Juan López Beach

There is no road to Juan López Beach, and for long stretches no path either. The way down is read from cairns, stones stacked into pyramids on the bare rock, and the walk counts among the hardest on Tenerife.

That effort is what keeps the place quiet. At the bottom is a shore of rocks and dark volcanic stone under the cliffs of the Teno coast, with the Atlantic breaking on it and nothing built anywhere in sight. It is a place to sit on the stones, eat what you carried down and watch the sea for a while before the climb back out.

• Carry at least 2.5 litres of water per person: there is no drinking water at the beach or anywhere near it.
• No toilets and no facilities of any kind. Whatever you bring down, carry back up.
• The route needs good fitness and proper equipment. The path fades out for long stretches, so keep the next cairn in sight.
• The beach is all rocks and stone, so bring something to sit on.
• Lock the car and leave nothing on show inside it.

The nearest bus stop, El Carrizal, and the nearest free parking both sit just under 3 km from the beach in a straight line: about 2.7 km for the stop, 2.9 km for the parking. Everything beyond is on foot, and over this ground the walking distance is longer than the straight line.

The hike is one of the toughest on the island. For much of the way there is basically no path, and the line is marked by cairns of stacked stones. Good fitness and proper equipment are needed, along with at least 2.5 litres of water per person. Keep enough in your legs, and in your bottle, for the climb back out.

Best: a dry, settled day with a calm sea, setting off early in the morning.

Avoid: the midday heat of summer, days of heavy swell, and the days after rain.

The approach crosses bare rock with little shade, so the morning cool makes the hard walk easier, while wet stone turns an already rough route slippery and a big swell leaves no safe ground at the water's edge.