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Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital of Tenerife and lies in the north-east of the island, close to the Anaga Mountains. Yachts berth here mainly at Marina Santa Cruz in the middle of the city's harbour; Marina Tenerife, further to the north-east, is the second option. Here you can read how to arrive by plane, bus or ferry, which harbour is which, where to park and shop, what winds to expect, which sailing destinations lie ahead and what skippers should know when entering harbour.
The essentials at a glance
- Tenerife North Airport is about 10 kilometres from Marina Santa Cruz, and Tenerife South Airport about 65 kilometres. Scheduled buses run directly to Santa Cruz from both.
- Marina Santa Cruz is opposite the city centre, only about 150 metres from the town centre. Marina Tenerife is about 4.5 kilometres to the north-east at the Dársena Pesquera.
- A supermarket is about 250 metres from Marina Santa Cruz, and a multi-storey car park at the Plaza de España is also about 250 metres away.
- The north-easterly trade wind usually blows, particularly steady in summer. In the channel to Gran Canaria it becomes noticeably stronger.
- From September to December, when the Atlantic regattas start, the marinas of the western Canary Islands are almost completely full.
Where is Marina Santa Cruz?
Marina Santa Cruz is in the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the Dársena de Los Llanos at the Muelle de Enlace. It lies directly opposite the city centre: Plaza de España, shopping streets, restaurants and bars are only a few minutes' walk away. It is also known as Marina del Atlántico.
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More InformationThe port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a working harbour around the marina: ferries to the neighbouring islands and the Spanish mainland, cruise ships and freighters come and go here. Large sail training ships also moor in the Dársena de Los Llanos when they visit. The city's second marina, Marina Tenerife, is about 4.5 kilometres further northeast at the Dársena Pesquera.
Arriving for the start of your sailing trip in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Tenerife has two airports, and the north airport is much closer to Santa Cruz. From the neighbouring islands and the Spanish mainland you can also arrive by ferry.
From Tenerife North or South Airport to Santa Cruz
Tenerife North Airport (Los Rodeos) is in the municipality of La Laguna, about 10 kilometres from Marina Santa Cruz. By car or taxi you will be in Santa Cruz in 15 to 20 minutes. The island buses on lines 20 and 104 connect the airport with Santa Cruz and depart from level -1 at the bus parking area.
Tenerife South Airport (Reina Sofía) is about 65 kilometres away, and the drive to Santa Cruz takes 50 to 60 minutes by car. Bus line 10 runs from the airport to Santa Cruz, and line 711 runs at night.
By car, bus, tram or ferry
By car, you reach Santa Cruz via the TF-1 motorway from the south and the TF-5 from the north of the island. In the Canary Islands the island buses are called guaguas, and on Tenerife they run under the name TITSA; they connect Santa Cruz with all the municipalities on the island. The bus station (Intercambiador) is about 1.5 kilometres from Marina Santa Cruz. Two tram lines connect Santa Cruz with La Laguna.
As things stand (November 2026), ferries run from Santa Cruz to Gran Canaria: to Agaete in around 80 minutes with up to eight departures a day, and to Las Palmas in around 1 hour 40 minutes with up to six departures a day. There are further connections to Fuerteventura and, changing at Las Palmas, to Lanzarote. To the Spanish mainland, ferries go to Huelva (34 to 50 hours, up to three times a week) and once a week directly to Cádiz (around 33 hours). The ferries to La Gomera and La Palma, by contrast, depart from and arrive at Los Cristianos in the south of Tenerife.
Two marinas, two addresses
There are two marinas in Santa Cruz, and they are easily confused. Marina Santa Cruz is in the port directly in front of the city centre, address Dársena de Los Llanos. Marina Tenerife is at the Dársena Pesquera, about 4.5 kilometres to the northeast. So always give the taxi driver the full name and the harbour basin.
Parking
Marina Santa Cruz has parking spaces, and the marineros allocate one space. About 250 metres away is the car park at the Plaza de España, and there is more parking on the Vía de Servicio Los Llanos, around 100 to 200 metres from the marina. Marina Tenerife has its own car park for its customers.
Arrived early: the city centre on your doorstep
If you arrive before the start of your trip, the city centre is right in front of Marina Santa Cruz. At the Plaza de España, an underground visitor centre shows the remains of the Castillo de San Cristóbal, the first major fortress on Tenerife. From there you can walk into the pedestrian zone around the Calle del Castillo with its shops, cafés and terraces.
Showers and sanitary facilities
Marina Santa Cruz has showers and toilets; you can collect the access card against a deposit at the office or from the marineros. There is also a launderette. Marina Tenerife also has showers, toilets and changing rooms.
Shopping for the trip
The nearest supermarket to Marina Santa Cruz is a Spar, about 250 metres away. A SuperDino is about 300 to 500 metres away and a larger HiperDino about 900 metres away; both are easily reached on foot. Large shopping centres are about 3 kilometres away, and you can get there by taxi or hire car.
You can get fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and cheese at the Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África, the city's main market. More than 200 traders work in the market hall, which dates from the 1940s. The modern extension is also open on Sundays, and customers can park there free of charge.
Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services
The Farmacia La Marina is about 200 metres from Marina Santa Cruz. The Hospiten Rambla and Clínica Parque clinics are each about 1 kilometre away. The city's large public hospital is the Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria on the Carretera del Rosario. Which pharmacy is on emergency duty at night and at weekends is shown by the duty pharmacy search of the Tenerife Pharmacists' Association.
- 112: free emergency number for all emergencies, round the clock, also in English and German
- VHF channel 16: maritime emergency calls. The Salvamento Marítimo sea rescue service has one of its two coordination centres in the Canary Islands in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
What does Marina Santa Cruz offer?
Marina Santa Cruz is one of the largest marinas in the Canary Islands, and large yachts also moor along the quay wall. Many cruising sailors make their last stop here before the Atlantic crossing to the Caribbean. The key facts (as of November 2026):
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Dársena de Los Llanos, Muelle de Enlace, 38001 Santa Cruz de Tenerife |
| Berths | on pontoons and on the quay wall, which also takes large yachts |
| Water depth | at least 8 m |
| VHF | Channel 9 |
| Phone | +34 922 292 184 |
| Distances | City centre approx. 0.15 km, bus station approx. 1.5 km, North Airport approx. 10 km, South Airport approx. 65 km |
Equipment
The berths have drinking water and 220 and 380 volt electricity, and the marina lends suitable adapters against a deposit. At the fuel station you can get petrol and diesel. The marina is guarded around the clock, and there is a Wi-Fi area, boat supplies and car hire. Engine mechanics, electricians, electronics specialists, sailmakers and divers work for guests. Marina Santa Cruz has no travel lift and no hardstanding, but there is a travel lift at Marina Tenerife.
What other berths are there in Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Besides Marina Santa Cruz, yachts berth mainly at Marina Tenerife on the Dársena Pesquera. In the same harbour basin, Puerto Chico is another facility for leisure boats.
Marina Tenerife
Marina Tenerife opened in 1992 and was extended in 2000. Around 220 boats from 6 to 16 metres in length berth at nine floating pontoons, and around 20 places are reserved for visitors. The water depth is 9 to 11 metres. There is water and electricity at the pontoon, step-free access, a fuel station, ice and a 24-hour guard with video surveillance. Right next door, a travel lift hauls out boats of up to around 22 metres in length, and repairs and antifouling work are carried out in a shed.
The marina is open around the clock and can be reached on VHF channel 9 and on +34 922 59 12 47. A bus stop is around 500 metres away, and North Airport is around 16 kilometres away.
Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Cruise ships dock in the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife at the Muelle de Ribera in the Dársena de Anaga and at the Muelle Sur. Ferries to the neighbouring islands and the mainland are handled by the Estación Marítima, a converted harbour building on the Muelle de Ribera with access from the Avenida de Anaga. Sail training vessels usually moor in the Dársena de Los Llanos, in other words in the same harbour basin as Marina Santa Cruz.
What is the weather like for sailing in Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
In the Canary Islands, the north-easterly trade wind is the normal weather. In summer it blows around 90 per cent of the time, in winter 50 to 60 per cent. The mountains of the islands accelerate it even when the trade wind is light, especially in the channel between the Anaga Mountains and Agaete on Gran Canaria, which acts like a nozzle. Situations with westerly to south-westerly winds are much rarer, occurring on fewer than around 30 days a year.
The Spanish weather service AEMET issues a yellow warning for the coast from wind force 7 or waves of around 4 metres, and an orange one from force 8 or 5 metres. Unlike in the Mediterranean, there are noticeable tides.
Which sailing destinations can you reach from Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
From Santa Cruz you can sail along the east coast of Tenerife, across the channel to Gran Canaria, or to the western islands of La Gomera and La Palma. For cruising sailors, the port is also a starting point for Madeira and for crossing the Atlantic. The distances are rounded stretches over water on the usual course; for detailed planning, rely on the nautical chart.
Radazul and the east coast of Tenerife
South-west of Santa Cruz on the east coast lies the small harbour of Radazul, a short hop along the coast. Getting there, facilities and mooring are described in the profile for the Puerto Deportivo Radazul.
Gran Canaria
The route to Gran Canaria leads through the channel between the Anaga Mountains and Agaete, where the trade wind often blows strongly. For Las Palmas, plan on a long day's sail; everything about the harbour there can be found in the profile for the Las Palmas harbour.
La Gomera and La Palma
It is around 65 nautical miles to Marina La Gomera in San Sebastián. La Palma is also one of the western islands, and its marina is in the port of Santa Cruz de La Palma.
Madeira and the Atlantic
It is around 260 nautical miles to Funchal on Madeira. In a north-easterly of 15 to 20 knots, cruising yachts of 11 to 16 metres take around 35 to 48 hours. The traditional regatta from the Canary Islands to Madeira starts alternately in Las Palmas, Arrecife and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
What can you do on a day in port in Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
The city centre begins right outside the marina, and you can take a bus or tram to the Anaga Mountains and La Laguna.
Old town, Rambla and market
The church of La Concepción is the city's main church; it was built around 1500 and rebuilt about 150 years later after a fire. On the Rambla de Santa Cruz, a boulevard lined with laurel trees, there are sculptures by artists such as Henry Moore, Joan Miró and Martín Chirino.
Auditorio and Palmetum
The Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín, designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava, is the landmark of the seaside city with its sweeping form. Close by is the Palmetum, a 12-hectare botanical garden on a former landfill site with more than 500 species of palm and views of the city, the sea and Anaga. From the city centre it is a walk of around 2 kilometres along the Avenida Marítima.
Parque García Sanabria
The city park in the centre is around 6.7 hectares in size and protected as a historic garden. Fountains, monuments and sculptures stand among tropical trees. Take tram line 1 to the Weyler stop, and from there it is a few minutes' walk.
Anaga Mountains and Las Teresitas
The Anaga Mountains are a biosphere reserve and, as a landscape park, cover almost 14,500 hectares. Hiking trails lead through laurel forest and deep valleys down to black sand beaches. Bus lines 945 and 947 run into the mountains from Santa Cruz. On the way, by the fishing village of San Andrés, you will find Playa de Las Teresitas, a beach with pale sand, palm trees and a breakwater.
La Laguna
The old town of La Laguna, around 10 kilometres from the marina, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. It was the first colonial town built without defensive walls, and its 15th-century street layout has survived almost unchanged. The tram takes you straight there from Santa Cruz.
For skippers: berthing and marine weather in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
When entering and leaving the harbour, you call Marina Santa Cruz on VHF channel 9.
Registration and Berthing
You reserve a berth using the form on the marina's website, giving your boat's name, length, beam and travel dates, and you will then receive a personalised quote. The marina assigns each boat its pontoon. Once you have moored, you check in at the office with the boat papers, valid insurance, the skipper's passport or ID card and the last invoice from your previous harbour. From September to December the marinas are almost full, so booking early is especially worthwhile.
Harbour rules
- You only change pontoons after consulting the marineros.
- Anyone other than you who uses your boat must be registered at the office.
Approach
Marina Santa Cruz is located in the commercial port and has a wide, deep entrance. When entering and leaving, watch out for ferries, cruise ships and freighters manoeuvring in the harbour. The water in the harbour basin is at least 8 metres deep.
Which marine weather forecast applies off Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
The authoritative source is the marine weather forecast from the Spanish meteorological service AEMET. You can receive it via the VHF marine radio service of the sea rescue service Salvamento Marítimo and on the AEMET sea weather page.
The coastal forecast extends to 20 nautical miles offshore. Tenerife and La Gomera form a single area within it; the channel between Anaga and Agaete has its own forecast area. For longer passages the NAVTEX station Las Palmas broadcasts offshore reports and warnings in English on 518 kHz and in Spanish on 490 kHz.
Sailing trips from Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Törnfinder
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All current offers are in the trip overview. Trips throughout the archipelago can be found under Sailing in the Canary Islands, further sailing areas under Sailing in Spain.
Frequently asked questions
Which airport is closest to Marina Santa Cruz?
Tenerife North Airport, around 10 kilometres or 15 to 20 minutes by car. Bus lines 20 and 104 run from there to Santa Cruz.
How do I get from Tenerife South Airport to Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
By bus line 10, by line 711 at night, or by taxi. The distance is around 65 kilometres, and by car it takes 50 to 60 minutes.
Where do I park at the start of my sailing trip in Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
At Marina Santa Cruz via the marineros, or in the car park at Plaza de España, around 250 metres away. Marina Tenerife has its own customer car park.
Are there showers at Marina Santa Cruz?
Yes, there are showers and toilets, as well as a laundry.
Is there a supermarket near Marina Santa Cruz?
Yes, a Spar is around 250 metres away, and a larger HiperDino around 900 metres.
Do ferries to La Gomera leave from Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
No, the ferries to La Gomera and La Palma depart from Los Cristianos in the south of Tenerife. From Santa Cruz, ferries run to Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Huelva and Cádiz, and to Lanzarote with a change in Las Palmas.
Which VHF channel can Marina Santa Cruz be reached on?
On channel 9.
