La Laja Beach
La Laja beach is one of the four beaches located in the capital of Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. More specifically, it is located between the southern part of the capital city and Telde, which is the second most populated town on the island. One always passes this beach while coming in or going out of the capital, towards the southern parts of the island, like Playa del Inglés or Puerto Rico. It is rare to find tourists on this beach. It is mostly local Gran Canarians who take advantage of this beach. It gets crowded only in summertime.
It is a family beach where you can perform any type of sports exercises to revitalize the body and soul. As you walk from the beach towards the water, the water will get deeper and deeper very slowly. You will not get a fright, as in some man-made beaches where the floor just disappears under you while walking into the water, like in Amadores beach. This means one can go for long walks along the shore during the low tide and between low and high tides. From early morning we can see friendly people and nature lovers on this beach.
The brownish-gray sand accumulates the sun’s heat and stays warm till well into the evening; this hot sand is great to soothe bone or muscle ailments.
The beach is oriented towards the east. The currents from the north are of great intensity if we go into the water. Swimming in this beach is safe thanks to the artificial breakwater located right in the middle-right line of the coast, although it is always advisable in all the beaches to check out the flag colour before entering the water.
Like most of the beaches of Gran Canaria, La Laja has a set of services and amenities that allow the user to do sports, sunbathe, and swim. Most of the time during the day there is a fire brigade on the southern part of the beach. There is a special area for ambulances and other security staff.
Along Playa de la Laja, which is 800 meters (about half a mile) long, you can see different people engaging in different activities.
If you love fishing, you can do so on the northern part of this beach. Different kinds of fish can be caught there. The most common are the “viejas,“ a very tasty fish.
If you like surfing, there is an area called “Pico de La Laja” or “La Laja Peak” which is ideal. There you will find people surfing with bodyboards, which are shorter than surfboards on which they lie instead of stand. There are surf tournaments held in this area.
If you want to go for a walk, jog, or ride on a bicycle, “La Laja” beach has a wonderful promenade that connects the beach with the rest of the capital city.
Besides all the general services available on this beach, it is easy to access by car and by public buses. Plenty of free parking places are available. There are a growing number of users how come to this beach riding their bicycle. You can spend an unforgettable day at this beach, where you will get the sun’s and sea’s health benefits, and at the same have fun.
If you visit the capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, it is impossible not to notice the Triton sculpture of La Laja beach, which is visible from the motorway. It was built in various bronze pieces in the year 2011, by local sculptur Manolo Gonzalez. These pieces were put on trucks and then assembled on La Laja beach. It weighs five tons and stands ten meters tall.
According to Greek mythology, the Triton was the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite. He had the head and trunk of a man. Instead of legs, he had a tail of a fish, but the Gran Canarian Triton has legs instead. In one of his hands, he holds a conch which he uses as a horn.
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