled potatoes boiled in seawater + red/green mojo sauces
→ Pescado a la sal · whole fish baked in sea salt
→ Cherne (Wreckfish) · the local white fish · best grilled with mojo verde
→ Conejo en salmorejo · rabbit stew with garlic, paprika, and white wine
→ Bienmesabe · Canarian almond dessert · centuries-old recipe
⛵ Day Sails & Cruising
Tenerife S coast (calm-weather day sails):
→ Marina San Miguel · 5 NM E · sister S-coast marina
→ Los Cristianos · 5 NM W · resort coast · ferry hub for La Gomera + El Hierro
→ Costa Adeje (Puerto Colón) · 8 NM W · 360-berth tourist marina + whale-tour base
→ Palm Mar + Los Gigantes cliffs · 15-20 NM W · 600 m sea-cliffs · the resident whale + dolphin habitat
→ Punta de Rasca + lighthouse · 1 NM SW · the southern tip of Tenerife · day-stop for swim
Inter-island passages:
→ La Gomera (Marina San Sebastián) · ~50 NM W · the Columbus departure island · 8-10 hr Trade Wind sail
→ El Hierro (Puerto de La Estaca) · ~80 NM W · the smallest + westernmost main island
→ La Palma (Santa Cruz de La Palma) · ~85 NM NW · the “Isla Bonita”
Contact & Emergency
Marina del Sur: Puerto Deportivo Pesquero de Las Galletas · Torre de Control 2ª Planta · 38631 Las Galletas · Arona
Phone: +34 922 783 620 · Email: [email protected]
VHF: Ch 9 (working) · Ch 16 (distress)
Emergency: 112 (national, all services)
Maritime SAR (Salvamento Marítimo): 900 202 202
Hospital Hospiten Sur: +34 922 750 022 (~10 km)
Tenerife South Airport (TFS): ~15 km · 20 min via TF-1
Whale-watching operators: multiple departures from the marina (book in advance Sept-March)
⛵ Continue Exploring the Canary Islands
→ Marina San Miguel (Amarilla Marina) — sister S-coast marina · 5 NM E · 344 berths
→ Marina Tenerife — Santa Cruz N marina · Darsena Pesquera
→ Santa Cruz Marina (Marina del Atlántico) — capital marina · 300 berths
→ La Gomera · Marina San Sebastián — 50 NM W · 335 berths
→ La Palma · Marina Santa Cruz — 85 NM NW · 180 berths
“Marina del Sur is the marina built into a working fishing village · twenty eight zero zero point four five north sixteen thirty nine point seven one west · Puerto Deportivo de Las Galletas in the heart of the historic fishing settlement on the southern tip of Tenerife in the Arona municipality · the village kept its identity even as the surrounding south coast resort sprawl grew so the place remains where you see fishermen unloading the morning catch alongside charter yachts coming in for fuel · the ratio of locals to tourists is the highest of any Tenerife south marina · one hundred seventy six berths arranged on multiple pontoons accommodating boats from four to twenty meters max draft seven meters at high tide dropping to two at low tide · phone three four nine two two seven eight three six two zero email info at marinadelsur dot es VHF channel nine · for sailors the appeal versus Marina San Miguel five miles east is character Marina del Sur is the lower key more authentic option with the Friday Artisan Market on the dockside and a real Canarian seafood scene in the village · for whale watching this is one of the two main departure points with Los Cristianos for the resident pilot whale and bottlenose dolphin pods that live year round between Las Galletas and Los Gigantes possibly the best cetacean viewing in Europe with twenty one species recorded in the archipelago and the World Whale Heritage Site designation since twenty twenty one · for walkers and divers Playa de Las Galletas the black volcanic sand beach is within walking distance and the calm waters around the marina make this one of the better dive school bases on Tenerife · order the papas arrugadas con mojo and the cherne grilled with mojo verde and the bienmesabe almond dessert · this is the lower key more local Tenerife south option.”
— SeaTV · Canary Islands · Tenerife · Marina del Sur · The Old Fishing Village Marina
