Piscinas Naturales "El Caletón"
El Caletón is the set of natural pools at Garachico, formed by the lava flow of the 1706 eruption, the one that buried the harbour that had made the town rich. As it cooled, the basalt left a run of pools and channels that the sea refills with every tide. They are now fitted with walkways and steps, and they occupy the seafront of the historic centre, beside the castle of San Miguel.
The story of Garachico and that of El Caletón are one and the same. In 1706 the eruption of the Trevejo volcano ran down to the sea and covered the harbour, until then one of the busiest on Tenerife. The lava cooled on contact with the water and left a coastal front of black rock cut into pools, caves and corridors that the swell pushes through.
That disaster turned into the municipality's main attraction. The pools are fitted with walkways, steps and railings, and locals and visitors alike swim there. The state of the sea decides: in heavy swell the waves break over the platforms and bathing stops being safe, so it is worth looking at the water before going in. Around it lies the historic centre of Garachico, with the castle of San Miguel at the shoreline and an urban ensemble that survived the lava flow.
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