Puerto de la Cruz: Submarine Trip and Beach Stop in Tenerife

The best part of this Tenerife day trip happens below the surface. Aboard the yellow Sub Fun Cinco, you descend about 30 meters and sit on the ocean floor while divers bring fish close to the windows. I like the calm, enclosed setting for seeing Atlantic sea life, and I like that the trip adds two hours at Playa de las Americas rather than ending after the submarine ride. The main drawback is the long bus journey from Puerto de la Cruz, with about 105 minutes each way.

I also like the practical setup: hotel pickup is available in Puerto de la Cruz and Las Caletillas, and the submarine has 44 seats, 22 large viewing windows, and free headphones with commentary in 15 languages. If you want a longer time underwater, this may feel brief, since the submarine portion lasts about one hour.

Key points at a glance

• See the ocean floor at 30 meters: The submarine rests on the seabed while divers attract fish toward the windows.
• Look for memorable sea life: Sting rays, barracuda, octopus, flute fish, parrot fish, and sand eels may appear.
• Ride a spacious yellow submarine: Sub Fun Cinco has 44 seats and 22 large screen windows.
• Pair the sea trip with beach time: You get about two hours in Playa de las Americas for swimming, food, shopping, or a walk.
• Transport is part of the day: Expect roughly 105 minutes by coach each way from Puerto de la Cruz, plus a shorter transfer to the beach.
• Good value for a full outing: At $87 per person, the price covers transport, a guide, the submarine trip, and a dive certificate, but not food or drinks.

What the submarine experience is really like

This is not a fast sightseeing boat with a brief look through a glass panel. You enter a proper passenger submarine, descend into the Atlantic, and watch the seabed through large windows set along the sides of the vessel.

The descent reaches approximately 100 feet, or 30 meters. That depth gives you a better view of the underwater setting than a surface cruise can provide. The submarine then sits on the ocean floor, giving you a steady position for watching fish and taking photographs.

Experienced divers appear outside the windows and encourage marine life to come closer. That is one of the more unusual parts of the outing. Instead of hoping a fish happens to pass at the right moment, you get a better chance to see creatures near the viewing glass.

The most praised sight is the family of sting rays. These broad, graceful animals are described as the pride of the sea here, and they can make the whole trip worthwhile for anyone interested in marine life. You may also see flute fish, octopus, barracuda, parrot fish, and sand eels.

The viewing area is designed for sightseeing rather than a cramped technical expedition. Sub Fun Cinco has 44 comfortable seats and 22 large screen windows. That means the vessel is shared, but the seating arrangement gives many passengers a clear view of the water.

A gentle choice for people uneasy about water

You do not need to swim or wear special equipment. You remain inside the submarine for the underwater portion, which makes this a useful option if you want to see below the surface but feel nervous around open water.

One recent passenger specifically found the experience reassuring despite being afraid of water. The professional operation and enclosed cabin helped make the underwater setting feel manageable. That does not mean every person with serious anxiety will feel comfortable, but the format is less demanding than snorkeling or scuba activities.

The minimum age is two years old. Children under two cannot take part. The family-friendly design, short underwater session, and audio commentary make this easier to follow than a technical marine excursion, although very young children may still find a seven-hour day tiring.

You should also keep your expectations sensible. This is a sightseeing trip in a working submarine, not a private wildlife encounter. Sea life is never fully predictable, and the exact mix of fish can vary. The divers improve your chances, but they cannot guarantee a particular animal.

The coach ride from Puerto de la Cruz

The day begins with pickup from selected hotels and meeting points in Puerto de la Cruz and Las Caletillas. Listed pickup options include Hotel Botanico, Sol Costa Atlantis, Hotel Parque San Antonio, HC Hotel Magec, Maritim Hotel Tenerife, Hotel Riu Garoe, and several other properties and apartment complexes.

You receive the exact pickup time after booking. Be at the meeting point at least five minutes early. The driver waits no longer than ten minutes after the scheduled time, so this is not a good morning to arrive casually with breakfast still in hand.

The first coach journey takes about 105 minutes. That is a substantial part of the day, but it reflects the distance between the northern resort area and Amarilla harbor in the south. If you are staying in Puerto de la Cruz, this excursion gives you access to a type of activity that is not offered right outside your hotel.

The coach transfer also means you do not need to arrange a rental car, find Amarilla harbor yourself, or deal with parking. For visitors who prefer a planned day, that convenience adds real value. For anyone who dislikes long road transfers, the travel time is the biggest issue to weigh before booking.

Arriving at Amarilla harbor

The submarine trip starts from Amarilla harbor near the southern end of Tenerife. The setting is important because the outing uses waters that are less familiar to many visitors staying in Puerto de la Cruz.

At the harbor, you board the bright yellow Sub Fun Cinco. The color gives the vessel a cheerful, family-outing feel rather than the serious look of a research craft. Once everyone is aboard, the submarine heads below the surface for approximately one hour.

The included live guide speaks English, German, and Spanish. You also receive headphones at no extra charge, with an audio guide available in Spanish, English, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Finnish, Swedish, Danish, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Czech, Russian, and Chinese.

That language range matters if you are traveling with a mixed-language family or group. The commentary explains the marine creatures and the delicate Atlantic ecosystems around you. It also covers why these habitats need protection, giving the sightseeing a useful environmental context rather than treating the animals as decoration.

Watching fish through 22 large windows

The submarine’s large viewing windows are the heart of the experience. You sit inside a spacious, airy cabin and watch the water outside without needing to manage a mask, fins, breathing equipment, or waves.

The seabed setting gives the trip a more dramatic quality than a simple underwater viewing session. When the submarine rests below, the divers outside become part of the show. They help bring fish closer to the windows, which may give you better photo opportunities.

Sting rays are likely to be the most memorable sight, especially if you have never seen them from this angle. Barracuda offer a very different look, with their narrow bodies and sharp profile. Octopus can be harder to spot, but the possibility adds interest because you need to watch carefully instead of looking only for large animals.

Flute fish, parrot fish, and sand eels add variety. The appeal is not only the number of species, but the change in shape, movement, and color as each one passes the window. The audio guide helps you understand what you are seeing while the submarine remains on the bottom.

Bring a camera if you want pictures, but remember that underwater photography through glass can be difficult. Reflections, movement, and low light may affect the results. I would treat photographs as a bonus and pay attention to the view itself.

Two hours at Playa de las Americas

After the submarine trip, the coach takes about 25 minutes to Playa de las Americas. You get approximately two hours of free time here, with no fixed group activity described for this part of the day.

That freedom is useful after a structured morning. You can relax on the beach, browse shops, find something to eat, or simply walk around before the return journey. If you are traveling with children, one person can supervise beach time while another looks for food or shops nearby.

The beach stop also broadens the day. You are not paying for a long transfer solely to sit inside a submarine for an hour. Instead, the excursion combines a specific marine attraction with time in one of Tenerife’s best-known resort areas.

Still, two hours passes quickly. You will not have time for a long, slow beach day, and food and drinks are not included. Plan to use your free time for one main purpose rather than trying to swim, shop, eat, and explore the whole area.

This stop may appeal most to people who enjoy variety. If you want an extended beach holiday, the schedule will feel rushed. If you like combining sightseeing with free time, it breaks up the day nicely.

Is $87 good value?

At $87 per person, the price is fair for a seven-hour excursion if you value the included transport. The package covers round-trip coach service from Puerto de la Cruz or Las Caletillas, a guide, the one-hour submarine trip, and a dive certificate.

The certificate is a pleasant souvenir, though the main value is the submarine experience and the convenience of having the transport arranged. You would otherwise need to reach the southern harbor independently, then plan your own time at Playa de las Americas.

Food and drinks are extra. You should budget for them during the two-hour beach stop, especially if you are traveling with children. The free time gives you flexibility, but it also means the cost of lunch or snacks is separate.

The price makes less sense if you are already staying near Amarilla harbor and can easily arrange your own transport. In that case, the long round trip from Puerto de la Cruz may add time without adding much convenience. From the north, however, the coach service is a major part of what you are buying.

Timing, pickup, and practical details

The full outing lasts about seven hours. The approximate schedule includes:

• 105 minutes by coach from the northern pickup area
• About one hour aboard the submarine
• 25 minutes by coach to Playa de las Americas
• Two hours of free time
• 105 minutes by coach back to your drop-off point

The exact starting time depends on availability and is confirmed after booking. Pickup and return are available at selected hotels and meeting points, not every hotel in Tenerife.

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later. Those terms are helpful if your Tenerife plans are still shifting, but you should still check the confirmed pickup details carefully.

The listed live guide languages are English, German, and Spanish. The recorded commentary covers a wider range of languages through the headphone system. That makes the trip easier to follow for international families, even if the live guide does not speak your preferred language.

Who should book this day out?

I would recommend it to families with children aged two and above, couples who want an unusual half-day attraction plus beach time, and anyone curious about marine life but not interested in snorkeling.

It also suits you if you are staying in Puerto de la Cruz and want to see more of southern Tenerife without arranging several separate activities. The coach makes the day simple, and the combination of submarine viewing and a beach stop keeps the outing from feeling one-note.

You may want to skip it if you dislike long bus journeys, need a full day at the beach, or expect a lengthy underwater session. The submarine portion lasts about one hour, and the southern transfer takes much longer than the boat activity itself.

The experience has a strong safety and comfort advantage for people who are nervous in the water. You stay seated inside a spacious vessel, with staff, a guide, and headphones to explain what is happening. That calm format is one reason the trip works for a broad age range.

Should you book the Sub Fun Cinco trip?

Book it if you want to see Tenerife from a different angle and appreciate having transport, marine commentary, and beach time combined in one package. The sting rays, seabed setting, large windows, and close view of fish give the submarine ride a clear point of difference.

I would be most cautious about the bus time. From Puerto de la Cruz, you spend roughly three and a half hours on the road in total, compared with about three hours at the harbor and beach combined. For many people, that is a fair trade for a simple full-day outing. For others, it will feel like too much travel for one hour below the surface.

At $87, the trip offers solid value when you use the pickup service and want both the submarine and Playa de las Americas. If those two parts match your plans, this is a memorable family-friendly day. If you only want underwater sightseeing, look closely at the timing before committing.

FAQ

How deep does the submarine go?

The submarine descends to approximately 30 meters, or 100 feet, below the surface. It then sits on the ocean floor during part of the viewing.

How long is the submarine portion?

The guided submarine and marine life viewing portion lasts about one hour.

What sea life might I see?

You might see flute fish, octopus, barracuda, parrot fish, sand eels, and sting rays. The divers outside the submarine help attract fish closer to the windows.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Round-trip coach transport is included from selected pickup points in Puerto de la Cruz and Las Caletillas. The first and final coach journeys take about 105 minutes each.

Is food included?

No. Food and drinks are not included. You have about two hours of free time at Playa de las Americas to choose where to eat or shop.

What languages are available?

The live guide operates in English, German, and Spanish. The included audio guide is available in 15 languages: Spanish, English, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Finnish, Swedish, Danish, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Czech, Russian, and Chinese.