We can do this route with either east or west wind, as long as it isn’t too strong.
We start in La Isleta, a fishermen’s quarter where age-old fishing techniques such as the moruna are still used. Sailing towards San José we first see San Felipe castle, built on ancient reef beaches that have turned into a soft limestone, shaped by the wind into whimsical, magical forms. We pass Embarcadero beach and Punta del Cohete (Rocket Point), where the first Spanish rocket was launched in the 1960s; the area was so sparsely populated that there was hardly any risk of anyone getting hurt. We sail along the cliffs of Los Escullos, named after the many reefs (escollos) just below the surface that made sailing dangerous for anyone who didn’t know them well.
Along the way there are many hidden coves, such as Cala Tomate, sheltered from the wind, where we stop for a swim to see its spectacular seabed.
Behind the mountain lie the bentonite quarries: a volcanic ash with many industrial uses, still mined here today. We end the route at Cala Higuera and San José, once a fishing village and now the park’s main tourist spot.
