The Los Cocoteros-Charco trek is a gentle little wander along the north-east coast. Starting from the far end of the village of Los Cocoteros, along the coastal path to the outskirts of Charco del Palo. Returning along an inland dirt track past various abandoned small holdings.
The route is about 6km, well marked with only one short 5 minute climb out of Charco del Palo along a dirt track. Coffee and cake options are Guatiza or Charco del Palo.
Directions
Follow the LZ-1 out of Arrecife and take the first exit at the Tahiche round-a-bout. Continue along the LZ-1 past Costa Teguise and take the exit for Guatiza. As you enter the village of Guatiza, take the first right for Los Cocoteros. Follow the road through the village and park at the end of the road / village.
Click on the image above to open a google maps view of the area in a new tab.
The Walk
At the end of the village, follow the path towards a white house built directly on the coast. Look to the left and you will see where the path skirts around the house. After 50m or so look for the Caldera del Agua, to the right of the path. This is a circular opening in the lava rock with a tunnel to the sea.
Continue along the coastal path until you reach the outskirts of Charco del Palo. There are one or two houses close to the rocky shoreline and the path meets a dirt track. Take the left dirt road, climbing up and away from the village, passing a number of abandoned small holdings.
After 30 minutes or so, at a T Junction in the dirt road, turn left. Follow this dirt road until you come to a left fork which takes you down past an open cast Picon Quarry and eventually back to the coast path, where you turn right back to the car.
The area was once an important producer of mixed grains, lentils and chick peas, as the many abandoned farms testify. The first picture in the gallery above is the ruins of an old mill . The village of Guatiza has a very interesting history, did you know it wasn’t always called Guatiza and was not located where it is today. There are both external and internal links below to read more.