Playa Esmeralda

Playa Esmeralda is a white sand beach with turquoise water on the Jandía coast, in the municipality of Pájara. It runs for a little over 400 metres and is around 30 metres wide, a long and narrow proportion that leaves a clearly defined band of sand along the shoreline. The surf is generally gentle and the beach stays usable throughout the year, with no season in which it is effectively ruled out. Nudism is also practised here as a matter of course, something worth knowing before setting out.

The main practical factor is the approach: the beach is reached along a dirt track that is not suitable for every vehicle, so checking the state of the track and the ground clearance of the car is sensible before committing to it. That same restriction keeps visitor numbers lower than at neighbouring beaches and accounts for much of the quiet feel of the place. On arrival there is parking next to the beach, a lifeguard service, sunbed and parasol hire and beach bars. As across the whole south of the island, wind is a constant presence and can shape how comfortable a day on the sand is, so protection from wind and sun is worth planning for.