Many people simply miss Los Cocoteros on their travels around the island – it’s not on many maps, and the single sign post to the village is tiny! You can get there off the old north road from Tahiche to Mala. Just before the village of Guatiza, you’ll see a turning to your right, with a small wooden sign. Follow the road all the way down to the coast and through the old quarry and you’ll soon see the houses of Los Cocoteros below you.
Don’t turn left at the white triangle towards the village, instead go straight onto the dirt road and take the second turning down to the sea. Park up when you get there next to the salt pans and let’s explore!
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The salt pans are still worked regularly, and you can get up close and see how they operate – note the fabulous color changes in each pool as the salt becomes more concentrated. Ahead of you, you’ll see a small beach, which is always a quiet, private place. There’s a little slipway for small boats and a wooden decking area for sun bathing.
Now head along the path to your left – if the tide is right, you’ll see blowholes, where the sea water rushes up through the rocks – these can create some amazing rainbows. If you stay on the path, you get through to the main village, but first you’ll come to the amazing “closed beach”. As the sea can be quite rough here, the town built a huge harbor wall to protect the bathing area. It has a sandy beach, with huge raised sunbathing platforms and the water is replaced twice a day by tidal action running through tubes.
The village itself is laid out on a simple grid, with the roads quaintly named after herbs. Do visit Los Cocoteros when you get a chance, it’s a wonderful place for a quiet picnic, or to do some serious walking or cycling on the paths that run one way to Costa Teguise or the other to Charco del Palo.
