Day 4: Along the East Coast

Luckily, I felt fit again the next morning, so after breakfast we were able to set off on our planned tour after all.

Our first destination was Gran Tarajal, a lovely little town on the east coast.

Tourism doesn’t play a major role here, even though the town has a beautiful, long beach.

The people who live here often work in the tourism industry, while others are farmer or are employed in agriculture. Gran Tarajal feels very authentic.

We took a short stroll through the town before wandering along the pretty beach promenade, enjoying the warm sunshine on our skin.

After that, we continued on to Las Playitas. I first discovered this charming little fishing village many years ago, during my first visit to the island. It was love at first sight.

The whitewashed houses are nestled closely together on a hillside. Excellent seafood restaurants line the seafront.

The village has a very romantic feel to it. Mass tourism hasn’t arrived here yet—although a large hotel complex was recently built nearby.

We’ll see how long the village can maintain its original charm.

We continued our drive uphill to the Faro de Punta La Entallada lighthouse. Perched high above the coast on a plateau, this lighthouse is still active today.

From up here, you can see the entire coastline and mountainous landscape of the island’s south. That’s why this area has become a popular excursion spot.

We walked around the imposing lighthouse and enjoyed the expansive views.

We had actually planned to visit La Atalayita next. This ancient Canarian village provides insight into the lifestyle of the island’s original inhabitants. Unfortunately, the site was closed.

So we drove on to the nearby village of Pozo Negro.

This tiny hamlet consists of just a few houses and a pebble beach where fishing boats bob in the water.

The bright white houses stand in beautiful contrast to the barren, brown landscape and the deep blue sea.

Our next stop was the island’s capital. We had planned a longer stay in Puerto del Rosario.

Puerto del Rosario is not a particularly beautiful city, but in recent years, much has been done to make it more appealing to tourists.

A long promenade with stone sculptures has been created, and many green spaces have been added.

The city center has been transformed into a pedestrian zone. Here you’ll find the seat of the island’s government, as well as numerous shops, cafés, and restaurants.

We first took a stroll through the old town. Then we walked along the promenade—but didn’t stay long, as a cold wind was blowing.

Eventually, we ordered a light lunch at a restaurant.

Since there’s a branch of my favorite Spanish fashion chain in Puerto del Rosario, I of course had to go shopping. This time I only found a sweater and a blouse.

Now it was time to head back.

On the way south, we stopped in the pretty village of Tarajalejo.

We strolled along the promenade for a bit and treated ourselves to a café con leche at a charming beach bar.

While we sat there, we watched the sun sink lower and lower, casting a warm glow over the sky and beach.

Back at the hotel, we had dinner and ended the evening once again with a walk along the lovely promenade.