Just a Beach

Sometimes a place looks nothing like you'd expect.

Take Almáciga Beach in Tenerife — possibly one of the most dramatic beaches on the island.

Dark volcanic mountains tower over the beach. Clouds almost always gather around their peaks. The ocean is cold and unforgiving. It feels as if a storm could break at any moment. Looking at this shore, the last thing you'd expect is an ordinary beach.

But beaches live by their own laws. Someone is kicking a ball at the water's edge, someone is wandering along the surf, someone is lying on the sand. A dog, fresh out of the ocean, shakes the water off beside its owner. Against this backdrop, everything looks remarkably ordinary.

That is the nature of beaches. They fit into any landscape with surprising ease. White sand, black volcanic sand, palm trees or sheer cliffs — within minutes of arriving, everyone starts doing the same things: swimming, strolling, playing, watching the waves.

It doesn't matter how dramatic the ocean, the mountains, or the weather. A beach always remains just a beach.

Tenerife, Spain.
September, 2008.
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