El Carmen Salt Pans

Salt is still made here. Outside the museum the old pans are worked for demonstration, so the trail through the salt fields walks you past the craft itself: seawater left to evaporate in shallow pools laid out like a chessboard, and the white crust that sun and wind leave behind.

Inside, the exhibition covers how sea salt is produced, what it meant to the island's economy, and the tools and living conditions of the salt workers. In the grounds lies the skeleton of a female whale, startling in its size. Barbary ground squirrels dart along the paths and come close in search of food. The shop sells salt harvested on site, which is the obvious thing to take home.

• Part of the visit is indoors, so it still works on a day of showers; the salt fields and the trail are outside.
• The salt fields are open ground with no shade. Bring a hat and water on a hot day.
• Toilets are on site, and a bar and restaurant stands at the end of the trail.
• The shop by the ticket office sells salt harvested on the pans, along with gifts.
• Ground squirrels beg along the paths; keep food in your bag if you would rather not be followed.

Most people arrive by car. There is free parking on site and free street parking around it; mapped car parks sit about 150 m and 290 m away in a straight line, the farther one asphalted. The Barrio Las Salinas bus stop is about 130 m away.

Everything starts at the ticket office, which doubles as the shop. From there the trail leads out through the salt fields and finishes at the bar and restaurant, so the walk back to the car is the only retracing you do.

Best: a clear morning, soon after opening.

Avoid: the middle of a hot summer day.

The salt fields have no shade and the white salt throws the glare back up, while on this east coast the morning sun comes in low off the sea and lights the pans at an angle. A rainy day is no write-off, since the museum is partly indoors.