Llanos de la Mimbre Viewpoint

The trees stop and the ground simply ends. From the platform the cliffs drop away to the west coast, the sea opens out beyond them, and on a clear evening the sun goes down straight ahead. The edge is open enough that some people stop well short of it and take in the view from a few paces back.

The walk in is half of it. The path runs through pine forest on the island's north side, where cloud often drifts between the trunks and the air smells of resin. Smaller openings along the cliff give glimpses of the drop before the main platform. On a clear day Teide on Tenerife stands up across the water.

• Bring warm layers. Once the sun goes or cloud comes in, the air up here turns cold.
• Expect wind. This side of the island is exposed; hold on to hats and loose kit near the edge.
• Toilets stand about 400 m from the viewpoint. There is no drinking water source nearby, so bring your own.
• Picnic spots lie in the forest nearby, which makes it easy to turn the visit into a longer stop.
• No wheelchair access: neither the parking nor the way to the platform suits a wheelchair.

The car parks lie about 850 m and 900 m from the viewpoint in a straight line. From there, keep heading west on foot through the forest until the trees open onto the cliff. Smaller openings along the edge come first; the main platform is the widest of the views. The nearest bus stop, Guayedra, is about 2.2 km away in a straight line.

Best: late afternoon into sunset on a clear day.

Avoid: days when cloud sits on the ridge, and the hour after sunset if you have not brought warm clothes.

The platform faces west over the sea, so the evening light falls straight onto the cliffs and the sun sets in front of you; the north side of the island is where cloud gathers, and when it settles on the forest the view can vanish entirely.