La Laja Beach

Surfers come for the swell. The currents and waves rolling onto this open shore have made La Laja one of the favourite beaches among surfers, and the dark sand, grey to brownish-black and backed by vegetation, runs for about 1.2 km.

Between April and October, every weekend, the south end becomes the starting line for the weekly regatta of Canarian lateen-sail boats. The beach rarely fills up. On a wet, windy day it is empty, and some stretches are clothing-optional.

The GC-1 motorway runs right behind the sand. Its noise ranges from lost under the waves to a steady background of traffic and exhaust.

• There are no public toilets and no drinking water at the beach or nearby. Bring water.
• No bars or restaurants on the beach: bring your own food and drink.
• The bottom is sandy, so water shoes are not needed.
• Some stretches of the beach are clothing-optional.
• The promenade and cycle path stop at the Triton statue at the south end. Going further south means the motorway hard shoulder: do not walk or cycle it.

By car, the beach sits right off the GC-1 at the southern entrance to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The nearest car park is about 700 m away in a straight line, with a second one about 870 m out, and the rest is on foot.

Interurban buses heading south stop at the beach; the nearest stops are about 600 m away. City buses end their run at Hoya de La Plata, about 800 m from the sand by road and path, both fine on foot. Once there, a seafront promenade runs along the beach.

Best: from 1 July to 30 September for swimming, and any weekend from April to October to see the lateen-sail regatta leave from the south end.

Avoid: days of heavy swell if you are not a confident swimmer.

The currents on this open shore can be strong, and the lifeguard, rescue and first-aid service covers only July to September.