Cofete a dream beach
A Dream (or Nightmare) – Welcome to Cofete!
Everyone says: “You have to go to Cofete when you’re on Fuerteventura!”
So, off we went…
Some people are surprised that you’re not allowed to drive to Cofete in a rental car. Well… that doesn’t surprise me at all.
But let’s start at the beginning.
In high spirits, we followed the sign towards Cofete. The first few kilometres were completely harmless. Asphalt. A proper road. Civilisation. Things you learn to appreciate much more later on.
And then, quite suddenly, the asphalt ended.
The road turned into a gravel track filled with small potholes, large potholes and some that seemed to have been placed there specifically for us, along with rocks of every imaginable size.
At first, I still thought the whole thing was quite funny. Bounce, sway, rattle – haha, what an adventure!
I also liked the goats and donkeys standing completely relaxed at the side of the road, or sometimes right in the middle of it. They probably knew they were the only road users there with truly suitable footwear.
Unfortunately, that was about the only relaxing thing on the long road to Cofete. Kilometre after kilometre, it became considerably less funny.
There were gullies on both sides, deep potholes, narrow bends and countless sharp stones. Those stones should not be underestimated. They had already sliced open the tyres of more than one Cofete pilgrim. We saw it with our own eyes.
Here and there, cars were jacked up at the roadside while their owners changed tyres in the heat, probably reflecting silently on which poor life choices had brought them to this exact spot.
Then there were the larger specimens lying right in the middle of the road – rocks that had apparently decided to leave the hillside and start a new career as traffic obstacles.
In our little Panda, we just about managed to squeeze past them. At one point, we even spotted an overturned car down in a deep ditch. Photographic evidence included.
By now, my stress level was rising roughly in direct proportion to the number of potholes. There was no longer any talk of “Haha, this is fun!”
One thing absolutely has to be mentioned here: I am, of course, the most attentive, cautious and caring passenger anyone could possibly wish for.
Helmuth would probably use slightly different words. For example: annoying.
Or: nervous. Or his personal favourite:“Could you please just be quiet for a moment?”
So we carried on, teeth clenched and fingernails firmly digging into the palms of my hands. After what felt like 100 kilometres and at least five hours of driving – believe it or not – a tiny little village finally appeared in front of us.
And, appropriately enough, it had the name of our destination: COFETE.
For a moment, I honestly thought we had taken a wrong turn and somehow ended up on a film set. The little stone houses with their weathered shutters looked so unreal that I almost expected someone to shout: “And… cut!”
Just a little farther. A few more potholes. A few more quick prayers. And then, finally, we had made it. With the seats now slightly damp from all the sweating, we reached our destination.
And then… Yes.....It was worth it. Really.....See for yourselves…
Somehow, the light feels different there. The whole landscape has a very special atmosphere. The beach is enormous, wild and impressive, the mountains rise dramatically behind it and the sea keeps roaring endlessly.
Almost as if it were whispering:
“Nice of you to come. But don’t even think about getting in. My currents are not to be underestimated.”
All right, sea. We got the message. Walking along the beach, dipping our feet into the water and simply enjoying this incredible landscape is more than enough.
And so, in the end, there is only one conclusion:
For me, the road to Cofete was a mixture of an adventure holiday, a roller-coaster ride and a mild nervous breakdown.
A real nightmare.
But the beach?
Indescribably beautiful.
A dream.
