La Galera Beach

The nearest car park is about 2.9 km away in a straight line, up in Masca, and that distance defines La Galera Beach. It lies on the stretch of north-west Tenerife where the Teno massif falls into the Atlantic, close to the Masca gorge, with cliffs and ravines behind it and open ocean in front.

There are no toilets and no drinking water nearby. What you get is the shore itself: dark volcanic rock, the swell working at it, and far fewer people than on the beaches of the island's south.

• There are no toilets and no drinking water nearby. Carry all the water you need.
• No car park comes near the beach. The closest are in Masca, about 2.9 km away in a straight line.
• The sea is open Atlantic. Go in only on a calm day, and stay out when the swell is up.
• The cliffs behind the shore shed stones. Keep your spot away from their base.

There is no car park by the beach. The nearest ones are up in the village of Masca, about 2.9 km away in a straight line, and the Masca bus stop sits beside them. Between the village and the sea lie the cliffs and ravines of the Teno massif, so the straight-line figure says little about the real distance on foot. Plan your route down before you set off, and allow for the climb back up.

Best: a calm, dry day with low swell, and the afternoon if you want the sun on the water.

Avoid: days of heavy Atlantic swell, and wet weather.

An open west-facing shore under cliffs takes the full force of the ocean, and rain loosens stones on the slopes above.