Lanzarote Hiking – East | Costa Teguise – Charco Del Palo

Before commencing this coastal hike, you will need to leave one vehicle in the small village of Charco del Palo on the eastern side of the island. This small village is located on the coast, behind the village of Mala. On entering Mala, heading in a northerly direction, you need to turn right at the ´Don Quijote´ restaurant and follow the winding road down to the village. Park your car in the car park situated on the right and then head, in your second car, back to Costa Teguise, where you will need to park in the car park at the Los Charcos beach. This is located next to the Melia Salinas hotel.

Alternatives to this include the option to take the local bus back to Costa Teguise from the village of Mala. The walk finishes in Charco del Palo, and it would mean an additional 45 minute walk up the winding road from here to Mala as the bus does not go down to Charco del Palo. Another option, would be to telephone a local taxi from their rank in Teguise and have them come and collect you. It can´t be guaranteed, however, that the local drivers will speak English. If you are a resident and have a friend or colleague with their own vehicle, maybe they wouldn´t mind coming to fetch you once you have finished.

The walk heads in a northerly direction from here, around the small bay with its white sand and calm waters. You will pass the holiday accommodation of Las Arenas and Sands Beach Club as well as two old windmills, the first still supporting its blue and white metals sails, the second now reduced to merely its wooden frame. Here you will leave the resort behind you and follow the trail towards a solitary house overlooking the ocean. Bear left on the soon visable dirt track, and then turn right though an entrance in the dry stone wall which is indicated by a metal marker post displaying the number 9. This dirt road, which is accessible to vehicles, passes by several houses before bearing right, again indicated by a number 9 marker (1km). You will notice on turning here that, to the right of the dirt road, there is a track running parallel to it. Leave the dirt road and take this trail instead. Soon, you will find yourself ascending a small rocky mound where the stones are loose in places underfoot.

At the summit, you will notice ahead a large flattened area which is often used for camping, and a small bay to your right where you can see fisherman standing on its rocky boundaries poised to reel in their catches. They seem completely relaxed in this quiet place with the only sound coming from the gentle lapping of the small waves over the pebbles of the shore. Ahead, you will notice the track zig zagging up another ridge where you will, on reaching the top, join a coastal path. To your right at floor level you will notice the first of many square concrete markers along this trail used as measuring points for maps etc. To your left you will notice the small settlement of Los Ancones whose inhabitants have been provided with a stone stairway into the ocean enabling them to enter and bathe in the tranquil waters with ease. You will also see small wooden fishing boats moored in this quiet bay.

This old goat track continues to ascend and descend along the coast offering spectacular ocean views to your right. In places the water is exceptionally clear and shimmers in shades of turquoise and aquamarine. After approximately 3km you will notice an elevated ridge on your left topped with a stone beacon. A climb up here affords you views to the west including the Castillo de Santa Barbára atop Mount Guanapay in Teguise, the wind turbines spinning methodically in Los Valles, the spherical radar of the military base at Haria and in a northerly direction, the two coastal villages of first, Los Cocoteros and secondly Charco del Palo. Inland, behind the first village, you are offered a glimpse of the top of Monte Corona which is one of the islands highest volcanoes standing at 605m.

The rocks underfoot change in colour as you proceed moving from blacks, to browns to oranges and, in some areas, the ground appears to glitter in the sunlight due to the red coloured sand and salt that has weathered away their stark blackness (4km). The land flattens out to your left and becomes a plateau where you find yourself walking at almost sea level (4.5km). You will descend and cross over a shallow area where you will see a small pebble cove to your right. The track turns again into a dirt road (5.1km), giving access to the coast for local fishermen and to the inhabitants of the group of houses that you are now walking towards. As you glance over to your left, you can see the green tips of several cactus plantations housed behind volcanic stone walls. You will pass on your left a very high wall made of volcanic rocks protecting the land behind from the elements of the ocean. On reaching the houses, the track continues downwards from the corner of the last house. From this point, you will now be seeing a large, red dust area sitting in front of a pebble beach and wide cove.

Follow the track down and cross infront of the ocean, following the curve of the bay, towards an old disused ´salina´, a traditional method of extracting salt from sea water. On rounding the bend, the trail will lead you to the first of the two villages on this route, Los Cocoteros. You will find yourself in a small carpark and, on your right, you will see an enclosed bay with a small ramp which enables local people to bring their boats and jetski´s. There is also a flat wooden area where you can lie and soak up the sun before taking a dip in the crystal clear water. As you cross over the car park, you will be confronted by what seems from a distance to be small mounds of bright white snow! (7.1km). This is infact a functioning salina, ´Salinas de Tío Alberto, and on closer inspection, you will see small square salt flats containing rose coloured, crystalising sea salt. Once it has crystalised in the heat of the sun, it is then raked up, by hand, into the piles that you see around the site. I will be writing a more detailed post about the salt industry here on the island at a later date.

Pass the salinas and follow the coastal path towards the village. The village itself is very quiet and has an abundance of palm trees shading the houses. The path passes infront of these sea front properties and up several steps before continuing along the coast towards four further houses. You will find that the trail passes at the side of the last house on the left hand side, again bearing a marker post featuring the number 9. Behind these houses, the track climbs gradually and on your right hand side you will see what can only be described as a naturally formed swimming pool where the ocean has carved its way through the volcanic rock and has produced a circular swimming area with an archway leading out to the open ocean. After this point, the track turns from volcanic stone to white sand as you continue a gradual ascent, bearing right along the coast (8.6km). You will pass a shell encrusted cross erected in memory of a loved one facing out over the great ocean expanse. Here you will now notice Charco del Palo coming into view.

Charco del Palo (10km) is a nudist colony so, as you pass in front of the coastal properties and admire the crystal ocean waters for swimming, don´t be alarmed to find that most of the residents of this village are naked. The snorkelling and swimming opportunities in this village are amazing and it is a popular site for scuba diving. If you left you swimwear in your second car parked here, I can strongly recommend snorkelling in the bay in the middle of the village. There are steps to assist you in getting in and out of the water and the sheer number of fish here is breathtaking.

Please let me know how you enjoyed this walk, and why not try another? This one offers amazing views and is in the south of the island.

Now that you have discovered me here, please come further and find out about me and what I am doing here on Lanzarote.

Until next time, happy hiking!

Tags: Charco del Palo, Costa Teguise, Los Cocoteros, Snorkel