Benijo Beach

Black sand, white surf, and the dark sea stacks of the Roques de Anaga standing in the water further along the coast. Benijo sits at the foot of the Anaga mountains, where green slopes come down to the Atlantic, and apart from the restaurants on the road above, the shore has been left alone.

The crowd is mostly local and the beach stays quiet. Big waves roll in off the open ocean. Playing in them is the fun of the place, and on a rough day they wear you out.

Stay into the evening. As the sun drops, the low light catches the water and the rock stacks, and the whole coastline turns soft and golden.

• The way down is long and poorly marked: the stairs to the sand start between the restaurants on the road above.
• There are no toilets at the beach, and none nearby.
• Access to the beach is closed at times and the closure is enforced by police. If it is shut, do not go down.
• Black sand gets hot in full sun, so wear something on your feet for the walk across it.

You leave the car up on the slope above the beach. There are two parking areas: a gravel one about 140 m away and an unpaved one about 360 m away, in a straight line.

From the road, the way down runs between the restaurants to a set of stairs that drop to the sand. It is long and poorly marked, so look for the stairs by the restaurants and keep in mind that the same stairs are the only way back up.

By bus, the nearest stop is Playa de Almáciga, named after the neighbouring beach. The rest of the way is on foot.

Best: late afternoon into the evening, on a day when the sea is calm.

Avoid: days of heavy swell, and the middle of the day in high summer.

The view is at its best in the evening light, the swell decides whether the water is fun or dangerous (and this open north-facing shore takes the biggest seas in winter), and the black sand holds the midday heat.