What you can see on the Golf del Sur webcam
The camera looks out from the marina buildings along the main breakwater. On the left are masts and pontoons; in the middle, the harbour road and the heavy rock armour of the sea wall; and across the water, the low coast running east to the red cone of Montaña Roja at El Médano. It is a webcam for sailors and for anyone who wants to know what the sea is doing before heading down: a flat sea and a still harbour, or white water against the rocks.
Amarilla Marina and the coast to Montaña Roja
This camera looks out from the marina buildings at Amarilla, beside Golf del Sur, and streams live video along the main breakwater. Sailing yachts and motor boats line the pontoons on the left; down the middle runs the harbour road, with parked cars and lamp posts, beside a bank of dark rock armour. Across the water to the east, the coast stretches away to the red volcanic cone of Montaña Roja at El Médano.
It is the camera to check for sea conditions on this stretch of coast: whether the water beyond the breakwater is glassy or broken by whitecaps, and whether any swell is breaking against the rocks. A clock in the corner shows the date and time.
Golf, yachts and a yellow mountain
Golf del Sur has hosted professional tournaments including the Tenerife Open, and the course at Amarilla Golf runs right down to the marina, so that boats arriving through the harbour mouth see one of its greens almost on the quay. The name Amarilla comes from Montaña Amarilla, a pale yellow volcanic cone on the shore whose layered rock has been carved by the waves into ledges and pools. Sheltered berths and a climate that allows sailing all year make the marina a place where yachts prepare and stock up for the long Atlantic crossing.
When to watch Golf del Sur
Tenerife is on the same time as the UK and Ireland. The camera faces east, into the sunrise, so the first hours of the day are bright and hazy on the water. For the best colour, look in the late afternoon, when the low sun lights Montaña Roja from the west. The north-east trade wind often raises a chop in the afternoon, which is easy to spot along the breakwater.
Around Golf del Sur
El Médano and its wind-surfing beaches lie a few miles east, beyond Montaña Roja, and the old fishing village of Las Galletas is to the west. Short coastal paths lead round Montaña Amarilla, whose coves are popular for snorkelling on calm days.
Visiting Golf del Sur
Tenerife South airport is about 3 miles (5 km) away as the crow flies. This is a rocky coast of small coves rather than a long beach, so check the sea on the camera first: when swell is breaking along the breakwater, the coves are no place for a swim.