Tachero Beach

The cliffs fill the view from the stones, and on most days there are few people to share it with. Everything about the place feels wild and uninhabited: the road that narrows and twists its way down, the hamlet at the end of it, then rock and open Atlantic.

The beach itself is all large rocks and pebbles, uncomfortable to sit on and awkward to get into the sea from. People come for the quiet and a quick dip. The natural pool just down from the beach is where the swimming gets easier.

• The beach is unsupervised and signposted as dangerous, with strong currents. Keep any swim short and watch the sea the whole time.
• It is all large rocks and pebbles, and getting into the water is hard. Water shoes make the stones easier.
• The natural pool just down from the beach is the more comfortable place to swim.
• There are no toilets at the beach, and none nearby.
• Parking in the hamlet is limited.

The drive is the hard part: narrow village streets, then a narrow, steep, winding road down to the coast. Take it slowly. Parking in the hamlet is limited, and the nearest mapped car park sits about 1,150 m away in a straight line.

On foot there are two ways in. The main road, the one cars use, enters the hamlet from the west; a dirt track comes in on the east side. Either way, expect some uphill walking. The nearest bus stop, La Cuestilla, is about 1,060 m away in a straight line.

Best: a calm day, when the sea lies flat against the stones.

Avoid: days of heavy swell and rough sea, which the north coast takes most often in winter.

The beach faces the open Atlantic with no lifeguard and strong currents, so the state of the sea decides whether a swim is possible at all; check it before you drive down the narrow road.