North-West of Gran Canaria: Sardina del Norte, Faro Punta de Sardina and rock pools

Small development next to the lighthouse looks Santorini-esque under the hot Canarian sun

By now I walked most of Gran Canaria and liked most of it, too. However, there are still parts of the island of which I am aware mostly because of the photos seen in various social networks. Sometimes I have a feeling people want to keep the most beautiful places to themselves and that is why they don’t explain where they take their photos. If that is the case, they shouldn’t publish the pics in the first place. For me, it works as a challenge, and I imagine I am not the only one.

Beautiful water, isn’t it?

So, having seen a few pictures of beautifully clean, perfectly round “natural swimming pool” or simply large rock pool without explanation as to what it is, I just had to try to find it. By the look of the coast backing it, it was clear that it was in the north of the island, by the look of people who took the photos it was clear it was not exactly inaccessible but you have to know where to go.

Well, look what I found

I must say it took a few goes. I started exploring way too far west, too close to Las Palmas. However, after a while it became clear that it must be somewhere in Gáldar municipality, or maybe in Agaete, they share similar coastal features — shelf-like shallows, full of rock pools and blowholes, backed by tall volcanic cliffs.

On my last walk I finally found the rock pool you see in the pictures above and below. I am not sure if this is THE round blue rock pool, but it is a beautiful round blue rock pool. I need to re-visit the place at low tide to confirm if there are more round blue things that are even rounder and bluer.

Just you look at the little fish

I dearly wish I can show the location directly on googlemaps, but they keep playing with them and I can’t figure out how to do it now. So. Search for “faro punta sardina gran canaria”. With any luck it will show you where the little red and white lighthouse is. There is a small development called “Playa Canaria” just to the west of it. Right under the development, there are a couple of stairs that lead to the shallow rocky shelf. When the tide is low, you can go down and sunbathe and have a dip in one of the larger rock pools.There are other pools under the lighthouse and on the other side of it too.

The above-mentioned lighthouse Faro de Punta Sardina

If you are going by car, this is all practical info you will need. If you are going by public transport, then I have good news for you. A bus from Gáldar can bring you directly to Sardina del Norte, which is a small village complete with its own dark sand beach. At the moment of writing there are two lines, belonging to Guaguas Guzmán which run between Gáldar and Sardina del Norte at least once an hour. The line number one goes more or less straight to Sardina — as straight as it gets. You can then walk couple of kilometres along the coast.

Sand beach of Sardina del Norte

Or, if you feel really lazy, you can make sure you catch the line number two. That will bring you right to the lighthouse, and you can explore the coast both sides of it. Although those buses are run by Guaguas Guzmán, they are now working under umbrella of Global, the main transport company of Gran Canaria, and if you have Global card, it will work with Guaguas Guzmán.

View from the clifftop path across the bay towards dark rocks of Agaete coast

If you decide to walk, you’ll have to find the start of the path which runs along the tops of the cliffs. Sardina del Norte, as so many other parts of Gran Canaria and Spain in general, is under constant development and repairs. Many of the secondary roads are cut off and cars have to make a few loops and circles, but walkers have it simpler — once in Sardina, find a path which runs clockwise along the coast, and you can’t miss the lighthouse.

Many, many rock pools can be seen from the path.

Well, that’s pretty much it for the moment. If I find something even more beautiful, I will write some more. Happy exploring.

Photos of the coast of Gran Canaria on Shutterstock.