Ajuy Caves

The path out of Ajuy leaves the black-sand beach behind and follows the cliff, where the pale limestone is broken by the sea into ledges and hollows. Then the main cave opens in the rock face, deep enough that its far end sits in darkness. Going inside is the point of the visit: towards the back the floor turns wet and slippery, water stands in the innermost part, and a torch earns its place in the bag.

Beyond the main cave, more of the coast opens up to anyone willing to scramble over the rocks. Back in the village, the black beach takes the full force of the Atlantic waves, and a restaurant close by rounds off the walk.

• Wear closed shoes with grip, trekking shoes for preference: the route crosses uneven rock and the cave floor is wet and slippery.
• Bring a torch; the inner part of the main cave is dark.
• The caves across the bay cannot be reached; going further than the main cave means scrambling over rocks.
• Swimming is prohibited at the black-sand beach because of underwater currents.
• Free toilets and a water point sit about 460 m from the caves in a straight line.

Ajuy is a remote village on the west coast, and a car is the realistic way to reach it: the nearest bus stop is about 4.6 km away in a straight line. There is an unpaved car park about 330 m from the caves in a straight line, a second one about 470 m away, and parking along the street in the village.

The rest is on foot. The path to the caves is signposted, an information board stands along the way, and the final stretch involves climbing over uneven rock before the ground reaches the cave mouth.

Best: late afternoon, when the sun drops towards the sea and lights the west-facing cliffs. Avoid: stormy days, above all in winter, and the middle of the day. Winter storms are what carved these caves, and in a heavy sea the rocks around them take the waves, while the midday hours bring the bulk of the excursion crowd to a site this popular.