The lagoons north of El Cotillo

North of El Cotillo the coast breaks into a series of small bays where low volcanic reefs hold back the ocean and leave shallow pools of clear water over pale sand. Locals call the area Los Lagos, and the water inside the bars is calm and noticeably warmer than the open sea beside it.

The pools are the picture: turquoise where they are deep enough, almost white where the sand shows through, edged with dark lava. At low tide the bars stand clear and the pools separate; at high tide they merge and the reef disappears. Both work, but they are different pictures, so it is worth checking the tide.

The track along the coast runs from the village to the Tostón lighthouse at the northern point, passing bay after bay. Each has a different shape and the ones further from the village are usually empty even in August.

This is a west-facing coast, so sunset is the obvious slot: the light comes in low across the water and the lava goes from black to warm brown. Wind picks up in the afternoon, the rocks are sharp underfoot, and there is no shade at all — early evening solves two of those three.