La Francesa Beach

The water is what stays with you: clear over pale sand, in a bay that looks straight across the strait to the cliffs of Famara on Lanzarote. Behind the beach there is only sand and volcanic ground, with nothing built on it.

The way in is part of it. A sandy track leaves Caleta de Sebo and crosses open, empty island for about 25 minutes before the bay opens up. At ten in the morning the sand can be empty; afternoons range from quiet to busy, once the walkers off the ferry and the safari 4x4s arrive.

• No toilets or drinking water at the beach, and none nearby. Bring all the water you need.
• The sand has no shade at midday. Bring a hat and sun cream.
• The track is too sandy to ride: cyclists end up pushing their bikes. Walking is simpler.
• Rocks lie in the shallows and come close to the surface at low tide. Check before you swim.
• 4x4 taxis and Land Rover safari tours run out to the beach from Caleta de Sebo if you would rather not walk.

The trip starts on Lanzarote: a bus to Órzola, then the ferry across the strait to Caleta de Sebo, the port village of La Graciosa. From the village a sandy track runs out to La Francesa Beach, about 25 minutes on foot. A 4x4 taxi covers it in around eight minutes, and Land Rover safari tours use the same track.

Leave the bike in the village. The sand is soft enough that riders end up dragging their bikes most of the way, so you walk either way.

Best: mid-morning, around ten, when the beach can be empty.

Avoid: low tide if you plan to swim, and the middle of a summer day without cover.

Rocks in the shallows sit closer to the surface as the tide drops, and the bare sand offers no shade once the sun is high.