Day 6: Market Day, Shopping on the Promenade, and a Hike to Caleta Negra

Today was finally the day – market day. I had been looking forward to this for quite some time, as I simply love markets.

Conveniently, the market was held in a large parking lot just a few minutes' walk from our hotel.

Unfortunately, the disappointment was great: there was nothing special at the market! There were tons of clothes, shoes, and sunglasses, but nothing you hadn’t seen a hundred times at similar markets. It was just plain boring. What a shame!

Since we still needed a few souvenirs, we continued on to the beach promenade. We had already visited it several times in the evenings, but this time we really wanted to take our time browsing the shops.

The promenade in Jandía is truly lovely and lively. There are many different types of stores, with cafés and the occasional restaurant in between. Small arcades were also part of the mix, of course.

Pretty green spaces now and then break up the scenery, offering fantastic views of the wide sandy beach and the open sea.

We found some nice gifts and keepsakes. We took a break at a café and watched the hustle and bustle around us.

We walked back along the seemingly endless beach. It felt so good to feel the sand under our feet again.

We hadn’t actually been to the beach during this holiday. Most of the time, it had simply been too cold and windy.

It was still too windy to swim, and the water temperatures were quite low in March. Normally that wouldn’t have bothered me, but given my fragile health, I decided to skip it.

We passed the Jandía lighthouse and a few beach bars. Now and then, we dipped our feet into the cold water.

At one of the bars, we treated ourselves to another coffee.

Then it was time to return to the hotel. This time, we had lunch at the hotel restaurant – we wanted to try it at least once. The food was just as delicious as it was in the evenings.

Afterwards, we got in our car again and made our way to Playa de la Pared on the northwest coast of the island. The beach there was quite nice, but not nearly as beautiful as the travel guide had made it sound.

We walked a bit along the beach and the cliffs, then continued on to Ajuy.

Ajuy has a very special charm. The village consists of just a few sandy lanes, all lined with souvenir shops, cafés, and restaurants.

The crowd here mostly consists of young backpackers.

There are hardly any paved streets – most of it takes place more or less on sand. That gives the village a very unique and relaxed vibe and offers a pleasant contrast to the stylish seaside resorts we had seen in the south.

The main reason we came to Ajuy, though, was the beautiful coastal trail to Caleta Negra, which begins here.

This wonderful hiking trail follows steep cliffs, always running directly along the sea. From Ajuy, you first climb a set of stairs. Then the trail runs along a plateau high above the water.

Again and again, the path leads down toward the sea and then back up. Signposts ensure that you don’t lose your way.

Along the way, you're often offered alternative paths, but we stayed on the main trail. From the rugged cliffs, you’re treated to spectacular views of the wild, foaming Atlantic.

Eventually, we reached a cove where the trail leads down endless steps to Caleta Negra – a spectacular cave.

The rocks shimmer in various shades of grey, purple, and black.

The waves crash against the jagged cliffs in towering splashes. The atmosphere is absolutely unique.

The mountains are reflected in the sea, and you can clearly see the different layers of rock.

If you keep going down, you finally reach the cave. It's only accessible by foot or from the sea – though with the rough surf, boats would probably struggle to get anywhere near it.

We returned the same way we had come. By then, the sun was already quite low in the sky, and the warm light gave the rugged cliffs a mystical feel. The coastline looked even more impressive now.

Back in Ajuy, we treated ourselves to another cup of coffee before returning to the hotel.

There, it was already time for dinner. Tired and content, we went to bed early that evening.