Webcams of La Graciosa

The island is part of the Marine Reserve of the Chinijo Archipelago, the largest in Europe, which encompasses 70,700 hectares and concentrates the greatest marine biodiversity in the Canary Islands. Starting from Caleta del Sebo, a 4-kilometer walk along the coast – it is also possible to get there by 4×4 taxi – separates us from the beautiful and desolate landscape of the south of La Graciosa.

There awaits us the Yellow Mountain, an ancient volcano whose suggestive color contrasts with the blue of the sky and the turquoise of the sea. It is at the top of this mountain of the Fortunate Islands where, according to legend, the sorceress Armida took the crusader soldier Reinaldo, whom she had fallen in love with, making him a prisoner in a lush garden guarded by a dragon, a lion, and an enchanted fountain whose water made him laugh until death.

The story contrasts with the arid reality of the summit. The path ends at Playa de la Francesa, a wide beach of white sand that is usually quite crowded, since many boats that make excursions in the area dock here.

At its end, however, a narrow path leads us to a beautiful cove nestled at the foot of the Yellow Mountain itself: it is Playa de la Cocina. The best way to get around the interior of the island is by bicycle, which can be rented in Caleta del Sebo. From here, we set out on well-signposted tracks towards the north of La Graciosa.

After passing between the two main elevations of the central island, the volcanic calderas of Aguja Grande and Aguja Chica, we head towards the wild Playa de Baja del Ganado on the north coast. From this shore, where sand and volcanic rocks intermingle, we can enjoy a spectacular view of the nearby island of Montaña Clara.

Pedaling a little further north, we also find Playa de las Conchas, a vast and solitary sandy beach battered by strong ocean currents where it is easy to feel like a castaway on a deserted island.

Bordering the coast, we will come across one of the iconic images of the island of La Graciosa: the Arches of Los Caletones, natural basalt arches formed by the erosion of the waves of the sea that flow below.

And a little further on, Playa del Ámbar, also exposed to the currents of the Atlantic and surrounded by sand dunes. On our way back to Caleta del Sebo, we pass through the other place on the island where civilization has arrived: the village of Pedro Barba, a ghost town with just a handful of white houses for people seeking privacy and tranquility.