No. 6 - Its Gran Canaria Magazine

6
GET TO KNOW GRAN CANARIA I CONOCE GRAN CANARIA Nº 6
El Confital,
the lungs of Gran Canaria’s capital city
Playa de El Confital
By Jonás Oliva
At the northeastern tip of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria,
in a virtually unspoilt setting on the peninsula
of La Isleta, is the beach at El Confital. It is a
haven of peace, right at the heart of the city that, in
addition to tranquility it offers, is known for its crystal
clear and clean waters, as well as its stunning
landscape comprising volcanic rocks, steep cliffs
and flora at La Isleta Protected Natural Landscape.
Not surprisingly, once this area has been accessed,
with Las Palmas de Gran Canaria at our backs, the
Atlantic breezes filter out any urban bustle, and the
peacefulness that can be breathed all around invites
visitors to go for a bathe at any of the pools
and nooks and crannies that appear along the strip
of coast, or to take a stroll along the footpaths that
are located all around. El Confital is, without doubt,
the lungs of the city, free from constructions; a
journey to such a different type of location that is
barely ten minutes from the urban surroundings,
and constitutes a privileged point from where to
contemplate spectacular sunsets on the horizon
that tinge the surrounding area in orangy shades.
The area is a natural extension of Las Canteras
Beach and is a beach that is frequented mainly by
local residents and natural and sea sports enthusiasts.
It is especially ideal for surfing, windsurfing
or bodyboarding for experts and world championships,
as the wave at El Confital is considered
the finest right-sided wave in Europe and reaches
heights of between 1.5 and 3 metres. However, the
beach area is equally apt for bathing, as it has tiny
golden sandy coves and rock pools that ensure a
peaceful day’s fun in the sea. El Confital even has
areas set aside for nudism and naturism, and is the
most highly recommended beach in the city for
this.
The term that gives the beach its name is a phitotoponym
that refers to rock and plant species
particles such as coastal calcareous algae, whose
accumulation and erosion over the centuries has
formed a kind of white sand and golden visage
that give it a confite or candy-like appearance, so
characteristic of the coastal strip at this location
that extends for several kilometres. Access to El
Confital can be gained by car or by bicycle along
a dirt track or on foot along an avenue that borders
the coast; the access points are equipped with
ramps for facilitating the free movement of disabled
persons as well as a solarium and promenade
in the form of decking that fits in perfectly with
such sublime surroundings boasting great ecological
diversity, comprising scrubland and halophilic
and nitrophilic plants that are a clear demonstration
of the ability to adapt to a waterless and highly
salty environment. It also preserves a fascinating
ethnographic and archaeological heritage, with
the Cuevas de los Canarios as a maximum pre-Hispanic
exponent, an ensemble of caves hewn out of
the volcanic tuff rock that were once inhabited and
used as grain stores by the island’s native dwellers,
as well as shell middens, a lithic workshop that
preserves sharpened stones worked in basalt boulders,
saltworks or 19th century fish drying sites.
El Confital is also impresssive and seductive when
viewed from above. There are viewpoints located
at mountain summits surrounding the beach at La
Isleta and Las Coloradas, providing views over the
platforms and marine flat rocks under the ocean,
the volcanic geological ensemble and the isthmus
of La Isleta, the bay of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria,
the island’s northern coastline and even the
iconic Roque Nublo that crowns the island’s summit.
Although there are different military barracks
all around that restrict access to visitors, it is also
a perfect area for hiking, offering a circular route
that takes in Montaña del Vigía (219 metres altitude),
Montaña de El Faro (240 metres) or Montaña
Colorada (239 metres), from whose vantage points
it is possible to admire one of the most recent and
important volcanic landscapes in Gran Canaria,
thanks to its eruptive pattern, morphology and extension.