Living in the Canary Islands, it’s easy to forget that beneath the beaches, mountains, and volcanic landscapes lies a history far older than tourism.
This week, I came across an archaeological discovery from Playa Chica in northwest Gran Canaria, and it truly caught my attention—not only because of the history itself, but because it connects two things that have always fascinated me: the Canary Islands and their deep connection to North Africa.
Researchers recently uncovered ancient relics at Playa Chica, including fish scales mixed into black volcanic sand, goat horns believed to have been used to descale fish, shell remains, fire pits, and even fishhooks made from pig tusks. These findings suggest that the island’s earliest settlers had developed surprisingly advanced ways of surviving and thriving from the sea.
What touched me most was the reminder that the first settlers of the Canary Islands are believed to have come from Northwest Africa. Even today, standing on a clear day in Fuerteventura, Africa feels close—almost like a silent neighbour across the Atlantic horizon.
When we lived on Gran Canaria, we never travelled this far northwest. Like many people, daily life often kept us closer to familiar places. Yet Gran Canaria is full of hidden gems far beyond the tourist areas. Small villages tucked into the mountains, dramatic coastlines, secret beaches, winding roads, and stories waiting quietly beneath volcanic rock.
Sometimes the most beautiful places are the ones not shown in travel brochures.
These discoveries remind me that the Canary Islands are far more than sunshine holidays and beaches. They are islands layered with mystery, resilience, migration, and forgotten lives. Imagine the hands that once shaped those fishing tools, the fires lit against the Atlantic winds, families surviving on the edge of the ocean centuries ago.
History here does not only live in museums.
Sometimes, it sleeps beneath black sand, waiting patiently to be found again.
With love, coffee, poetry, and stardust,
— Maggie The Afterlove Voice 💫
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