Las Galgas Beach

Swim out to the rocks at the edge of the cove with a mask and the fish are right there, just under the surface, while crabs work the stones below. The water at Las Galgas is usually calm and clear. That makes it an easy place for a first snorkel, and a good one for a long slow look along the rocks.

The beach itself is modest: dark pebbles and black volcanic sand, a scatter of palms, and an upper beach that is more dust than sand. Comfortable places to sit after a swim are few. It is usually quiet, a low-key local cove with the cafés, shops and restaurants of Playa Paraíso a short walk away.

• Bring water shoes. The shore and the way into the sea are stones and pebbles.
• Litter. Cigarette butts and plastic end up on the sand, even with bins along the beach.
• No toilets on the beach. The nearest free public toilets are about 630 m away.
• No drinking-water fountain nearby. Bring water, or buy it at the cafés and shops a short walk away.
• Little comfort for lounging. Good places to sit are few; bring a mat or a thick towel.

The beach lies on the coastal promenade in Playa Paraíso, close to the Hard Rock Hotel. The Hard Rock Hotel bus stop is about 170 m away in a straight line, and from there you walk to the shore.

By car, the closest car park, about 100 m away, is for customers only, and another at around 300 m is private, so check the signs before you leave the car. The promenade along the coast is easy going, even with a pushchair. The last stretch is over stones and pebbles to the water.

Best: mornings, on a day when the sea is flat.

Avoid: days when a big Atlantic swell is running.

There is more space on the beach earlier in the day, and calm water is what keeps the swimming easy and the snorkelling clear, while swell clouds the water by the rocks and makes the stony entry awkward.