There are well-known touristy spots that we can find on every “Top 10 things to see” list, and then there are the ‘secret spots,’ reserved for those who don’t follow the crowds. Along both Fuerteventura’s coasts and inland, these ‘secret spots’ keep popping up. They might be a hidden natural pool of immense beauty, an interesting lava formation, a cave, an impressive view, a hidden fossil, or a centuries-old drawing. I believe the hunt for ‘secret spots,’ which we see building stronger in the last couple of years, is largely influenced by social media. The photo from the beach is fine, while the picture from the hidden place that ‘nobody has found before’ makes us travelers and not tourists; makes us explorers. The hunt for the secret spots is officially on. This is fine; I’m strongly supportive of the explorer’s spirit as long as it’s genuine, driven by curiosity and excitement, respectful of nature, and willing to put in some effort. It becomes less inspiring when the ‘prominent explorers’ and ‘Instagram influencers’ ask for the location pin.
Although some places have already made it to the “Top 10 secret spots list”, thus becoming non-secret, the majority keep their status for (in my opinion) two reasons: people who know about them usually don’t wish to share too much information because the landscape is vulnerable and should stay protected. The more the place is visited, the more damaged it becomes. Two examples of this sad fact are the famous (and not secret anymore) Barranco de Los Enamorados (Encantados) close to Lajares, where people tend to leave their respected names engraved in the sand formations that took hundreds of thousands of years to form.
The other is a unique formation popularly called ‘The crocodile rock,’ which offers great photo scenery if you climb up the crocodile’s nose. It’s a very fragile sand formation, and it’s only a matter of time before it collapses. The more people climb up there, the sooner it will happen. There’s a tone of photos of this beautiful formation on social media with people sitting up there, hoping for likes.
The second reason these places stay hidden is that we generally don’t fancy leaving our comfort zones. We rarely take time to explore on our own. We tend to be drawn to the places people before us have validated as worth our time. We rarely explore a new place without knowing what to expect. Will there be something spectacular, a real ‘secret spot,’ or it’s just going to be a nice hike? With not too many people roaming around, fortunately, many of the secret spots remain secret.
Finally: how to find a secret spot? Put on your shoes, go out and walk around with open eyes and open hearts. You’ll find the most special places, all by yourself. You’ll respect them more for that, and you’ll want to protect them. You’ll take a photo and probably publish it. And when people start asking about the location, you won’t tell. If they’re very special to you, you’ll take them there. You’ll be there all alone. The only thing you’ll take from that special place will be memories and photos; the only thing you’ll leave behind will be your footprints disappearing in the wind.
