El Puertillo · Arucas, Gran Canaria
Playa El Puertillo
Everything you need to know before you go: Getting there, parking, prices, best time.
Last checked: September 2026
Common questions, answered
A 120 m strip of dark sand in a former fishing village. A belt of volcanic rock in front of it breaks the surf, so calm pools form behind it where children can paddle. Free, Blue Flag 2026, lifeguards in summer.
Straight talk
What to know before you go.
- Two beaches in one. Behind the rock ledges the water is calm enough for small children. A few metres west the surf rolls in unchecked; that is the bodyboarders' corner, not a place to swim.
- The water held up. When the town advised against swimming at Los Charcones in July 2026, the samples from El Puertillo were fine. If the pools next door are closed, this beach is the obvious alternative.
- Not golden sand. Travel sites promise golden sand. Photos show a darker, grey-brown beach. It is a neighbourhood beach, not a postcard one.
- Small and local. 120 m of sand fills quickly on summer weekends, mostly with families from the area. Come on a weekday or in the morning.
Getting there
El Puertillo is a small seaside district of Arucas on the north coast, just below the GC-2. The beach lies in the middle of its promenade; the Los Charcones pools are 250 m further west.
By car
- 01Take the GC-2 from Las Palmas towards Gáldar and Agaete.
- 02Leave at Arucas/Bañaderos and follow the signs to El Puertillo.
- 03Park in the open car park at the east end of the promenade.
- 04Walk about 140 m west along the promenade to the beach.
Almost all the streets along the coast in El Puertillo are one-way. Don't drive in to hunt for a space; head straight for the car park.
Public transport
From Las Palmas
Line 105 to Gáldar leaves San Telmo every hour at half past, from 06:30 until late evening. Get off at El Puertillo; the beach is about 260 m away, down towards the sea.
Other lines
Lines 103, 116, 117, 204 and 206 also list the El Puertillo stop. Not every trip stops everywhere, so check the timetable.
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- Destination
- Parking
Check before you go
Lifeguards fly green (guarded, calm), yellow (caution) or red (dangerous, not guarded). After bad water samples the town of Arucas can advise against swimming at short notice and puts up signs on the promenade. During coastal warnings the Canary Islands government says to stay away from the sea, even if it seems to calm down for a moment.
Parking & arriving
On site
A short beach between two rocky points, with the promenade and its bars right behind the sand. The rock ledges in front of the middle section hold back the waves, leaving calm pools for paddling and snorkelling; the western part is open to the surf and belongs to the bodyboarders.
- Time there
- ~2–4 h
- Walk from car park
- ~140 m from the free car park along the promenade
- Toilets
- Public toilet and showers on the promenade by the sand
- Food & drink
- Bar El Dorado del Norte right on the beach, more on the promenade, supermarket ~500 m
- Dogs
- Banned on the beach and in the water, allowed on a lead on the promenade
When is it worth it?
The beach is open around the clock. Tap a time of day.
11:00–19:00
11–19Lifeguards on duty; the flag on the mast by the sand shows the state of the sea.
00–11Before 11:00
No lifeguards yet. If you swim now, you are on your own.
11–1911:00–19:00★ Recommended
Lifeguards on duty; the flag on the mast by the sand shows the state of the sea.
19–24Evening
Unguarded. Swimming is at your own risk.
Lifeguard hours for 2025 from the press. Swell and the flag matter more than the clock.
Jun – mid Oct
Official bathing season with regular water samples.
Nov – May
Outside the bathing season. The town does not publish whether lifeguards are on duty then.
Forecast
Facts
- Size
- Source: spain.info · 09/2026
- About 120 m long and 30 m wide, rock at both ends
- Entry
- Source: Town of Arucas · 09/2026
- Free, public beach without a gate
- Blue Flag
- Source: Canarias7 · 05/2026
- 2026, together with Los Charcones
- Water quality
- Source: EEA · 09/2026
- EU rating excellent every season 2011–2024
- Bathing season
- Source: EEA · 09/2026
- 1 June to 15 October (official, 2024)
- Lifeguards
- Source: Canarias7 · 08/2025
- 2025 daily 11:00–19:00; ten staff for El Puertillo, Quintanilla, Los Charcones and San Andrés
- Bus
- Source: Global · 09/2026
- Lines 103, 105, 116, 117, 204 and 206, stop El Puertillo ~260 m
- Rules
- Source: Town of Arucas · 09/2026
- No animals on the beach, no soap in the showers, no fires, no ball games that bother others
- Fines
- Source: Town of Arucas · 09/2026
- Minor offences €50–300, such as a dog on the beach
- Emergency
- Source: Gobierno de Canarias · 09/2026
- 112