El Cabrón beach is one of my favourite beaches from the eastern part of the island and I definitely recommend it to you. There are several reasons for that: golden and fine sand, crystal clear water, no waves and above all, there is hardly someone here compared to other beaches on the island. There is usually a lot of wind in this area, but this beach is sheltered from the wind.
The beach is quite small, no more than 300 metres, but it doesn’t fill up with tourists. If you decide to visit El Cabrón beach in Arinaga, don’t forget your snorkelling equipment (if you don’t have any, you can rent it in one of the dive shops). You are here in the most beautiful marine reserve in Gran Canaria and you should definitely take advantage of it. It is a real paradise and also very well known among divers. A few metres from the coast you will find an unique marine fauna.
In this article I will give you a few tips so that you can fully enjoy this wonder of nature.
Photos of El Cabrón beach
To consider
As you are in a nature reserve, there are no services of any kind nearby, so there is no supermarket, no restaurants/bars/cafés, just a few fishermen’s houses. There is also no official parking or sun chairs. You are here in the middle of nature! The only thing that has recently been introduced is a lifeguard stand, but it is only manned during the summer months. Unfortunately the beach is not fully accessible, some bumpy steps have to be overcome and generally the dirt road is difficult to pass.
If you want to spend the whole day at this beach, I recommend to bring food and drinks. You can buy them in any supermarket in Arinaga. A sunshade is also recommended as there are no shade possibilities.
Two more important things: normally there is no signal on the beach and as the airport is nearby, planes fly right over the beach. It can therefore sometimes be a little loud. However, the beautiful marine fauna and crystal clear water compensate for these two limitations.
Please take your rubbish back in a trash bag with you and do not leave it on the beach. You can throw it away in the bins at the beach entrance. The beach will thank you!
How to get to El Cabrón beach
To get to the hidden El Cabrón beach you have to go to the coastal town of Arinaga, located in the municipality of Agüimes. The road is asphalted up to a certain point, after which it continues along a dirt road to the beach. It is not always good, remember, we are in a nature reserve. My recommendation: park near the school residence (a striking yellow building). If you decide to drive directly to the beach by car, drive carefully and park behind the houses that are there.
Click here to see it on Google Maps.
Where to eat near El Cabrón beach
If you don’t want to have a picnic, but prefer to eat well, then I definitely recommend the restaurant at Arinaga lighthouse. The view is spectacular and the food is very, very tasty. The price-performance ratio is also good. It is also worth to come by just to take pictures, because you can see the whole beach and a part of Arinaga.
Diving in the bay of El Cabrón Beach
To the left of El Cabrón beach is one of the most beautiful marine fauna in Gran Canaria, known throughout the world. It is THE diving hotspot on the island. Just contact one of the many diving schools in Arinaga. If you write me, I will gladly recommend one.
Don’t worry, even if you don’t have a diving licence, you can start a dive with a professional instructor. This is usually not more expensive than 50€, much cheaper than in tourist areas and much more personalised and explained around the diving experience.
Why dive rather than snorkel? The answer is simple: at the surface you scare the fishes when swimming. In the water they treat you as one of them and you can better see them from closer, just like other animals or plants. Do not miss this opportunity!
My first guided dive was right in this beach. Some important details and safety measures were explained to me and in less than 2 hours I was able to enjoy the most beautiful aquarium on the island. It was a great experience, the instructor was always next to me, so I felt safe and could just enjoy the surroundings. One of the best experiences here on the island – today I have the Open Water Diving licence.
Origin of the name El Cabrón
Surely you have heard the word cabrón before and have associated it with an insult. In the case of El Cabrón beach, it is the story of the conquest of the Canary Islands, of the arrival of a pirate named Pedro Hernández Cabrón, who arrived on the island in 1483, together with Pedro de Vera, conqueror of Gran Canaria.
Other sources say that the name was derived from “goat”, the most common small animal in Gran Canaria. Agüimes, the municipality where El Cabrón beach is located, is one of the municipalities with the largest number of traditional livestock breeders.
If it is your first trip to Gran Canaria, then I recommend you to read my article Gran Canaria: advices for your trip.