TFS-031-Callao Salvaje-Punta del Cangrejo Circular

Waypoints

(1) Start at car-park by beach-bar(28.12835; -16.78164)After parking in the beach car-park head down towards the beach-bar then turn right uphill, before turning right onto Calle La Lava and proceeding in a westerly direction.

(2) Check out view at mirador(28.12884; -16.78371)In about 350 m from your start-point, part way along Calle La Lava, cross over to take in the view from the mirador opposite the t-junction with Calle El Jable. On a clear day you have a marvellous view of La Gomera. Return to Calle La Lava and carry on past the Pearly Grey and Pearly White apartment complexes.  (354 m)

(3) Up these steps(28.13001; -16.78394)In just 150 m, or so, from the mirador, climb these steps and proceed onwards.  (498 m)

(4) Veer left and downhill(28.13245; -16.78470)After passing the small commercial centre on your right, veer right then, at just over 300 m from the steps, take the road veering left and downhill. (820 m)

(5) Turn right and go around buidling(28.13386; -16.78559)In 180 m, near the bottom of the downhill street, Calle Nivaria, turn right and go around the building shown to arrive at the rough coastal path.  (1 km)

(6) Down path into barranco(28.13475; -16.78611)Soon, in 200 m, take the path to cross the low ravine, then turn left to take the coastal path around the headland. Continue onwards, at all times taking the obvious path along the coast.  (1.2 km)

(7) Left and down rough road(28.13852; -16.78952)After 700 m, along the cliff-top path, you will emerge at this rough road. Go left down hill towards the building you can see. Passing a structure that may have been a guiding light for boats approaching the port, you will arrive at an old pier with crane and a building that may once have been a canning factory (for tuna?) or a packing factory for agricultural produce (bananas?). (1.9 km)

(8) Check out old pier(28.13906; -16.79149)After you have taken in the scene at the abandoned Puerto de Mozes pier, head back up past the building on your left with this interesting artwork of a fisherman "gazing out to sea, to dream".  (2.3 km)

(9) Left and up path behind building(28.13943; -16.79087)Just after you pass the rear of the building, turn sharp left and climb the narrow rough path, proceeding on the path along the cliff-top, as before.  (2.4 km)

(10) Down path into barranco(28.14283; -16.79346)In 600 m, you will arrive at the edge of a ravine, with the Marazul complex ahead of you. Take the path down, then up, then down again to the base of the barranco where you divert left under a tunnel along a concrete drainage channel to the sea-front.  (3 km)

(11) Divert down drainage channel to sea(28.14295; -16.79402)After taking in the scene at the little bay below the Marazul complex, re-trace your steps up the drainage channel and through the tunnel. (3.1 km)

(12) Back up and along bed of barranco(28.14352; -16.79376)Now, carry on walking inland on the very rough, but negotiable, bed of the barranco. There is no obvious path at this stage.  (3.2 km)

(13) Left and up path out of barranco(28.14365; -16.79277)After just 100 m, or so, don't miss this path on your left ascending out of the barranco.  (3.3 km)

(14) Across open ground to tarred road(28.14397; -16.79251)In just 100 m, you will emerge out of the barranco with the Marazuil complex ahead and above you. Veer a little left to cross this low wall and cross some rough ground, meeting a narrow tarred road where you turn right and start your ascent to the main road. At the main road, turn left to walk towards the entrance to the Marazul complex.  (3.4 km)

(15) Left into Club Marazul(28.14737; -16.79139)In 500 m you arrive at the entrance to the Marazul complex. You turn in here and walk downhill past the security guard station. You should not be concerned about being challenged as, partly hidden at the entrance is a sign indicating that public access is permitted to your objective, the Punta Del Cangrejo. Nonetheless, a friendly wave and a "hola" to the guard is, no doubt, appreciated!  Carry on downhill.  (3.9 km)

(16) Turn at Punta del Cangrejo viewpoint(28.14305; -16.79473)In another 600 m you will arrive at the Punta del Cangrejo viewpoint. When ready, start to re-trace your steps back up the tarred road looking out for a paved path to the Marazul gardens in about 200 m from the point.  (4.5 km)

(17) Right into gardens(28.14471; -16.79384)In 200 m from the Punta del Cangrejo viewpoint, turn right onto this paved path into the green and shady gardens of the Marazul complex, walking past the three rows of "bungalow" apartments on your left-hand side. (4.7 km)

(18) Left into car-park here(28.14580; -16.79222)In 300 m, in a glade of palm trees just below the complex swimming pools, turn left into a car-parking area and walking onwards to the road you descended on earlier. Turn right when you meet this access road and head back uphill to the entrance at the main road, past the security post. Turn right at the main road and walk along the edge of the road, passing the narrow tarred road you ascended on from the barranco and the adjacent Autobar.  (5 km)

(19) Turn right then left after bridge(28.14437; -16.78870)In 700 m from the previous Waypoint in the complex gardens, just after you cross a bridge over the barranco, walking at the side of the main road, turn right here towards the banana plantation then, very quickly, turn left to cross an open area of ground, walking parallel with the main road on your left and the plantation on your right.  (5.7 km)

(20) Down steps and go downhill(28.14318; -16.78763)In 200 m, reaching a wall, go left towards a breeze-block hut and take the steps there, down to the rough access road for the plantation. Carry on down that road with the sea ahead of you and the plantation on your right-hand side, eventually passing the entrance and carrying on.  (5.9 km)

(21) Veer left and down path(28.14035; -16.79216)Veering right a little through a gap at the end of the plantation, pass an abandoned building on your right and continue walking across rough ground towards the sea. In 600 m from the steps you descended at the last Waypoint, you will find a path leading down from the eastern corner of the rough embankment, heading back towards the area of the old pier you checked out earlier in the walk. Continue on this path as it initially heads in the direction of the old pier buildings then starts to swing away inland behind the pier buildings towards another set of ruined buildings ahead of you.  (6.5 km)

(22) Down path to rough road(28.13975; -16.79101)In 100 m, or so, take this path down towards the rough access road to the old pier, turning left at the bottom of the path to take the rough road uphill towards the ruined agricultural buildings which you pass through, admiring further interesting graffiti.  (6.6 km)

(23) Veer right off road after buildings(28.13947; -16.78837)In 500 m, having passed through the set of ruined buildings, veer right off the rough road, joining another narrow rough road. You will see a petrol station ahead of you at the main road.  (7.1 km)

(24) Go right across terraces(28.14035; -16.78638)In another 200 m, before an abandoned building, turn right to take one of the terraces across the hillside. There is no set path here - just find your best way along the terraces, eventually finding a downhill path towards the sea, which you take, in about 300 m.  (7.3 km)

(25) Veer left and downhill(28.13583; -16.78669)In 700 m, having initially walked across open ground on abandoned terraces then downhill on a path you should veer left here towards the outskirts of Callao Salvaje.  (8 km)

(26) Through banana plantation(28.13523; -16.78567)In just 100 m, or so, enter the bottom end of this abandoned (?) banana plantation, quickly passing through it and carrying on in the same direction with the western edge of Callao Salvaje increasingly close now, ahead of you on your right.  (8.1 km)

(27) Over wall towards apartments complex(28.13409; -16.78471)In 200m, with the sea still on your right shoulder, take a rough path beneath an area with stacked pipes, then cross a low wall and walk towards the apartment complex on the edge of Callao Salvaje, following the dog-walkers' path as it initially runs parallel to the apartments then turns away from them, going inland again, at a plantation wall.  (8.3 km)

(28) Veer right here(28.13304; -16.78396)In 200 m from the last Waypoint, veer right through the gap in the wall and cross the rough ground, still on the dog-walkers' path, with the plantation on your right side, until you reach a narrow tarred road that gives access to the plantation. Turn left here and ascend on the narrow road.  (8.5 km)

(29) Sharp right at end of private road(28.13251; -16.78165)In 300 m, or so, you will approach the end of the plantation access road crossing over the security chain. Turn sharp right at the entrance to this road you are on, to find yourself in the area of the Sueno Azul holiday and residential complex. Carry on downhill into the centre of Callao Salvaje, going straight across the main road, and passing the bus-stop on your right.  (8.8 km)

(30) Right here to car-park at start(28.12948; -16.78073)In 300 m, just after the bus-stop and commercial centre you will see this sign directing you down, on your right, to the beach, and the car-park where you started the walk.  (9.3 km)

(31) Return to start-point by beach-bar(28.12839; -16.78157)In around 100 m, you will be back where you started the walk where you may well be tempted to quench your thirst at the Sansibar beach cafe!  (9.4 km)