El Confital beach and its bay are a Special Conservation Area of the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, capital of the island of Gran Canaria. El Confital and Las Canteras beach are linked by a promenade with spectacular views. If you are going to spend several days in the city, a walk along these two beaches is one of the essential things to do in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
First of all, we are going to tell you a little more about this very special place on the islans. Then, we will tell you everything we know about El Confital beach. Here we go!
Where is El Confital beach?
El Confital is next to the neighborhoods of La Isleta and Las Coloradas. Specifically, just to the southwest of the peninsula of La Isleta in the municipality of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Due to its location, it is one of the areas of the capital where you can have one of the best views of the bay of Las Canteras beach.
What is the meaning of El Confital?
According to the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the place name El Confital came from the small stones, in the form of candy, that are found on its coastline. These are calcareous concretions produced by algae and are mostly whitish in color. In other words, the name of the beach comes from the fact that instead of being formed with fine sand or round stones, it is made up of these pebbles. This means that the color of its waters can remind you of the beaches of the Balearic Islands.
El Confital beach
As we told you, the beach is accessible on foot and also by car. Also, if you have the chance, you can get there by bicycle. Of course, you should know that the road for the cars is dirt. For pedestrians there is a nice promenade that runs along the coast with views of the entire beach of El Confital. Below you can see a little part of the walk that goes from La Puntilla.
Previously in El Confital there were some shacks where several people lived illegally. However, in 2004 they were completely demolished and their residents were relocated to other homes in the city. Once the area was cleared, a wooden promenade was built along the beach. Therefore, today it is more accessible on foot and its general image has improved considerably.
✔ Beach features
It is an area practically frequented 100% by locals. In general it is the meeting point of families and friends to organize grills and meals on the beach on weekends. During the week, it is a much quieter place where you will practically be alone. Its water is also chosen to practice surfing and bodyboarding. In fact, on this beach several surf world championships have been held.
On this beach there is no service of umbrellas and sun beds, nor surveillance. You will find yourself in a totally natural environment with views of Las Canteras and the mountains of Gran Canaria. Finally, from here you can enjoy magical sunsets, especially in the summer months.
✔ Swimming is prohibited
Since April 2017, the Public Health Area of the Government of the Canary Islands has prohibited swimming due to detecting bacterial contamination in its waters. Until now, citizens continue to lead a practically normal life, but swimming is really prohibited due to pollution episodes. We hope to have good news soon. Meanwhile, we invite you to get to know it and walk or sunbathe in this protected area of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
✔ Nudist area
In the same way, this beach has a nudist or naturist area, being one of the few nudist beaches in Gran Canaria. Despite the waves that form on this beach (right of Confital), there is also a quiet bathing area about two kilometers long. As you can see, they are basically puddles and mini coarse sand or smooth stone beaches with moderate waves. Of course, you have to be careful when walking on the rocks, since some are slippery.
✔ Is El Confital beach pet friendly?
The reality is that pets are prohibited in El Confital, but there are many who dare to come with their dog and hide to enjoy the sun and the sea. Therefore, if you come with your pet, keep in mind that you can be fined and of course, be responsible and clean!
Where to park in El Confital?
As we told you, to get to El Confital, the access for cars is through a dirt road. It is the same road to go and return where there is only room for one car in both directions. Once on the beach, you can park along the wooden boardwalk. You will see other cars, do not worry. On the other hand, if you prefer not to put your car in the dirt, you can try to park in the neighborhood of La Isleta arriving at Confital and walk down the promenade.
Trail running to Las Coloradas
On the other hand, in addition to the new wooden avenue to walk, the mountains of El Confital become a paradise for trail running. The space is quite large and you can climb the Las Coloradas to its new viewpoint. On the other hand, if you continue along the coast, past the main bathing area, you will reach the La Isleta Military Zone. Here you will have to turn around, since access is prohibited. We leave you with a link to more places to run in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
El Confital by MTB
Finally, if you want to tour El Confital by MTB, we have a track for you that runs through this and other areas of the city.
We hope that this information has been useful to you, if you want to know more places in Gran Canaria without wasting your time, take a look at our digital guides to the island. Here we have daily itineraries where we recommend places to visit and places to eat.
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