The Canary Islands are made up of eight main islands, but local tradition speaks of a ninth island that appears and disappears at will: San Borondón.
The legend is linked to Saint Brendan, a 6th-century Irish monk who sailed the Atlantic in search of a “Promised Land of the Saints.”
According to the story, he discovered a lush, magical island. But when he tried to set foot on it, the land vanished into thin air. Over the centuries, many sailors claimed to have seen it, only for it to disappear as they approached.
Strangely enough, old maps sometimes include San Borondón as a real place, often west of La Palma. Some explorers even mounted full expeditions to find it, but no one ever returned with proof.
If you are visiting the Canary Islands and want to try your luck spotting it, head to the San Borondón viewpoint in Tazacorte, on the island of La Palma. It is a beautiful spot on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
The sunsets there are amazing, and after dark, it’s a perfect place to gaze at the Milky Way under some of the clearest skies in Europe.
