Landing at Las Canteras

Manolo the Dangerous guides his boat into the clear waters. Nearby, on the sand, you’ll see people walking, with some taking their first swim of the day. Whilst others breakfast on one of the promenade’s terraces. It’s another day at Las Canteras beach.

Manuel starts the engine of his boat, The Seagull, and drifts beyond La Barra, the reef protecting the beach. A flying fish travels alongside him for almost twenty meters before plunging back under the sea.

On the shore, on the volcanic rocks, the early-bird fishermen clean the scales of the old lady (also known as parrotfish) and bream glistening like a rainbow under the sun. These sailors often belong to family dynasties and each of them has their own nickname like The Dangerous.

Las Canteras promenade
Manolo carrying his boat

En la orilla, sobre las piedras volcánicas, los pescadores más madrugadores limpian el pescado mientras las escamas de las viejas (un tipo de pez también conocido como pez loro), gueldes y sargos brillan como un arcoiris bajo el sol. Estos marineros suelen formar parte de sagas familiares, todas ellas con su apodo, igual que El Peligroso.

Sunset on Las Canteras

But just where is Manolo now? He likes to improvise. Someone like him can head off fishing and then anchor themselves in the secret places only known to the old sailors. Or, if you like, in less than ten minutes reach the other end of Las Canteras, an area known as the Cícer where local surfers catch waves and others arrive from every corner of the world.

Manolo on his boat
Sunset on La Cícer

On land more and more people are joining the steady stream of vitality of multilingual Las Canteras , where everyone , no matter where they come from, feels at home. The restaurants fill up with hungry people. Some will feast on fresh fish whilst others will tuck into the famous wrinkled potatoes and mojo sauce. Although, on the Las Canteras promenade, you can find almost any type of cuisine.

La Puntilla
La Puntilla

The sound of an engine announces the return of Manolo. When he steps ashore, he greets the people he encounters with a smile. They, like him, show that the city has a soul which is every bit as deep and blue as the sea.

Las Canteras
Las Canteras