Exploring the island of La Graciosa

Today I woke up a little earlier than usual. I made some breakfast and sat on my terrace and enjoyed the view. It was slightly cloudy, but still beautiful.

On today’s agenda was some exploring of the island. Carlos picked me up at 10 am and off we went to the first destination, Playa Lambra.

Next stop was Caletón de Los Arcos, a rocky cliffside spot overlooking the ocean.

What’s so incredible about this spot is the rock formations, and the fact that they form an arc. I asked Carlos how this was possible and her said the rocks from the nearby volcanos rolled down, somehow perching themselves to form arches. It’s one of the two spots in the Canary Islands where such formations exist.

As we walked out towards where the cliffs ended, he showed me the peculiar diagonal rock formations along the inside. He called this “acantilado”.

We then drove along until we got to Playa Las Conchas. This was by far the most beautiful beach I’ve ever seen. Unspoiled nature at its finest. The color of the sand was so serene.

There was a small natural pool that formed to the left side. The next stop was to Playa Francesca. As he pointed in the distance, Carlos suggested he would pick me up around 1pm so I would have time to walk up the yellow mountain, also known as Montaña Amarilla. He said it would take 40 minutes each way.

I didn’t know what to expect but I was up for the adventure. I started walking across the sand dunes, slowly finding my way to a path. As I weaved through the rocks, and followed the path, I made it to the base of the mountain. From there it was a steady incline…definetly not what my sandles had in mind! After about 30 minutes I made it to the top. I had the feeling I was on top of the world. I glanced around me, taking in the view, breathing in the air. Hiking is not what I had in mind, hiking is what I found. I continued to walk along the ridge, until I reached the center, in which I had a view of the coast at the bottom. Just ahead of me there was a post, with a white bird perched above it, as if it was waiting for me!

After several minutes it was time to head back down this treacherous mountain. I took my time and made it down to the bottom, upon which I realized I made a wrong turn. The path took me down to another beach, Playa de la Cocina. Surrounded by a sulfur coloured cove to one side, and rocky cliffs to the other, this small beach was perfectly protected.

There were a couple other people hanging around and enjoying this little oasis of peace and tranquility. After that hike, I worked up a bit of a sweat so I went straight into the water. I could feel the sun was at its highest, so I took some time to dry off before packing up my things and heading back to meet Carlos.On my way back I passed by Playa Francesca, just one more beautiful sandy beach to add to my day. This one was again characterized by clear blue water, and soft white sand.

The name of the beach resonated because the day I arrived, someone in town asking me if I was from France. He told me to check of Playa Francesca, because of the name. I thought it was a little strange at the time, but perhaps the meaning of this will become clear with time.

I made my way back to Carlos’ car, where he picked me up and brought me back to Pedro Barba. I got back home and made a plate of fruit, green olives, prosciutto, almonds, and fresh cheese and it’s a drizzle of olive oil. The perfect snack after a day in the sun.

After a couple hours and some reading, I was again greeted by my two furry friends. Gosh they are so beautiful. I still can’t believe the color of their eyes… one with bright green and the other blue.

They are the two most beautiful cats I’ve ever seen. I suspect one is a baby because of the sound of its meow. I felt a little reticent to pet them since I was told they belong to a resident on the island, and he prefers if the guests don’t encourage them… but they just wouldn’t leave me alone! I couldn’t help myself but to play with them for a couple minutes, before sending them on their way.

As my week here is coming to an end, I am already dreaming of coming back to this paradise. Eva told me the best time to visit La Graciosa is in September/October because during these months, the air is warm, and the water is also warm. This week has been absolutely beautiful, but the water is cool, and the wind is strong at times. Eva told me the strong winds are caused by winds coming from Central America, also known as alisios. Every now and then, La Graciosa gets strong sand winds coming from the Sahara desert, known as calima.

Adiós mi oasis !