From Playa de la Arena to Isla-Playa

Start from the car park at the entrance to Playa de la Arena.

(S) Follow the road back up to the first bend, then turn left to go around the campsite you have been walking alongside.

(1) Take a winding, carriageable path until you pass the first house on the right.

(2) A makeshift ladder is set up on the left side of the road. It allows you to cross a fence and gives access to the path that leads under the trees. Walk a few hundred metres between woods and scrubby hillsides, then come out onto the coastal meadow overlooking the shore. The trail then disappears on the rocky plateau. Look for the well-marked trail that runs slightly below and join it. (NB: if you plan to do this route as a round trip, it is important to note the location carefully, as it is easy to get lost.)

(3) Follow this path to the right. It first runs along a sort of basin where the rock formations take on the most tortured shapes, before tackling the cliff face. Although the climb may at first glance appear to be a simple hill, you will soon realise how steep the hidden slope is, plunging directly into the sea from a height of almost 100 metres.

(4) Shortly after passing the highest point of this climb, cross the fence that borders the steep coastal moorland. A footbridge allows you to do this at the start of the path that leads to a bird observatory. Once you have crossed the fence, continue to the right along it, then veer left to reach an isolated high point. Panoramic views are guaranteed over much of the route. Then descend the opposite slope and continue along the path until you approach an isolated house.

(5) Below this house, take the path on the left to get as close as possible to the shore. Follow this path, which winds between sinkholes and low hills, until you come to a crossroads near a small isolated building. Continue straight ahead to descend into a valley, where a rather disturbing totem stands: a cow skull with impressive horns overlooks a sign announcing the kilometre of death!

(6) Although the slope ahead may seem daunting, it is not deadly, and you can conquer it by taking the time to climb it step by step. At the top, the remains of a tower seem to indicate the presence of an old mill in this exposed location. Follow the path that branches off to the right and returns via the ridge to the path that skirts the top of the valley.

(7) Then turn left to pass at the foot of the antennas, then begin the descent towards Isla-playa. On the way down, take the time to enjoy the view of the Noja headland and Monte Buciero in the distance. At the bottom of the descent, you will reach the entrance to the Playa de Isla campsite.

(8) Take the path that runs along the fence to the left of the campsite. It joins the edge of the cliff and allows you to go around the campsite. After passing the first cove, continue along the campsite to pass Punte de Arnadal and arrive at the beach, which marks the end of this route (E).

This route is fairly short, but it is classified as moderately difficult due to the short but sometimes very steep slopes that you have to climb.

It is easy to envisage a return trip to the starting point, especially if the clouds play the same trick on us as they did on the way there. Walking so close to the sea, which we could hear but not see, we would have missed out on enjoying the grandeur of this coastline, which we were able to appreciate on the way back, once the sun had returned. If you choose this option, it is possible to take several shortcuts, partly to shorten the route a little, but mainly to reduce the elevation gain. At point (7), go straight ahead and then descend the winding path that leads to the crossroads above the totem pole. Similarly, a little further on, cut across the meadow that leads to the isolated house, using the steps to climb over the fences. Finally, avoid the highest peak by taking the path that runs along the fence below.

At point (3), as indicated in the description, it is easy to miss the path that leads back to Playa de la Arena. Don't worry if you are walking at low tide, as it is always possible to follow the clearly visible path into the woods overlooking the beach. You will always end up on the rocks that border the beach, and you can climb down to the sand. However, this is undoubtedly much more complicated at high tide.

If you choose to go one way, push on to the heart of Isla-playa. This small seaside village, fringed by beaches each more charming than the last, borders the estuary of the river that irrigates the Joyel marshes. As on Arnadal beach, the black rocks sculpted by the waves offer a striking contrast to the golden sand of the immense beach facing the village.

A stone's throw from Playa de la Arena (but a little further by road, as the ria cannot be crossed on foot) is Cabo de Ajo. It is one of the northernmost points on the north coast of Spain. At the end of the long straight road that leads there, you can see a very unusual lighthouse, as it has been completely covered by a contemporary painted work of art.