We spend our last time in Europe in the Canary Islands. They are the last step on the way to the Caribbean. From the Canary Islands, the ships either sail directly to caribbean waters or make a stopover on the Cape Verde Islands. We have opted for the stopover in Cape Verde and are preparing for this leg in the Canary Islands.

Volcanic craters in La Palma

The harbor in the capital city of Santa Cruz is notorious for its swells, which cause the boats in the basin to pull on their lines like untamed horses. A careless step below deck can quickly become a hazard, and daily chores become a balancing act. We solve this problem with a rental boat. The boat can dance as much as it wants while we are on the move.

First we head east over the mountain towards Tazacorte. Near here the Cumbre Vieja erupted in 2021 with drastic consequences. The lava buried many houses and destroyed agriculture. The lava fields are still visible and give an idea of the extent of the disaster.

From the lava fields, we continue to a hidden fishing village that can only be reached on foot via a steep path. To be more precise, there are a few houses carved into the rock, which are apparently used partly by fishermen and partly by tourists. The use still seems unclear to us. In any case, the water gurgles wildly in the small bay and with the whole mountain above our heads, we feel quite claustrophobic.

So further and higher. We drive up to 2400 meters. We wind our way up the serpentines until the view above the cloud line resembles that from an airplane. Looking towards the inner island, a gigantic volcanic crater suddenly appears out of nowhere. We don’t even need our hiking boots for the last few meters and stand on top of the Roque de los Muchachos. We are used to high mountains, but not to sights like this. The sheer size of the Caldera, the surreal evening light and the view into the maw of the earth leave us speechless.

On the way, we learn that La Palma is home to an impressive number of astrophysical observatories. The whole facility is one of the most important in the world. Many international research groups observe and measure the universe from here. The facility is certainly impressive to look at, and the starry sky at night must be as well. For us, however, it’s back under the clouds before nightfall, back to beautiful Santa Cruz and onto the bouncing boat.

For the remaining days, we stick to the local beaches, which are pitch black and very well equipped. Changing rooms, showers, permanently installed parasols and lifeguards who helpfully accompany older people behind the waves leave nothing to be desired before we set sail again.

Recharging on La Gomera

On La Gomera, our desire to explore other islands wanes. Our only impressions of the island are from the water. Otherwise we stay close to the harbor and enjoy the fact that everything we need is close by: beach, market, restaurants, small hardware stores, a trampoline and even a pool where the little one does her laps. We find an English-speaking rigger who inspects the boat and gives us tips. He approves of Nikola’s condition. This gives us a boost for the next 2900 miles across the pond.

Trip back home and final preparations in Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria caught us on the wrong foot. With Pasito Blanco we were glad to have found a harbor where we could leave the boat for two weeks. We wanted to fly back to Germany before the distances became all too great. But with that we ended up in the south, a wasteland with thousands of vacation homes and hotel castles. In between, a surreal-looking golf course. The only port in the greener, northern part of the island is that of the capital Las Palmas. And at this time of the year it is completely occupied by boats from the ARC transatlantic fun regatta, so there is no space there. We most certainly are doing the island wrong, but we were eagerly awaiting our departure for Cape Verde.