Tenerife: Playa de Los Gigantes
I woke to this view and the sound of waves. Coffee on the deck is exactly what I’ve been dreaming of. I then went out to explore the village of Los Gigantes, find the beach, and eventually head up the hill for a glass of wine at the cafe with a view, the Archipenque Mirador viewing point. The temperature is 22C/72F…perfection!!.
The village of Los Gigantes is situated at the foot of the 800 meter high cliffs which gives it its name. The cliffs also mark the southern boundary of the Teno mountains. The cliffs are visible from just about anywhere in town, including my deck. From the Playa Los Gigantes, a black sand beach in town, you can make out all the different colors and textures of the volcanic rock looming above. They are quite magnificent.
For a bit of an orientation, the Canary Islands are a chain of volcanic ocean islands located off North Africa's west coast (Western Sahara and Morocco). They are estimated to be around 30 million years old, relatively young by geological standards. The volcanoes that form the islands backbone saw the light of day at about the time the Atlas Mountains were formed. The highest volcano, Tenerife's Mt. Teide at 3718m (12,195ft) is Spain's tallest peak and the third tallest volcano in the world after the two in Hawaii. Where Tenerife now stands today, it is believed that there were 3 islands (what are now) the Anaga, Teno (where Santiago del Teide is now) and Valle San Lorenzo mountain ranges. In a tremendous volcanic process the old central volcano and the great mountain range (Cumbre Dorsal) melted together into what we know today as Tenerife. Presumably the top of the volcano did not explode but collapsed in it's own crater and is now one of the greatest collapsed craters of the world (Las Cañadas). This oval crater, at its longest distance, is about 17Km long.
My first destination to explore on day 1 is definitely the beach. Best known as Playa de Los Gigantes, it is also officially called Playa de Los Guios. The beach offers the best view of the cliffs of Los Gigantes from land. The black sand beach is small, only 100m in length. There is always a lifeguard on site and it offers somewhat calm waters for swimming. The walk down the street to the beach offers small shops for all your beach needs as well as cafes and the below pictured street art murals for your viewing pleasure.
Playa de Los Gigantes (Playa de Los Guios)
