Los Charcones is a group of natural pools on the volcanic coast of southwestern Lanzarote, in the municipality of Yaiza, beyond the resort of Playa Blanca. The sea fills hollows between the lava rocks, and each pool has its own shape and depth; the larger ones are big enough to swim in. Rugged volcanic cones rise inland, and the ruins of an abandoned hotel stand near the shore. The pools are reached on foot after a rough drive.
Los Charcones Natural Pools (Playa Blanca)
Local name: Los Charcones
Natural rock pools in the lava shore of southwest Lanzarote, reached by a rough road and a scramble over boulders.
- Entrance
- Free; open coastline with no ticket.
- Accessibility
- Not wheelchair accessible: the approach is a footpath, and reaching the pools means climbing over large rocks.
- Parking
- Free, along the roadside; a parking area named Los Charcones lies about 190 m away in a straight line.
- Difficulty
- An easy walk of about a kilometre on a clear path, then a scramble over big rocks down to the pools and back up.
- Transport
- No bus to the pools; the nearest stops, La Goleta 1 and La Goleta 2, are about 3 km away in a straight line.
- Advance booking
- Not needed.
- Hours
- Open at any time; this is open coastline.
- Address
- Av. Faro Pechiguera, 35570 Yaiza, Las Palmas, Spain
What makes it special
Surf crashes on the outer rocks while the water inside the pools lies clear and bright, its colour changing with the depth. The pools sit in hollows of the lava shore, each one a different shape, some shallow, some big enough to swim in.
Inland the ground is bare and rocky, close to desert, with rugged volcanic cones on the skyline. The one blot on the view is the shell of an abandoned hotel. Otherwise it is rock, sea and wind, and it feels a long way from the resorts along the same coast.
Good to know
- Check your destination. Another place also goes by Los Charcones; make sure your map points to the pools on the coast beyond Playa Blanca.
- Bring water shoes. Sea urchins cover parts of the pool floors.
- Bring everything you need. There are no toilets and no drinking water at the pools or nearby, and the bare rock gives no shade.
- Keep your hands free. Getting into the pools and back out means climbing over big rocks, so carry a backpack.
Getting there
The drive ends on a bad road: the last few kilometres are rocky and uneven, so take it slowly. Cars are left along the roadside, and the rest is on foot, about a kilometre.
The path is easy to follow. It heads towards an abandoned building in the distance; once you reach it, the pools are close. The final stretch is over large volcanic rocks, and you climb down to the water and back up the same way.
The nearest bus stops, La Goleta 1 and La Goleta 2, are about 3 km away in a straight line, so coming without a car means a long walk across open ground.
Best time to visit
Best: a calm day with low swell, in the morning before the sun climbs high.
Avoid: days of heavy Atlantic swell, and the middle of a hot summer day.
The pools are only calm when the sea is, and the bare lava around them offers no shade at all.
Sun & daylight
Nearby Places
Similar Places
Los Charcones Natural Pools (Playa Blanca) on the map
This is an open Atlantic shore: waves break over the rocks and can surge into the pools, so stay out of the water in rough seas and never turn your back on the ocean. The wet lava is sharp and slippery.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you swim in the Los Charcones pools?
Yes, the larger pools are big enough to swim in. Parts of the pool floors are covered in sea urchins, so wear water shoes, and stay out when waves are breaking over the rocks.Where do you park for Los Charcones?
Parking is free. Cars are left along the roadside, and the walk from there to the pools is about a kilometre on an easy path.Is it hard to get down to the pools?
The walk in is easy, but reaching the water means climbing over big rocks, and the same climb takes you back out. It is not suitable for wheelchairs.Are there toilets or drinking water?
No. There are no toilets and no drinking water at the pools or nearby, so bring what you need.Can you get to Los Charcones by bus?
Not directly. The nearest stops, La Goleta 1 and La Goleta 2, are about 3 km away in a straight line.