There´s no bonus points for elegance! That thought spurred us on as we scrambled up a tricky part of the La Caleta to El Puertito walk along the Adeje coast of Tenerife. Barely a dozen people on the shallow pebble beach of the little port, and just a few boats bobbing gently at the entry to the bay.
A far cry from the packed scenes on a hot summers day, it was a sign of the Covid times. The clear blue sea massaged our well worked leg muscles before cold beers quenched our thirsts at the nearby bar. We had started out among a few early birds speckled on the Playa de La Enramada beach sun loungers in La Caleta. Rising up beyond the fish restaurants, a kestrel swooped over a clump of cactus as we climbed the sandstone trail in the worn rock that headed along the cliff top. The table top mountain of Roque del Conde lurked inland and the hotel towers of Playa Paraiso looked deceptively near a few coves ahead of us.
A scattering of hippy huts used to be a familiar sight in the folds of the rocks but a recent deje council enforcement of the protected status of the area left just a few hints of the tons of rubbish and shacks. Sun worshippers lapped up the warmth of the day in secluded spots near the shore and a few walkers passed us coming from the west. We faced a few tough choices where the path thinned out. Patience and tentative foot holds saw us through.
Crumbling plantation walls harked back to early crop raising and a large stone clock face had my thoughts wavering between pizza and Dennis Wheatley black magic novels. After a couple of leisurely hours, stone steps down besides a private house led us onto a concrete balcony beholding El Puertito in its full glory. It was one of those moments that stops you in your tracks and makes the path pounding all worth while.
Turtles also enjoy the special qualities of the cove. In busier times boat trips deposit many scubs and snorkel enthusiasts to admire the placid creatures. Our swimming was closer to the shore and well timed as the tide was quickly eating away at the sand. Whether by foot or by car, El Puerto is not easy to reach. Passing the statue of the Virgen in its shrine, and the small church, we wound our way up the tight road out above the other side of the bay. They might have part paved paradise but there´s certainly no parking lots.
It was a long slog up past the ghostly quiet hotels with lots of longing gazes back to the beach. Playa Paraiso was the next bay along for food and buses, by then we were wondering if El Puertito had just been a dreamy mirage.