Cofete: the most spectacular beach of the Canary Islands
It was the first thing I asked the cabbie just landed in Fuerteventura. I had read that reach the beach of Cofete, a virgin area located windward Jandía Peninsula, to the southwest of the island, It was complicated. Dirt Track advised, they were saying, an SUV to avoid shocks. He had rented the cheapest car found, a stroke, and he was determined to reach all costs. The taxi driver, with a fast cadence majorera any emphasis, I relax. You could be reached, With precaution, with a simple tourism.
Five days later, and after traveling much of the island from north to south, the asphalt was completed soon leave behind nothing too touristy Morro Jable. fading away, passing, hopes that the road continued in good condition a few kilometers. an indication, “Cofete 19 km”, He showed the way forward, to start parallel to the coast and quite flat, sharing the same track leading to the southwestern border of Fuerteventura, Jandía Lighthouse.
After traveling much of the island from north to south, the asphalt was completed soon
Eight kilometers from the lighthouse, a detour on the right hand indicates the direction to Cofete. From there, rears track, dotted with treacherous sinkholes. En only 200 meters, the car in front pulled us aside and turned (out the window we could see the snorts of the driver) and, a little later, another vehicle pricked. All very exciting.
Bamboleándonos to 5 km / h, the Corsa was going up the steep slope to save the small mountain range ambush in the center of the peninsula, while ensartábamos prayers for tires resistiesen.
En only 200 meters, the car that preceded us turned and, a little later, another vehicle pricked
Each maneuver was a start (Have you come here a crane?, I wondered anticipating the mishap) but, As we climbed and got closer to the viewpoint Degollada Water Sheep, We were gaining in confidence and banishing bad omens. Once there, just a bend in the track with room for half a dozen cars peering into the abyss, He rewards up for everything.
He blew a furious wind ruffling his hair and clothes and seemed to want to stay away from his domain. Down there extended, with a purity of colors unimaginable, twelve kilometers of unspoiled sandy beach Cofete, protected by a succession of mountains that seem to rise on tons of soot and contrasts with the vast expanse of sand saffron separating it from the Atlantic. The picture was absolutely wild, idyllic, and certainly he not invited to turn. On the contrary, Cofete exercised from that point all its magic and power of attraction that made it impossible for any waiver.
In the viewpoint Degollada Water Sheep blowing a furious wind ruffling his hair and seemed to want to stay away from their domains
Track down now, leaning against the mountainside, to the small village of Cofete. On one side, a cross with plastic flowers reminded the victim of an accident, while I was still mulling over how on earth would be able to maneuver a crane to remove a car from a track so close flirting with the precipice.
A village disappeared, ashen appearance and rudimentary stone houses, only lacks prayer flags to pass a forgotten Tibetan populated. Against which it may seem, in this rugged corner where reigns the wind and waves, the first families of farmers and ranchers, and fishermen by force, They were established from 1819 and in the years 60 of the nineteenth century came to live in Cofete nearly a hundred residents. The nearest parish, in Morro Jable, was far, and they began to bury their dead a few 100 meters from the sea. The cemetery is still there, along the esplanade where we parked the car. There lie the dead of dead people.
A village ashen, Stone houses rudimentary, only lacks prayer flags to pass a Tibetan village
Half buried in the sand, the cemetery looks like a movie set of a Mad Max. A handful of volcanic stones, a sailor out or a wood crosses mark the graves, horros names or dates mostly. A few meters, a pair of donkeys graze some weeds asilvestrados. A little further, the waves beat hard against the shore, a proximity that has played tricks on the cemetery, drowned when the tide brings water to the tombs. In this struggle between sand and water, the dead have to lose. Forgetting their stories goes hand oblivion Municipality, depopulated mid last century.
The Cemetery Cofete is, certainly, the most striking finding of Fuerteventura for visitors, one of those pictures that force you to dig into the past. And the past has a name: Gustav winter, German engineer in the years 30 of the last century it became tenant of the entire peninsula Jandía (which he reached a fence separating the rest of the island) and he attracted, and continues to attract, a number of legends and gossip.
Cemetery Cofete, which seems plucked from a film Mad Max, It is the most striking finding of Fuerteventura
Which it was home sporadically (the main residence had it in Morro Jable), the Casa Winter, still stands with its striking tower, upright on the slopes of the Pico de la Zarza like an old galleon aground into oblivion. In his day, was the first construction of two plants on the island, and still continues to bear a stigmatizing legend suggests that, during world war II, It became the official residence of Nazi submarines stopped to obtain supplies at a secret base located on the beach of Cofete. True or not, the house is still inhabited and, apparently, you can visit.
The Winter House dragging the legend that was the residence of German submarine officers Nazis during World War II
Turning away from the enigmatic mansion, close to the beach and stroll along the shore is the best way to perceive the grandeur of the place, so beautiful as inhospitable. The waves break savagely and frothy rush of the Atlantic kept at bay the few swimmers (in the parking lot there just twenty cars). The beach seems endless and invites imbibe the unique beauty of a landscape chiseled by hostile conditions, while the old cemetery continues to challenge the sea to devour her fragile memory.
Comments (2)
carlos
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I love how you write, I really liked the find and read your publication. Cofete is unique!, my web is wildcanarias.com and now I'm publishing my routes I did a few weeks ago so ago by Fuerteventura. A hug from Barcelona.
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Ricardo Coarasa
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Thanks Carlos. Course, Cofete is a treasure to which its inaccessibility and strong waves preserve, fortunately, the massification of other beaches. Very interesting your site, and well written. The'll remember for future visits to the Canary Islands. A hug back from Madrid
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