To the Buenavista Lighthouse

Much owes the title of this chronicle to Virginia Woolf's fifth novel, but living on an island like Tenerife with its seven active lighthouses of which some have been operational since 1864, although this one, the Buenavista lighthouse, is from 1990, at some point we had to pay them homage.

Lighthouses have always been an attractive landmark in the landscapes that they preside and generate in many an undeniable attraction.

The most restless on the island of Tenerife have an annual meeting in the mountain race, “Trail de Faro to Faro” (From Lighthouse to Lighthouse), which is disputed by joining on foot the Lighthouses of Anaga and Teno.

For us, the more sedentary, walking from the pools of Los Silos to the lighthouse of Buenavista can be a much calmer alternative but of not less enjoyment.

Thus, our route today runs for several kilometers of virgin coast of the municipalities of Los Silos and Buenavista.

We start the route by parking the car where the asphalted road ends next to the pools of Los Silos. We walk the first few meters by a well-conditioned boardwalk which is presided by the skeleton of a great whale that years ago it wandered on this coast. We follow our path, feeling the sea breeze, the saltpeter of the coast, the beat of the waves, the blue sky, the immense horizon on the Atlantic Ocean, and we discover evocative names of capes, and coves such us: Caleta de la araña (The cove of the spider), Bufadero point, Caletón del Tonelero (The cove of the cooper),  Bajío del Negro Point, Ensenada del Casado (The bay of the married man) ... on a low coast of black basalt puddles and  rocks.

Once we have already begun to see the lighthouse clearly, we suddenly encounter a singular accident, probably caused by the sinking of the vault of a large marine cave, but that the oral tradition of the region has always considered to be caused by the fall of a powerful ray, and therefore, has denominated like: THE RAY (El Rayo).
And indeed El Rayo is a unique geological formation that well deserves a visit, which for the laziest could well be done by going down to the Buenavista lighthouse, parking the car at the height of it and traveling the barely five hundred meters of coast that separate them.

The place where El Rayo is located is truly unique, a magical corner of the island of Tenerife, because at its feet large natural volcanic stoned base ponds stand, as perfect pools of clean waters and turquoise tones, frequented by some local swimmers who swim in them in perfect harmony with nature.

A few meters further West we reach our goal: The imposing 40 meters high lighthouse that crowns the whole Isla Baja coast line.