One of Tenerife’s best vacation spots for families traveling with young kids is Puerto Colon. Located south of the island in the up-market resort of Costa Adeje, it’s a picturesque marina with a small beach and all the creatures of comforts holidaymakers will need to enjoy their vacation. This stretch of golden sand is known as Playa de Puerto Colon or Playa La Pinta, and it offers a lively Canarian experience without the immense bustle common to other tourist giants.
Why Visit Puerto Colon
Puerto Colón is a modern marina that is one of the best equipped on the island. It also boasts a kid-friendly, amenity-rich beach that is adjacent to and nearby tourism-based commercial establishments. Designed to cater to globetrotters mainly from Europe, families often favor the seaside destination over Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas for its quieter ambiance. It’s also less expensive than Playa del Duque, yet just as great a place for endless fun, creating memories, and shopping.
Here are other reasons that will persuade you to add Puerto Colon to your must-visit places in Tenerife.
Marina and Excursions
Both adult and young vacationers can enjoy a relaxing stroll on Puerto Colon. With a maximum capacity of 364 anchored and 237 moored vessels, expect to see beautiful boats and yachts of various sizes docked here throughout the year. The harbor is enclosed by a jetty with a wide footpath, allowing visitors to admire the port on one side and the vast Atlantic Ocean on the other. They can also reach the tip of the breakwater and watch watercrafts go in and out of the entrance channel. Fancy a closer look at the piered boats? Go ahead and take a walk or prance around on the berths.
A visit to Puerto Colon can go far beyond if you’d avail of the sea tours, cruises, and charters offered by several shops right outside the harbor. Quite frankly, you’ll only miss these outlets if you’re in some trance. Otherwise, it’s pretty impossible not to notice them and their large number of eye-catching posters.
Puerto Colon-based tour agencies, such as Club Canary and Tenerife First, sell excursions to explore the coastline and waters of the island. Some of the most popular services include dolphin and whale watching, snorkeling in bio-diverse sites, and swimming in hidden bays.
Playa de Puerto Colon
Online blogs and reviews about Puerto Colon are primarily about the beach beside it than the port itself. This small stretch of golden sand is Playa de Puerto Colon, also known as Playa La Pinta, a go-to for families with children and those who prefer a more laid-back atmosphere. Designed to cater to foreign travelers, it has all the necessary amenities and commercial establishments to make your visit comfortable and worthwhile.
Spread across Playa de Puerto Colon are sun loungers and nipa umbrellas for hire. Visitors can also take advantage of its on-site amenities, such as showers, changing rooms, toilets, and handicap-accessible paths. Not only well-equipped, the beach has a constant lifeguard on-duty to ensure bathers feel and stay safe.
Playa de Puerto Colon is almost lagoon-like, with a calm bay protected from strong waves by a breakwater and the marina’s dock. Unlike other beaches, this one is also gently sloping and pretty shallow, with a maximum depth of two meters during low tides. These characteristics make it an excellent choice for younger kids who can easily get knocked down by waves. Plus, there’s an inflatable play area on the water for six years old kids to teens. They can play and frolic here (while wearing a life jacket) at a cost and for a certain length of time before the next batch comes.
When you need a cold drink, snacks, or light meal, many cafes, bars, ice-cream stalls, and restaurants are just a few steps away from the beach. There are nearby establishments offering karaoke as well, and they operate well into the night, providing holidaymakers with some form of interactive entertainment.
A Shopping Paradise
Puerto Colon Shopping Centre (Centro Comercial Playa Puerto Colon)consists mainly of food outlets. It also has a good number of tour agencies and shops selling souvenirs and beach must-haves, like swimwear, sunscreen, and sunglasses, mostly on the side that faces the beach and the port. Apart from this complex, these other retail centers are a short distance from the harbor tourist community, some a better choice for higher class fashion shopping:
Centro Comercial Costa overlooks Toraviscas beach and is only a 4-minute walk away.
KristalCenter is beside the apartment hotel Hovima Panorama and very near the port. From the beach, it’s only a 7-minute walk away.
San Eugenio Shopping Centre is along the main road with a bus stop. Located a bit farther from the coast, reaching it requires a 6-minute walk inland.
Centro Comercial Litoral Fañabeis 11-minute walk from the beach and located in front of Playa de Fanabe
Playa Fañabé Shopping Centre is behind Centro Comercial Litoral Fañabe and a 14 minute walk away.
Nearby Tourist Attractions
Because of its short distance to other popular tourist spots, island guests need not choose Puerto Colon over the others. In fact, during their stay, they can enjoy several beaches and everything these places have to offer within a few minutes’ drive or walk. Playa del Duque, Playa de Fañabe, Playa de Torviscas, Playa de El Bobo, Playa de Troya, and Playa de las Americas are all 9 minutes or less away from this small harbor community by car. They are also all accessible by walking via their interconnected seafront promenade or footpaths, with the farthest only 29 minutes away.
Siam Park, a 5-star water park named best of its kind in the world by Tripadvisor for seven consecutive years, is nearby Puerto Colon. A must-visit for guests of all ages, you’ll reach this place in just 4 minutes of drive. For tourists who prefer natural attractions over artificial destinations, Barranco del Infierno and La Caleta National Park are excellent candidates being only 13 minutes and 11 minutes drive away, respectively.
Dining Options
Puerto Colon and its golden sand beach are surrounded by a whole mass of restaurants, cafes, gastropubs, bars, and stalls. While not all of them will provide an unforgettable gastronomic experience, some are considered among the best dining options in the entire Costa Adeje. I listed the three gems located just a few hundred meters away from the beach you should definitely check out.
Smile Italian Restaurant& Cafe
Italian food is the world’s most popular cuisine. No matter where you go, various versions of pizza and pasta are available, sometimes in overwhelming numbers. In Puerto Colon, Smile Restaurant & Cafe, located in Terranova shopping mall, is where you go to get your Italian food fix. Two brothers from Napoli with great culinary talent run this place, serving delicate yet hearty homemade Italian dishes.
As soon as we arrived, we were greeted like old friends, which made us feel welcomed. Their menu was modest and full of classics, but it doesn’t mean there’s nothing exciting to try. We had Neapolitan pizza as a starter to share and separate pasta orders for mains—I went for spaghetti carbonara, the restaurant’s star dish. We also saved room for the tiramisu, and it went down a treat! Paired with a glass of house white wine, all the food looked underwhelmingly simple but tasted sublime. If these dishes are available, you must check them out.
El Horno De Neptuno
This bar, run by a family that blends passion for flavor with great customer service, serves the best Spanish tapas in Puerto Colon. Hidden away on the upper floor of the Terranova shopping mall, it’s gently lit inside and has an outdoor dining area that offers incredible sea views.
El Horno De Neptuno is perfect for groups and families. If you’re vacationing alone, I recommend making friends before going to this spot. Their outstanding selection of tapas, all served in generous servings and offered at a great set menu price, are begging to be shared and will have you returning for another visit. Served with house wine or sangria, the best we’ve tried are the chicken croquettes, fried chorizo, patatas brava, meatballs, garlic prawns, quesadillas, and Spanish omelet. We also had carrot cake paired with Irish coffee to finish and, oh, what a pair!
Niu Cafe
Offering the best Thai food in Puerto Colon, Niu Cafe is a must-try for Asian food lovers and those craving fresh flavors. It doesn’t have any views and is challenging to find, but the food that the lovely Lian and her friendly staff prepare can satisfy even the fussiest eater. The restaurant does the staples—curries, pad Thais, stir-fries, and tom yum—exceptionally well, along with fresh salads, tapas, dumplings, and omelets, among others. Plus, for how much you get, the price is fantastic!
Our top picks are the dumplings as a starter and red chicken curry, veggie pad thai, and beef stew for mains. All made from scratch and absolutely delicious, they paired perfectly with the raspberry mojito. Also save some room for the hot chocolate fudge cake to finish. With a glass of barraquito coffee, it’s heavenly!
How to Reach Puerto Colon
Puerto Colon is accessible via TF-1, then TF-481by car or taxi. It is also connected to various locations in the island via public transport:
111 – Tenerife South Airport
342 – Los Cristianos, El Portillo
416 – Granadilla
417 – Los Cristianos, Guia de Isora
418 – Los Cristianos, Valle San Lorenzo
460 – Santiago del Teide, Icod de los Vinos
467 – Las Galletas, Los Cristianos
471- Los Cristianos
473 – Los Cristianos, Los Gigantes
477 – Los Gigantes, Playa La Arena, Los Cristianos
Please check the Tenerife Bus Service website for updates on the bus timetables and routes.
Explore Puerto Colon
Puerto Colon is a beautiful, modern harbor where many island excursions originate. On one side of the port is a stretch of golden sand that is an excellent spot for families. Its calm, azure waters are perfect for kids, and parents can lounge beneath thatched umbrellas. They can also hit any nearby food establishments for the day’s catch or a cold, refreshing drink. Other stunning beaches are also a short distance away and can be reached by foot through interconnected seafront promenades.
