There is nothing like traveling through our own country and continuing to surprise ourselves with everything it has to offer. I like to get away from the big cities and head towards the coast in search of charming little towns. That's how I found a traditional fishermen's refuge with sandy streets and seafaring life, while I was looking for what they call the best fish broth in the Canary Islands.
Puertito de la Cruz is the southernmost town on the entire island of Fuerteventura and is located where no one expects to find anything. I drove non-stop and, when the road ended, I continued on dirt roads for 20 kilometers. And there, surrounded by fierce cliffs and desert landscapes, I found a seafaring redoubt of about 40 inhabitants stuck in the past.
This Majorero hamlet remains oblivious to the passage of time, new technologies or the tourist massification of the island. Their neighbors live as they did before, with water tanks that are refilled with tanker trucks and sunlight, because not even basic services reach down here. Perhaps, thanks to this disconnection, they have managed to safeguard the place's seafaring charm.
Puertito de la Cruz maintains traditional Canarian architecture, with low whitewashed houses and doors and windows in green and blue. It is located within a protected landscape and is ideal for walking aimlessly through all its corners, enjoying the sea breeze and the sound of the waves breaking against the rocks. This is how I discovered the fishing gear in every corner, their improvised outdoor dining rooms or the wooden clotheslines next to the sea.
All the houses, fishing cabins and terraces are oriented towards the sea and it doesn't surprise me at all. This coast is one of the most beautiful on the island, located at a strategic point where the coast bends slightly and reveals the Jandía lighthouse on the horizon. This point is very special: the Windward and Sotavento currents converge there, creating cross waves that are very rare to see.
The entire town is located on top of a cliff, but taking a walk along the edge you will find alleys and steps leading down to the beach just below. That way, you can access safely and enjoy the sunshine. Even in December the weather is good and there were people swimming, although the Atlantic Ocean is quite cold.
The entire dirt road that leads to Puertito de la Cruz has detours to reach deserted, wild and virgin beaches that almost no one knows how to get to. But the town itself has a beautiful and very variable feature: when the tide goes out it is sandy and when it rises, little pools are created between the rocks ideal for bathing.
After this walk, hunger sets in and we go to what we came from the beginning: to try the authentic Majorero fish broth in what they say is the best restaurant on the island to do it. It's called Punta de Jandía and they serve it directly in the pot, with a portion so generous that four people can eat. In addition, they accompany it with blanched gofio and mojo picón.
It was spectacular and they gave me what was left to take away, so I now have dinner for three days with tremendously huge portions. Warm, comforting, accompanied by potatoes…a homemade spoon dish that is worth all that car trip.
