La Goleta Viewpoint

Stand at La Goleta and the island splits in two. On one side the Atlantic runs out to the horizon beyond the coast at Punta del Hidalgo. On the other, the ridges of Anaga rise one behind another, cut by deep ravines, their crests as jagged as the edge of a saw. The scale and the bareness of it all, sea and cliff and mountain, feel like Patagonia.

The view is earned on foot. The viewpoint sits partway along the trail from Punta del Hidalgo to Chinamada, and it is the high point of that walk.

• There are no toilets and no drinking water at the viewpoint or nearby; carry water for the whole walk.
• You reach it only on foot: about an hour along the trail from Punta del Hidalgo.
• The path is open to sun and wind; bring sun protection and an extra layer.
• The trail carries on to Chinamada, so the viewpoint works as a stop on a longer walk.

The approach starts in Punta del Hidalgo, on the coast below. The nearest car parks are about 1.5 km from the viewpoint in a straight line, and one of them is free; the bus stops named Punta del Hidalgo and El Tanque are at a similar distance.

From there it is a walk on the trail towards Chinamada, about an hour to the viewpoint. A guidepost stands about 255 m away in a straight line. The same trail continues to Chinamada if you want to make a longer day of it.

Best: a clear morning, when the walk is cooler and the view runs furthest along the coast and into the mountains.

Avoid: the middle of a hot day, and days when cloud sits low over Anaga.

The path is open to the sun with no water on the way, and the view is the whole reason to come: when cloud covers the ridges, there is little left to see.