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Lanzarote
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Landscapes of
LANZAROTE
a countryside guide
Sixth edition
Noel Rochford
SUNFLOWER BOOKS
Sixth edition © 2016
Sunflower Books™
PO Box 36160
London SW7 3WS, UK
All rights reserved. No part
of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or
transmitted by any form or
by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise,
without the prior written
permission of the publishers.
Sunflower Books and
’Landscapes’ are Registered
Trademarks.
ISBN 978-1-85691-460-4 Timanfaya camel train
Important note to the reader

We have tried to ensure that the descriptions and maps in this book are
error-free at press date. The book will be updated, where necessary,
whenever future printings permit. It will be very helpful for us to receive
your comments (sent in care of the publishers, please) for the updating
of future printings.
We also rely on those who use this book — especially walkers — to
take along a good supply of common sense when they explore.
Conditions change fairly rapidly on Lanzarote, and storm damage or
bulldozing may make a route unsafe at any time. If the route is not as
we outline it here, and your way ahead is not secure, return to the point
of departure. Never attempt to complete a tour or walk under hazardous
conditions! Please read carefully the notes on pages 18 and 36-40, as
well as the introductory comments at the beginning of each tour and
walk (regarding road conditions, equipment, grade, distances and time,
etc). Explore safely, while at the same time respecting the beauty of the
countryside.
Cover photograph: In the Geria Valley (Car tour 2)

Title page: old farmhouse at Haría (Walks 7 and 8)
Photographs pages 2, 12, 14, 30, 41, 44, 45, 48, 52-53, 64 (left), 67,
74, 78 (top and bottom), 82, 86, 89, 97, 102), 113, 134: the author;
page 55: Reinhard Baumgärtner; cover and pages 22, 125: Shutter-
stock; all other photographs: John and Pat Underwood
Maps and plans: Sunflower Books; walking maps Datum WGS84, UTM
(28R) projection with 1km grid squares
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Printed and bound in England: Short Run Press, Exeter
Contents
Preface 5
Acknowledgements 6
Useful books 6
Getting about 7
Plan of Puerto del Carmen 6-7
Plans of Arrecife, Playa Blanca 8-9
Picnicking 10
Picnic suggestions 11
Touring 16
A country code for walkers and motorists 18
Car tour 1: THE SIGHTS OF THE NORTH 19
Puerto del Carmen • Tahiche • Arrieta • Jameos
del Agua • Cueva de los Verdes • Orzola •
Mirador del Río • Haría • Teguise • La Caleta
de Famara • Mozaga • Puerto del Carmen
Car tour 2: TIMANFAYA AND THE
SOUTHERN BEACHES 27
Puerto del Carmen • San Bartolomé • Tinajo •
La Santa • Montañas del Fuego • Yaiza • El Golfo •
Playa Blanca • Papagayo • Femés • La Geria Valley
• San Bartolomé • Puerto del Carmen
Walking 36
Guides, waymarking, maps 36
Where to stay 37
What to take 37
Weather 37
Nuisances 38
Spanish for walkers and motorists 38
Organisation of the walks 40
THE WALKS
1 Around La Graciosa 41
2 Risco de Famara 45
3 Famara Circuit 50
4 From Máguez to Ye 51
5 Monte Corona (Máguez) 54
6 Máguez • Guinate • Máguez 56
7 Around Haría 60
8 Haría • Restaurante Los Helechos • Ermita de
las Nieves • Teguise 65
9 Mala • Ermita de las Nieves • Teguise 66
10 Teguise • Los Valles • Teguise 71
11 Tabayesco • Valle de Chafariz/del Cuchillo •
Peña de la Pequeña • Tabayesco 73
12 Mancha Blanca • Playa de la Madera • Tinajo 76
3
4 Landscapes of Lanzarote
13 Caldera Blanca 80
14 Uga • Montaña de Guardilama • Mácher•
Puerto del Carmen 82
15 Uga • Montaña Tinasoria • Uga 87
16 Uga • Montaña Tinasoria • Puerto Calero (or Puerto
del Carmen) 88
17 Yaiza • Atalaya de Femés • Yaiza 89
18 Three barrancos: a circuit from Femés 93
19 Femés • Barranco de la Higuera • Playa Quemada •
Puerto del Carmen 100
20 Playa Blanca • Playa de Papagayo •
Barranco Parrado • Femés 102
21 Montaña Roja 106
22 La Hoya • El Convento • La Hoya 108
23 Montaña Corona (Costa Teguise) 114
24 Timanfaya — the Termesana route 116
25 Coastal walks: Short walk from Orzola 122
26 Coastal walks: Los Cocoteros to Costa Teguise 122
27 Coastal walks: Playa Quemada to Puerto del Carmen 122
28 Coastal walks: Faro Park to La Hoya 123
29 Coastal walks: Circuit from El Golfo 124
30 Coastal walks: Playa de la Madera to El Golfo 124
31 Coastal walks: Circuit from La Caleta de Famara 124
CAR TOUR 3: A DAY OUT ON FUERTEVENTURA 126
Playa Blanca • Corralejo • Dunes Natural Park • (Puerto
del Rosario) • Caleta de Fuste • Antigua • Tuineje •
Pájara • Puerto de la Peña • Betancuria • La Oliva •
(El Cotillo) • Lajares • Corralejo • Playa Blanca
WALK
32 Around Lobos 132
Bus and ferry timetables 135
Index 136
Fold-out maps inside back cover
(with plan of Corralejo)
The dark picón-covered gardens of Mancha Blanca, with the yawning craters
of Montaña Blanca and Caldereta in the background (Car tour 2, Walk 13)
Preface
Within just a few years, Lanzarote grew from a quiet,
relatively unknown resort to an island buzzing with over
a million tourists every year.
When I wrote the first edition of this book in 1989,
all eyes were on this island. Would it indeed set an example
in preservation, or would it follow in the footsteps of
Tenerife and Gran Canaria, falling prey to the concrete of
greedy developers? Fortunately, Lanzarote had one
advantage over the other islands. It was the home of the
well-known artist-designer — and, more importantly,
conservationist — the late César Manrique. Together with
his supporters, he worked to preserve the island’s environ-
mental heritage. Despite the tourist boom, they
succeeded in orchestrating a well-pitched harmony
between man and the landscape. As a result, in 1994
Lanzarote was declared a ‘World Reserve of the
Biosphere’ by UNESCO — the first such award ever given
to an entire island.
This fascinating 797-square-kilometre island is truly
extraordinary. Its fate was decided over two and one-half
centuries ago, when the largest volcanic eruption in
recorded history took place, leaving a strange and alluring
countryside in its wake — a landscape littered with
volcanoes and dark streams of jagged lava. This is the
backdrop to nearly every scene on the island, and
intriguing sights abound, as you can see from the
photographs in this book.
Few holidaymakers realise that Lanzarote has more to
offer than just beaches and sunshine. If you were to
suggest walking on Lanzarote to most visitors, they
would think you mad. ‘Where is there to walk?’ But I can
think of no better place in the Canary Islands for just
strolling. No doubt ‘serious’ walkers will find Tenerife,
La Palma and Gran Canaria, for example, more
challenging, but ramblers will be in their element on
Lanzarote. Each of the walks in this book takes you to a
different corner of the island and shows you a scenically-
different outlook. But if walking is not your favourite
pastime, then do rent a vehicle of sorts and explore on
wheels. Use the book to reach places off the beaten track
and see another face of Lanzarote.
5
I hope that Landscapes of Lanzarote convinces you that
there is much more to the island than beaches and
sunshine. NOEL ROCHFORD
Acknowledgements
I am greatly indebted to the following organisations for their help with
the preparation of the first few editions of this book: the Patronato
Insular de Turismo de Lanzarote; the island Government (Cabildo de
Lanzarote), the Spanish Army’s Cartographic Service in Madrid
(Servicio Geográfico del Ejército), and the National Institute for the
Environment (ICONA).
For the revision of later editions, very special thanks to Conny Spelbrink
and my publisher Pat Underwood, who revised all the tours and walks
for the Fifth edition and this Sixth edition. Thanks also to the corres-
pondents who originally contributed Walks 11 and 31, and indeed to
all the users who write to us with Updates for our website.
Useful website/books
www.lanzarote.com
Bramwell, D and Bramwell, Z: Wild Flowers of the Canary Islands. Stanley
Thornes Ltd.
Araña, Vicente and Carracedo, Juan Carlos: Los volcanes de las Islas
Canarias, II: Lanzarote y Fuerteventura (with English text). Editorial
Rueda; available in bookshops on the island.
If you enjoy using this book, I’ve written several other ‘Landscapes’ for
the Canaries: Tenerife (Orotava • Anaga • Teno • Cañadas); La Gomera
and Southern Tenerife; La Palma and El Hierro; Gran Canaria;
Fuerteventura (all published by Sunflower Books).
PUERTO DEL CARMEN

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Getting about
The best way to get around Lanzarote is by hired car.
This can be very economical, especially when you hire a
car for a few days or a week. Taxis (only economical if
shared) use meters for all journeys, even long-distance, so
make sure the meter is on! Never leave anything of value
in a car. Lock your belongings in the boot, or carry them
with you. Thefts from cars are not uncommon. Try to
park where there are other cars and people are about.
Coach tours are easy to arrange and get you to all the
tourist points of interest, but never off the beaten track.
The local bus service is improving by leaps and
bounds. Most of the walks in this book can be reached by
bus, but you may need to travel via Arrecife. Selected bus
timetables are shown on page 135, but you may find more
convenient lines operating from your resort: check the
timetables at www.intercitybuslanzarote.es. This is an
excellent website, in English, which even shows all the
bus lines overlaid on Google maps with bus stops! At press
date there was no fare-saving ‘bono’ ticket, as there is
on some other islands in the archipelago, but there are
some reduced price tickets mentioned on the website,
so you should be able to get at least 10% off normal
fares by buying your ticket before boarding. See town
plans below and on pages 8 and 9 for bus stops and stations.
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ARRECIFE
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BLANCA
Fuerteventura), Virginia Park (Walk
21) and Faro Park (Walk 28). Buses
depart the station daily 06.30-22.00,
[ every 30 minutes on the hour and the
0 500 m half-hour.
Picnicking
Picnicking isn’t one of Lanzarote’s strong points. Shade
is the biggest problem — there are not many trees on the
island! Nor are there any ‘organised’ picnic sites, as there
are on other Canary Islands — unless you count the few
tables at El Bosquecillo.
Nevertheless, there are many lovely picnic spots — if
you know where to look. Throughout the car tours I call
your attention to both roadside picnic spots (most of them
in shade) and the more remote settings you can reach
during a fairly short walk. On the following pages I tell
you more about these off-the-beaten-track locations,
which I’ve come upon when out walking. Note that picnic
numbers correspond to walk numbers, so you can quickly
find the general location on the island by referring to the
pull-out touring map (where the walks are highlighted in
green). Most of the spots I’ve chosen are very easy to
reach, and I outline transport details (b: bus informa-
tion; 5: where to park for motorists), walking times, and
views or setting. Beside the picnic title, you’ll also find a
map reference: the precise location of the picnic spot is
shown on the relevant large-scale walking map by the
symbol P. Some of the picnic settings are also illustrated;
if so, a photograph reference follows the map reference.

If you have just one day for picnicking, don’t miss
Picnic 2 (Risco de Famara). I think this is one of the
loveliest and most memorable places to enjoy a picnic in
the entire archipelago.
Please glance over the comments before you start off
on your picnic: if some walking is involved, remember to
wear sensible shoes and to take a sunhat (● ● = picnic in
full sun). It’s a good idea to take along a plastic sheet as
well, in case the ground is damp or prickly.
If you are travelling to your picnic by bus, be sure
to verify departure times in advance. Although there are
timetables in this book, they do change from time to time,
without prior warning. If you are travelling to your
picnic by car, never block a road or track when you park.
All picnickers should read the country code on page
18 and go quietly in the countryside. Buen provecho!
Picnic suggestions
1 LA GRACIOSA (map page 43) ●
by 9: 20-25min on foot. Ferry from Orzola to La Graciosa
Off the ferry, skirt the waterfront, heading west, and continue around in front
of and through the houses on the shore. Beyond the houses you come to a superb
beach and shortly after, a tidal lagoon. It’s a fantastic spot, from where you
look across to the Risco de Famara.
2 RISCO DE FAMARA (map pages 46-

47, photograph page 12) ●
by 5 only: 5-10min on foot. Park southwest
of the Mirador del Río: descending from the
mirador as in Car tour 1, watch for two derelict
stone buildings just below the road on the
right, 2.3km from the mirador. Just past them
and just before the large Finca La Corona on
the left, turn right on a narrow stone-paved
track. Follow this track 100m to a small car
park. Coming from the south, the track is on
the left, just past the Finca La Corona.
Sit on the ledge of the cliff, below the track, and
overlook the Mirador del Río vista — now you’ll
have the view almost all to yourself. No other picnic
spot on the island matches this one. Cliffs provide
the only shade.
El Golfo is a fine spot for a picnic. While there

are many tourists coming and going, they don’t
stay very long — and some don’t even explore as
far as this cloudy green lagoon, the Charco de
los Clicos. The crater walls provide ample shade.
4 MAGUEZ (map pages 46-47, photograph pages 52-53) ●
by b: 40min on foot. Bus to Máguez and follow Walk 4.
by 5: 25min on foot. On entering Máguez from the north, you encounter
a fork in the road: bear left and, a few hundred metres/yards along, you
will see a track cutting back sharply to the left. Park at the side of the
road here, without obstructing traffic. Entering Máguez from the south,
use the map to drive along the walking route and park as above
Set off along the track and picnic anywhere you like. My favourite spot is just
beyond the intersection at the 35min-point (page 51). Here you can picnic on
a grassy hillock, with a lovely view over cultivated slopes down to the east coast,
and Monte Corona standing just behind you.
View from the Mirador del Río down over the salt pans shown on page
45 and across to La Graciosa (Picnic 2 offers similar views).
Cultivation at the foot of the path below the mirador at Haría (Picnic 7a)
6 LOS HELECHOS (map pages 46-47, photograph page 56) ●

by 5 only: 5-35min on foot. Park below Los Helechos (see the notes
for Short walk 6 on page 56).
There are many places to picnic on grassy slopes — at the edge of the plateau
(5min), by the white building (10min), from where you look down to a farm
and the Risco cliffs and La Graciosa, or at the trig point (35min). Some shade
at the white building.
7a OVERLOOKING HARIA (map page 64,
nearby photographs pages 62-63 and above) ●
by b and 5 taxi: 1h on foot. Do Short walk 7-1 (page 60).
by 5: 10-20min on foot. Park at the Restaurante Los Helechos (with
mirador) on the LZ10 above Haría. Follow Short walk 7-1 (page 60)
for as long as you like.
The setting is a flower-filled old pilgrims’ trail, from where you have wonderful
views down the Valle de Malpaso and over Haría.
7b VALLE DE LOS CASTILLEJOS (map page 64,
photograph page 18) ●
by b or 5 to Haría: 20min on foot.
Follow Short walk 7-2 (page 60) for as long as you like; there are lovely views
over cultivation and to Máguez after about 10min.
9 ERMITA DE LAS NIEVES (map pages 68-69,
photographs pages 64 and 72) ●
by 5 only: up to 5min on foot. Park by the Ermita de las Nieves, off
the LZ10.
Picnic anywhere on the top of the crest. The views across the centre of Lanzarote
and out to its neighbouring islands are magnificent (but take great care by
the cliffs, especially on windy days). There is some shade from the chapel walls.
10 ERMITA DE SAN JOSE (map pages 68-69) ●
by 5: no walking. Park by the chapel ruins, off the LZ10 outside
Teguise. These large honey-coloured ruins are opposite the Castillo de
Santa Bárbara and are easily seen from the road. Use the large-scale map
on pages 68-69 to drive there.
These old ruins are picturesque and provide some shade. They are passed near
the end of Walk 9 and at the beginning of Walk 10.
11 PEÑA DE LA PEQUEÑA (map pages 68-69,
by 5: 10-25min on foot. Drive to the track off the LZ10, 100m south
of the km22 road marker (see page 75, last paragraph, to drive along
the walking route; park near the start of the track, opposite a small house).
Follow the track, overlooking the Paloma Valley on the right and the Chafariz/
Cuchillo Valley on the left, as far as you like.
13 LA CALDERETA (map page 81, photographs pages 80-81) ●
by b (about 1h) or 5: about 40min on foot: see Walk 13 on page 80.
Follow the walk to the Caldereta and picnic at the refugio (ample places to
sit). Wear boots or very sturdy shoes! Overlook the greenery of this small crater.
Playa de Papagayo (Picnic 20). If you enjoy some sand in your sarnies, then
this is the most beautiful setting on the island for a picnic on the beach.
14 MONTAÑA DE GUARDILAMA (map pages 84-85,
by b: 1h on foot. Bus to Uga and follow Walk 14 on page 82.
by 5: 10-45min on foot. Turn off the LZ30 (La Geria road) 600m/yds
past the junction north of Uga (just past the km22 stone), onto the first
track forking off east (with several walkers’ and bikers’ fingerposts). Park
off the side of the road; don’t block the track (up to 45min on foot).
Follow the track to the pass below Guardilama (45min), or go only as far as
you wish up the track. You have a superb view over the dark Geria Valley —
quite a sight when the vines are coming into leaf (photographs pages 28-29
and 82).
17 ATALAYA DE FEMES (map page 91, photos pages 89, 101) ●

by 5: up to 1h on foot (bus times are inconvenient for short walks).
Park in Femés and follow Short walk 17 on page 89.
Picnic above the first crater (from where your views will be limited), or carry
on to the summit another 25 minutes further up. From there you will have
an excellent view of the volcanoes of Timanfaya and the south of the island —
as well as the northern part of Fuerteventura. Note that this is a strenuous
climb, and it can be very windy and cool!
18 DEGOLLADA DEL PORTUGUES (map pages 94-95,

by 5 : about 50min on foot (bus times are inconvenient for short walks).
Park in Femés.
Follow Short walk 18 on page 93 to just over the 45min-point.
A very isolated setting overlooking the Barranco de los Dises, across to Hacha
Grande.
20 PLAYA DE PAPAGAYO (map pages 94-95,

photograph opposite) ●
by 5 only: 5min-1h on foot. From the roundabout by the petrol station
at Playa Blanca follow the notes on pages 33-34 (5min on foot). The
track is very bumpy; you may prefer to park as suggested in Shorter
walk 20 on page 102 (1h on foot).
Expect company here: Playa de Papagayo is highlighted in all the guides.
There are good spots in the cove or on the rocky promontory to the right of the
beach. Punta de Papagayo, less than 10 minutes away, is usually quiet, but
usually windy too! Caleta del Congrio (an unofficial naturist beach) and the
other beaches lining the coast also make splendid picnic spots.
21 MONTAÑA ROJA (map page 107, photo pages 106-107) ●

by 5 only: 40min on foot. Follow Walk 21, page 106.
Fine views over the Punta de Pechiguera and to Fuerteventura.
22 JANUBIO (map pages 110-111, photos pages 109, 110) ●

by b: 1h or more on foot. Bus to La Hoya; follow Walk 22, page 108.
by 5: 10-15min on foot. Park at the water desalination building off the
LZ701 road, some 2.4km south of the El Golfo roundabout.
Find a choice spot amidst the rocks fringing the shore. The beautiful rock pools
lie about 10-15min southwest of the desalination plant.
Touring
Hiring a vehicle is good value on Lanzarote, and there
are car rental offices in abundance in all the tourist centres
— but you are still likely to get a better price if you book
before you travel. And you won’t use a lot of petrol driving
these relatively short distances, so all in all, car hire will
be good value.
Drive carefully! Excess speed on some of the very
straight roads is probably the main reason why Lanzarote
has the highest level of traffic accidents in all Spain.
But as a tourist, your chief problem may be the many
roundabouts built since the death of César Manrique.
Manrique had argued for years that the Tahiche inter-
section on the main Arrecife/Teguise road was dangerous,
and that visitors to his foundation might be injured. In
1992 he was himself killed in a crash at this very spot.
Since his death, roundabouts have been built all over the
island. Unfortunately, while many of them are, literally,
works of art, some are extremely complicated and
especially challenging for the newly-arrived visitor.
Remember that — of
course — traffic already
on the roundabout has
priority.
Another hazard may
be the deep unprotected
drop at the side of some
newly-surfaced roads —
not always obvious
when you screech to a
halt and pull over at an
‘unofficial’ viewpoint,
but you risk losing your
transmission!
The touring notes
are brief: they contain
little history or infor-
mation readily available
in free tourist office
leaflets or standard
Isolated farm near Timanfaya
Touring 17
guides. The main tourist centres and towns are not
described either, for the same reason. Instead, I
concentrate on the ‘logistics’ of touring: times and dis-
tances, road conditions, and seeing places many tourists
miss. Most of all I emphasise possibilities for walking and
picnicking. While some of the references to picnics off
the beaten track may not be suitable during a long car
tour, you may see a landscape that you would like to
explore at leisure another day, when you’ve more time to
stretch your legs.
The large fold-out touring map is designed to be
held out opposite the touring notes and contains all the
information you will need outside the towns. The tours
have been written up starting from Puerto del Carmen,
but I also suggest where best to join them if you are based
at Playa Blanca or Costa Teguise. Town plans with exits
for motorists are on pages 6-9. Remember to allow plenty
of time for visits, and to take along warm clothing as well
as some food and drink, in case you are delayed. The
distances quoted in the notes are cumulative from Puerto
del Carmen. A key to symbols used in the touring notes
is on the touring map.
All motorists should read the country code on page
18 and go quietly in the countryside. Buen viaje!
A country code for walkers and motorists

The experienced rambler is used to following a
‘country code’, but the tourist out for a lark may unwit-
tingly cause damage, harm animals, and even endanger
his own life. Please heed this advice.
■ Do not light fires.
■ Do not frighten animals. The goats and sheep you
may encounter on your walks are not tame.
■ Walk quietly through all hamlets and villages.
■ Leave all gates just as you find them. Although you
may not see any animals, the gates do have a purpose —
generally to keep goats or sheep in (or out of) an area.
■ Protect all wild and cultivated plants. Don’t try to
pick wild flowers or uproot saplings. Obviously fruit and
other crops are someone’s private property and should
not be touched. Never walk over cultivated land.
■ Take all your litter away with you.
■ Walkers — Do not take risks! This is the most
important point of all. Do not attempt walks beyond your
capacity, and do not wander off the paths described here
if there is any sign of mist or if it is late in the day. Do not
walk alone, and always tell a responsible person exactly
where you are going and what time you plan to return.
Remember, if you become lost or injure yourself, it may
be a long time before you are found. On any but a very
short walk close to villages, be sure to take a torch, whistle,
extra water and warm clothing — as well as some high-
energy food, like chocolate. Read and re-read the
important note on page 2, as well as the guidelines on
grade and equipment for each walk you plan to do!
Haría’s Valle de los Castillejos (Picnic 7b), with Máguez and Monte Corona
in the background
Car tour 1: THE SIGHTS OF THE NORTH
Puerto del Carmen • Tahiche • Arrieta • Jameos del
Agua • Cueva de los Verdes • Orzola • Mirador del Río
• Haría • Teguise • La Caleta de Famara • Mozaga •
Puerto del Carmen
143km/89mi; about 3h30min driving; Exit A from Puerto del Carmen
On route: roadside picnics at a chapel near Orzola, Haría, or at El Bos-
quecillo (t); also Picnics 2, 4, 6, 7a, 7b, 9, 10 (see pages 10-14 and P
symbol in the text); Walks 2-10, (11), 14, 16, 19, (23, 26), 25, 27, 30
Although the driving time is only three and one-half hours, allow an entire
day for this tour if you want to visit all the tourist attractions. Roads are
generally good, but often narrow. Cloud and mist are not infrequent in the
northern hills, and visibility can be reduced to almost zero! Look out for
livestock on the roads and for pedestrians in the villages. A low speed is
recommended for these roads. Arrecife is not included in this tour because it
is well served by public transport and may be visited another day.
From Costa Teguise take the Guatiza road (LZ34) and join the tour on the
LZ1 after passing through the arch with the cross. From Playa Blanca take
the LZ2 and join the tour as you pass above the airport.
Opening hours
Cactus Garden, Guatiza: 10.00-17.45 daily
Jameos del Agua: 10.00-18.30 daily; also 19.00-02.00 (Tue/Fri/Sat)
Cueva de los Verdes: 10.00-18.00 daily
Mirador del Río: 10.00-17.45 daily
Museo de Arte Sacro de Haría: 11.00-13.00 daily
Guinate Tropical Park: 10.00-17.00 daily
Castillo de Santa Bárbara, Teguise (Museo del Emigrante Canario):
Summer: 10.00-15.00 (Mon-Fri), 10.00-14.00 (Sat/Sun); Winter:
10.00-16.00 (Mon-Fri), 10.00-15/00 (Sat/Sun)
Palacio Spinola, Teguise: 09.00-15.00 (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri); 09.30-
13.30 (Sat/Sun); closed Wednesdays
Teguise market: 09.00-14.00 (Sun)
Museo Agrícola, Tiagua: 10.00-17.00 (Mon-Fri); 10.00-14.30 (Sat)
part from the Timanfaya National Park and the Geria

A Valley, the northern part of Lanzarote is the most
scenically interesting. As you follow this tour, winding
your way around and over the northern massif, you’ll
encounter the extraordinarily beautiful colours, shapes
and textures that create the landscape canvas of Lanzarote.
The Cueva de los Verdes — a vast volcanic tube measuring
one kilometre in length, may be the most intriguing cave
you’ve ever seen. You’ll also learn who César Manrique
was and what he meant to the island — or, rather, what
his native land meant to him.
Leave Puerto del Carmen (Walks 14, 16, 19, 27) by
heading east on the Avenida de las Playas (Exit A). Follow
‘Arrecife, Yaiza’. As you pass a sign denoting the end of
Puerto del Carmen, Canary date palms line both sides of
the road and you are heading towards Montaña Blanca
on the left and Montaña Mina on the right — with the
19
Some roundabouts are
works of art. These ‘wind
sculptures’ are both by
César Manrique (left:
just south of Tahiche;
right: Arrieta).
wind generators that were a ‘pilot project’ for the larger

installation seen later in the tour. As you approach a
roundabout/flyover, keep right for Arrecife. This takes
you onto the LZ2 (7km), and you drive above the airport.
Be sure to get into the left-hand lane for ‘Circunvalación’,
and at the first major junction go off left for ‘Circunvala-
ción’ and ‘Costa Teguise’, joining the LZ3 (Arrecife ring
road). At the next major junction (where San Bartolomé
is to the left), go straight over for ‘Pto. Marmoles’ and
‘Costa Teguise’. There were roadworks here when we
checked, and the next, third junction has been badly sign-
posted for years in any case. You want ‘Tahiche’ (easily
missed), not Arrecife, not Marmoles, not Costa Teguise!
After 2km you should come upon the ‘whirling whisks’
roundabout shown above left, where you go straight over
for ‘Tahiche’. (A left turn here leads to the Fundación
Manrique, and it was at this junction that César Manrique
was killed in 1992.) Just inside Tahiche (20km r) turn
right for ‘Orzola, Jameos del Agua’, joining the LZ1 and
passing through an open flat countryside pierced by
prominent isolated hills. Pass the road to Costa Teguise
(Walks 23, 26); from here its gateway, with a cross on
top, looks like a chapel. At 27km turn right past gardens
squared off by stone walls to the Moorish-flavoured
village of Guatiza (29km). The village itself is swallowed
up amidst fields of prickly pear. Leaving the village, pass
the cactus garden (Jardín de Cactuss) on your right; a
well-preserved windmill stands above it.
Soon the entire plain is taken over by prickly pear.
Farmed prickly pear is an unusual sight — normally we
see it growing wild. The cochineal insect is bred on these
plants: the female lives off the juice of the cactus leaf (see
photograph page 67), and after three months is harvested
and dried in the sun. Today cochineal is used as colouring
in lipsticks, toothpastes, and some drinks — Campari and
Martini, for instance. The dye was once important in the
carpet industry and during the 1800s was a major money-
earner for Lanzarote. Off the sea-plain you look up into
20
The Torrecilla del
Domingo, backed by
the jagged rim of
Monte Corona.
Both are landmarks
on any visit to the
north of the island.
Walk 4 circles them;
Walk 5 climbs up to
the crater’s rim.
ridges that trail off the northern hills. Mala (32km r;

Walk 9), another spacious farming village, follows. The
‘Lanzarote colours’ can be seen in the white façades and
green doorways and window shutters of the houses. Some
3km outside the village you pass the LZ207 road up left
to Tabayesco, where Walk 11 begins and ends.*
In need of eggs, saucepans, or perhaps sunglasses?
Then just pull into the petrol station with supermarket
and café in Arrieta (37km pra), a small seaside village
built along the rocky shore. At the roundabout just past
here, the revolving red cones shown opposite are another
of Manrique’s confections. Follow ‘Orzola’, then bear
right almost immediately for Jameos del Agua, ignoring
the road left to the Mirador del Río. Pass Punta Mujeres
(38km r), a tight cluster of dwellings. A few minutes
later branch off right for Jameos del Aguas (42km
rM), one of the island’s most popular tourist attractions.
This enchanting cave is the result of two opposing forces
— man and nature. A splendid compromise has been
reached: the eruption of Monte Corona was responsible
for the natural element; César Manrique was the man.
The cave has been skillfully transformed into a bar/ restau-
rant and night club, maintaining as much natural décor
as possible. Penetrating into the depths of the cave, you
come to a large crystal-clear sea-pool. Shiny objects on
the floor of the pool catch your eye: tiny white blind crabs
(Munidopsis polymorpha), unique in the sea world. You
then ascend to the swimming pool shown overleaf, set in
a colourful rock garden. Before you leave, be sure to visit
the ‘Casa de los Volcanes’ incorporated in the complex, a
museum devoted to volcanism throughout the world.
Return to the main road, cross it, and head up to the
Cueva de los Verdess, 0.5km away. Only one of the
*Sometime during your visit, make a circuit of the beautiful Chafariz
Valley (Walk 11; photograph page 75): turn up this road (c) and,
when you come into Haría, turn right for ‘Arrieta’. Descending the
far side of the valley, you rejoin the main road by the ‘red cones’
roundabout shown opposite (above).
21
Jameos del Agua
seven kilometres of this vast complex of tunnels is open

to the public. With a guide, you wind down through low,
narrow passageways and emerge into enormous cool
chambers — one of them an auditorium with perfect
acoustics. The Guanches sought refuge in these caves
whenever there were pirate raids. The caves were created
when streams of molten lava from Monte Corona flowed
beneath a hardened outside crust (see pages 119-120).
Back on the main road, turn left for Orzola. Following
the coast, you run along the edge of the Malpais (‘Bad-
lands’) de la Corona — an expansive undulating plateau
of lava carpeted in a thick mat of greenery. Monte Corona
— a massive sharp-rimmed crater that dominates the
north of the island — broods lonely and impressive on
the left. Patches of sand and a couple of sandy coves
embraced in the rocky shoreline break up the lava flow
(photograph page 123). Soon the table-topped island of
Alegranza appears over to your right — and the north of
La Graciosa. Rocky reefs create lagoons along the shore-
line, and these are ideal for swimming.
The Famara massif rises up into a bold block of hills
behind Orzola (53km ar and 9 to La Graciosa) and
its port. Here’s where you catch the ferry, if you’re plan-
ning to do Walk 1 or picnic on La Graciosa. There’s also
a pleasant coastal walk to Punta Fariones (Walk 25).
Now making for the Mirador del Río, climb inland,
after 500m passing a chapel on the left, a pleasant picnic
spot with some shade. Still circling the malpais on a
narrow winding road (LZ203), a wavy blanket of
greenery, pierced by rocky outcrops, stretches below. Join
the LZ201 at the foot of Monte Corona and ascend to
Car tour 1: The sights of the north 23
the right. Thick stone walls soon take over the country-
side; their precision transforms the fields into a work of
art. An imposing solitary villa, the Torrecilla del Domingo,
rises up out of this maze of walls, crowning a hilltop. You
pass above the Quemada crater; Walk 4 circles it. Walk
5, which ascends Monte Corona, could begin at the
church in Ye, a small farming community cast across a
sloping plateau below Corona’s gaping crater. But for this
tour, turn right on the outskirts of the village for ‘Mirador
del Río’. Crossing the plateau, you look straight down
into deep valleys. In spring the top of the plateau is flecked
with poppies, daisies and Echium.
A porthole window set in a stone wall enclosing the
car park is all that gives away the Mirador del Ríos (c;
paid admission), built on the site of a 16th-century watch-
tower. This well-camouflaged viewpoint is embedded in
the top of the Risco (Cliff) de Famaras. From here you
look straight out over the Río channel onto the bare and
barren — yet strangely beautiful — Graciosa Island,
which sits just below (photographs pages 41 and 48). This
is a view unequalled on Lanzarote, and one of the best
vistas in all the Canaries. The mountain island (Montaña
Clara) and Alegranza enhance this already-magnificent
sea view. The mirador balcony hangs out over a precipi-
tous wall plummeting 450m/1475ft below … down to
the landscapes of Walk 2 — the exquisite Playa del Risco
and the captivating salt pans of El Río. Note: the exterior
of this setting is worth seeing from the cliff-top above the
mirador (from where the photographs on pages 13 and
48 were taken).
From the mirador fork right, to continue south along
the edge of the Famara cliffs (LZ202). This wall of rock
stretches for 23km and reaches a height of 600m/1970ft,
as it slices its way along the northwest coast. The road is
narrow, but built up at the sides; priority is given to traffic
travelling in this direction. You recapture the very
dramatic mirador vista a little further on, where you are
able to pull over safely. In the distance ahead you see the
vast Jable plain stretching inland behind the Playa de
Famara, and the hills growing up out of the west coast.
Leaving the plateau you overlook a rocky basin of
farmland on the far side of Ye. Some 2.4km from the
mirador you pass the stone-laid track to the most stunning
picnic spot on the island (P2). After another 200m, just
below Monte Corona, come to a stop sign at a T-junction
and turn right for Haría. Pass the turn-off to the Guinate
Tropical Park, where the circuit of Los Helechos (P6 and
Walk 6) ends — by car or on foot. When you come to a
Y-fork, keep right for ‘Arrecife’ (but to park for P4, in the
setting shown on page 57, go left.)
Máguez (72km r) is a rambling, pleasantly scruffy
country village with a peaceful air about it. Walk 6 circles
the very quiet and scenic mound of volcanoes up to the
right. Keep straight on through the village, and take care
at the stop sign in the centre, where buildings totally
obscure your view of crossing traffic.
Over in the next valley lies Haría (74km rMP7b),
the handsome settlement shown on pages 1, 13, 18, and
62-63. This oasis of greenery boasts the largest number
of palms in the Canaries. (I wonder what La Gomera has
to say about this?) Bougainvillea, geraniums, and hibiscus
splash the village with colour, and the lovely shady plaza
adds a touch of class. Keep right on coming into the village
and then right again into the one-way system. Turn left
at the crossroads (where the road ahead is marked as no
entry), pass the town hall on the right, and then go right
at the T-junction for ‘Arrecife por Teguise’. As you leave
Haría, you could picnic in good shade just past the Cortijo
restaurant on the right (ample parking, a wall to sit on).
Exiting this valley of palms you wind up a rocky crest
in tight hairpins. Some 4km uphill, there are fine views
from the white ‘Mirador de Haría’ building (c). Then,
1km further on, there’s another superb outlook from the
Restaurante Los Helechos (79km crP7a), where Walk
7 starts. Some 200m past here, ignore a road off right sign-
posted ‘Mirador Riscos de Famara’ (climbed in Walk 8).*
Pass a roadside mirador and, 650m further on, the track
to Picnic 11 (at the end of a row of palms). You’re now
below Lanzarote’s highest point, the Peñas del Chache
(670m/2200ft; photograph page 64), which houses a
military installation. Save for the ‘golf ball’ radar installa-
tion on top, you’d hardly notice it. What does catch the
eye are the wind generators of the Parque Eólico ahead.
Just under 3km from the Helechos restaurant, turn
right towards ‘Las Nieves’. This recently rebuilt chapel
(P9; photographs on pages 64 and 72) stands in solitude,
high on a windswept plateau, marking the site where the
Virgin appeared to a young shepherd. The chapel is open
*The second turning right off this road leads to a splendid picnic spot
in Lanzarote’s only ‘forest’, El Bosquecillo (‘the Little Wood’; c t).
This shaded viewpoint atop the Famara cliffs, with a few tables, is very
popular with the locals at weekends.
Car tour 1: The sights of the north 25
on Saturdays between 14.30 and 18.00 and on the 5th of
August, the patron saint’s day. From the edge of the
plateau you have a splendid view down onto the extensive
Playa de Famara and over the semi-desert Jable plain. The
Risco de Famara topples off to an abrupt end here.
Head back to the main road, passing the entrance to
the Parque Eólico. Stone walls fence off the countryside
on your approach to Los Valles. The interior of the island
Church at Teguise; see also photograph pages 70-71.
opens up, as low-slung valleys peel back and rounded
hillocks rise in the background. Serried ranks of American
aloes line the road as it descends in curves (r). Los Valles
(88km; Walk 10) sits on the edge of a sweeping basin
patched in huge cultivated squares. Here you find the best
examples of traditional Arcadian houses — low oblong
buildings with very few (and very small) windows.
Haystacks set amidst the houses and farm buildings set
off this rural landscape.
Beyond Los Valles you cross the basin as you head
towards Teguise. Rising ahead on the left is the 16th-
century Castillo de Santa Bárbara (3M). This modest
fortress commands a good view over the surrounding
countryside from its perch at the edge of the Guanapay
crater. Once a watchtower to warn against the raiding
Moors, it now appropriately houses a small piracy museum.
Below, to the right, you will see some substantial honey-
hued ruins — the old Ermita de San José (P10).
Walks 8-10 visit Teguises (95km r2M and Sunday
market), the island’s ancient capital … and Lanzarote’s
showplace. This exquisite village still retains its original
character of cobbled streets, stately old buildings, and
spacious plazas. In the main square you’ll find the
imposing main church, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe,
facing the 18th-century Palacio Spinola. The Tourist
Office is here, too. Pick up a town plan and plan to spend
a couple of hours exploring the various welcoming plazas,
as well as the Santo Domingo and San Francisco convents.
Leaving the glaring whiteness of Teguise, follow signs
for Mozaga and the Monumento al Campesino, to get on
the LZ30 (p). Some 3km along, turn right for ‘La Caleta’
(LZ402). The fishing village of La Caleta de Famara
(112km ar) boasts some fine seafood restaurants. To
reach the quieter end of this long sandy beach, drive
through the Famara urbanización and follow the rough
track below the cliffs. Walk 3 explores this area.
From La Caleta make for Tiagua on the LZ401.
Beyond Sóo and Munique you pass the Villa Agrícola, a
museum of countryside life, before coming into Tiagua
(rM). Turn left on the LZ20 towards ‘Arrecife’. At
Mozaga (rp) you come to a roundabout at the Monu-
mento al Campesinos (see Car tour 2 and photograph
on page 31) and go straight over to San Bartolomé
(rM). From here keep straight through on the LZ20 to
the Arrecife ring road, then retrace your outgoing route,
coming back into Puerto del Carmen after 143km.
Car tour 2: TIMANFAYA AND THE SOUTHERN BEACHES
Puerto del Carmen • San Bartolomé • Tinajo • La Santa
• Montañas del Fuego • Yaiza • El Golfo • Playa Blanca
• Playa de Papagayo • Femés • La Geria Valley • San
Bartolomé • Puerto del Carmen
150km/93mi; 4 hours driving (plus 1 hour’s coach tour in the national park);
Exit B from Puerto del Carmen
On route: roadside picnics at La Isleta, El Golfo, Femés; also Picnics
14-22 (see pages 10-14 and P symbol in the text); Walks 12-22, 24, 27-30
Roads are good with only one exception at present: the rough track to Papagayo
(about 6km each way; toll payable) is only recommended for beach enthusiasts;
it’s very bumpy and also on the route of jeep safaris — you’ll taste a lot of dust
when they pass. (The once-narrow road in the Geria valley has recently been
widened and should pose no problems.) Between Yaiza and Playa Blanca this
tour follows the old road (LZ701); the newer LZ2 is the ‘fast track’.
From Costa Teguise take the Arrecife ring road and join the tour at San
Bartolomé (the 11km-point). From Playa Blanca begin at the roundabout
by the petrol station: take the ‘old road’ (LZ701) signposted to Yaiza and, at
the junction for El Golfo, turn off for Las Breñas, joining the tour on page 34
(last paragraph) and finishing the circuit when you return to Playa Blanca.
Opening hours
Timanfaya National Park: 09.00-17.45 daily, with coach tours from
10.00-17.00 daily, every half hour (included in the entry fee)
Timanfaya Visitors’ Centre, Mancha Blanca: 09.00-17.00 daily
Monumento al Campesino (house and museum): 10.00-18.00 daily;
restaurant 12.00-16.30 daily
Museo del Vino (Masdache): 10.30-18.00 daily (free entrance)
Museo Etnográfico Tanit, San Bartolomé: 10.00-14.00 Mon-Sat
his southern route allows you plenty of time for short
T strolls, a swim, and perhaps some wine-tasting — if
you make a day of it. Vulcanology may not be one of your
favourite topics, but this drive will certainly arouse your
interest. Violent eruptions in the 18th and 19th centuries
have left a curious landscape in their wake. The national
park bus tour — a must for everyone — immerses you in
this moonscape of rich volcanic hues. It will be the
highlight of your day, if not of your entire holiday on
Lanzarote. More curiosities follow, however. La Geria,
the valley of ash, and the home of malvasía wine, is another
amazing sight. Here the vineyards create a scenery of their
own. The eroded Golfo crater, with its dazzling green
lagoon, is something akin to an artist’s palette, with all its
colours and blended hues. And if all this isn’t enough,
then there are the golden sandy beaches of the southeast,
of which Papagayo has become the most popular amongst
tourists. You’ll soon see why.
Leave Puerto del Carmen on the Tías road (Exit B).
Follow signs for Tías at first. Just before Tías, at a
roundabout, turn right for Arrecife. Then follow signs for
San Bartolomé. You bypass Tías and wind up over hills
27
on the LZ35, into a vast sloping valley, with Montaña
Blanca to the left and Montaña Mina ahead to the right,
crowned with wind generators. Vivid splashes of scarlet
poppies, white daisies, and yellow dandelions light up the
surrounding farmlands in spring. Head straight through
the sprawling village of San Bartolomé (11km rM),
following signs for Teguise, and, when you meet the
LZ20, turn left for Tinajo.
At a roundabout (14km rp) you’re confronted with
another of Manrique’s works — the Monumento al
Campesinos, dedicated to the island’s country dwellers.
This bold structure, shown overleaf, stands in pleasant
surroundings, with a restaurant (a beautifully-restored
farmhouse) that specialises in local dishes, a souvenir
shop, and a small ‘farmyard’ of great appeal to children.
On the far side of the roundabout, you come into the
hamlet of Mozaga. The setting is very picturesque: the
houses are dispersed amidst great blocks of lava, which
are brightly speckled with green Aeoniums. Neat, fresh-
green garden plots border the lava plain.
Tao (17km rc) occupies a slight rise with a fine view
across the sweeping Jable plain to the cliffs of Famara and
the islands. A sprinkling of elegant palms complements
this pleasant rural setting. You pass through Tiagua
(18km rM) in the thick of these gardens.
An well-landscaped avenue of cacti and palms leads you
into the expansive farming settlement of Tinajo (23km
Car tour 2: Timanfaya and the southern beaches 29
rp), where Walk 12 ends. Entering the village, turn
right for La Santa at the roundabout. Descending to the
coast, red Montaña Bermeja catches your eye, rising off
the shore below to the left. The countryside becomes
harsher, rough and bumpy with hillocks, and the terrain
is strewn with stones. La Santa (r) is a small village of
restaurants set back off the shore. Continue to Club La
Santa, a rather exclusive sports complex 2km further on
(30km hr). It overlooks the rocky islet, La Isleta, and
a pretty lagoon — a pleasant interlude in this desolate
stretch of coast. To cross to the isleta, curve left past the
hotel reception and when you come to a roundabout, keep
right. Circle halfway round the islet; then, keeping the
lagoon just to your left, cross the causeway and return to
the main road. Opposite is a large parking area under
palms; you can picnic here on lava jetties near the sea or
by the lagoon.
Returning to Tinajo, keep straight on through the
village for ‘Mancha Blanca’, soon enjoying a pretty view
left to the small village of La Vegueta. Just as you enter
Mancha Blanca (41km; starting point for Walks 12 and
13), turn right for ‘P N Timanfaya’. Mancha Blanca rests
on a shelf overlooking its tidy ash fields, on the edge of a
sea of lava that floods the southwest. Everything here
grows in straight rows. The village is the home of the
island’s female patron saint — Our Lady of the Volcanoes,
who is credited with having saved Tinajo from a lava flow.
A popular festival celebrates the
saint’s day on September 15th.
At 42km the road bends left and a
track straight ahead leads to parking
for the ascent of Montaña Blanca
(Walk 13), from where you would
look into the gaping crater shown on
page 4. At 43.5km you enter the
national park; the Visitors’ Centre is
100m along on the right. Even if
you’re not going to book for Walk
24, do stop here to see the audio-
visual show and study the exhibits, to
better appreciate the landscape
ahead! Once beyond the Visitors’
Centre you mount the lava plateau,
Vineyards in La Geria lead the eye to the Fire

Mountains of Timanfaya
The Monumento al
Campesino is a pleasant
place to take a break
and another world

awaits you: the world
of fire and brimstone,
where just under 300
years ago all hell let
loose. As Yaiza’s
parish priest des-
cribed it: ‘the earth
suddenly opened up
and an enormous
mountain rose from
the bosom of the
earth and from its
apex shot flames
which continued to
burn for 19 days’. This catastrophic eruption lasted inter-
mittently for some six years (1730 to 1736), burying one-
third of the island (including eleven villages and many
more hamlets) under metres of lava … an eruption
unsurpassed in recorded history. Less than one hundred
years later another eruption increased the existing number
of new volcanoes in the area from 26 to 29.
Crossing this lonely but curiously beautiful landscape
(photographs pages 16-17 and 116-121) is like being on
another planet, hence it should come as no surprise to
learn that the first astronauts were shown photographs of
the national park in preparation for their moon flight. The
road cuts its way through rough, sharp ‘AA’ lava. Lichen
flecks the rock, creating the impression of freshly fallen
sleet. Pale pink wild geraniums stand out poignantly in
this black world. Their leaves are dried by the locals and
made into tea — a good source of vitamin C. Assorted
volcanoes, with hints of red, clay brown, and deep
maroon, grow out of the lava.
Large mounds of cinder soon close in on you. Some
9km from Mancha Blanca, at a mini-roundabout, turn off
right for the Islote de Hilario — departure point for the
coach tours around the Montañas del Fuegos. An en-
trance fee, which includes the tour, is paid here. The islote
is named for the hermit Hilario, who returned here after
the eruptions had subsided to build a hut and plant a fig
tree (which, incidentally, is not the fig in the restaurant).
The restaurant here makes good use of thermal energy —
the temperature reaches 360°C only six metres below the
surface of the ground. Your excursion bus twists up,
down, and around the great volcanoes, affording stun-
ning views over the park and into the craters, which drip
with endless blends of colours.
Leaving the Islote de Hilario and continuing south,
you pass alongside the russet-brown slopes of Pico
Timanfaya (also called Pico del Fuego). Both the
mountain and the park take their name from the village
of Timanfaya, which thrived in this rich agricultural area
before being destroyed by the eruptions. After 2km you
pass the starting point for the much-publicised camel
rides. You’re bound to see a camel train ascending or
descending — complete with awkwardly-seated tourists.
It’s an impressive sight, no matter how ‘touristic’. Also,
notice the lava formation on the left-hand side of the road
here, with great cracks in its crust: this is pahoehoe lava
(the name is Hawaiian; see photograph page 120).
Out of the lava fields come to a roundabout and cross
the LZ2, to enter the charming white-washed village of
Yaiza (61km rpm2). Beyond the petrol station, turn
right at the junction. You pass the cool, shady Los Reme-
dios Square, with an 18th-century church of the same
name. This proud village (see also photograph pages 90-
91) has some fine old balconied houses, and the gardens
overflow with colour. Walk 17 begins and ends here. On
the outskirts of the village take the El Golfo exit from the
roundabout. You enter more jagged lava fields; these are
interrupted by islotes (islands of lava-free ground).
Meet the road to El Golfo (LZ704) and bear right.
Bushes of resplendent green tabaiba light up the encom-
passing dark lava. Crossing a crest, a large mirador just
before the village gives you an excellent view over the
eroded Golfo craters. This majestic submarine volcano
has been spectacularly eaten away by the sea, leaving one
with the impression that it has been sliced in half. There’s
plenty of parking, and the more southerly access to the
area has been closed, so if you want to walk down to the
lagoon and crescent-shaped bay (golfo), do so now.
Strolling down to the crater, you’re greeted by a striking
sight: an array of greys, browns, and reds oozes out of the
cone and surrounding rock. A strong blue sea and a cloudy
green lagoon (the Charco de los Clicos)s set at the base
of the crater enhance this rainbow of colours (photo-
graphs pages 10-11 and 34). Although the area is fairly
crowded, few people stay very long, and there are many
Short walk to Playa del Paso
pleasant picnic perches,
with shade from the cliffs.
Shorter than Walk 29, this is a
good leg-stretcher. From the El Golfos (69km
Yaiza to El Golfo road, between rc) is a cheerful seaside
the 4km and 5km markers, village of restaurants —
take the clear, motorable track the ideal base for Walk 29.
going right (see map for Walk Walk 30, the coastal hike
29 on pages 118-119). Ignore from Playa de la Madera
two chained-off tracks going
right into the national park described on page 124,
and reach a junction 1.2km also ends here. Return to
from the main road. Take the the junction for the village
track straight ahead, between and head right for ‘Playa
two tall white pillars. This track
Blanca’ (LZ703). At a
climbs and sweeps sharply T-junction some 2km
right and then left as it runs to
the left of two houses. It leads
along, turn left (the right
to a makeshift car park in a turn for access to the
field, 100m below the lowest Charco de los Clicos has
house. (Since the last bit of been permanently closed
track is rough, it may be betterdue to constant rockfall.
to leave your car in the park- Following the coastline
ing area just below the two
further south, you drive
houses.) Now follow the good
(but no longer motorable) through billowing waves
track into the national park of lava. Colourful Mon-
and descend gradually. It is taña Bermeja soon com-
rough in places near the mands your attention with
beginning, as rocks and lava its glowing orange-brown
have been deliberately strewn cone. Just over 2km from
across it to deter jeeps, but
then becomes a lovely stroll El Golfo, turn right to a
down between lava fields to large parking area for Los
Playa del Paso (30min). Note a Hervideross (c; the
path coming in across the lava ‘boiling springs’), where
fields from the right some 25 the sea pounds into sea-
minutes along. This is the end caves. Walkways have
of the coastal walk from Playa
de la Madera (Walk 30). Playa
been carefully laid out
del Paso is a beautiful, through the maze of lava,
secluded black-sand beach. where there are some
impressive blow-holes
when the sea is choppy. The sight is all the more impres-
sive with the bright cone of Montaña Bermeja in the back-
ground (see photograph opposite). The lazy hills of Los
Ajaches, leaning one against the other, rise up promin-
ently ahead. Las Breñas is the village you see sprinkled
along a raised shelf at the foot of the hills.
Turning inland, you round the Salinas de Janubios
(c). They lie cradled in a deep basin off a land-locked
lagoon and the curving black sand beach of Janubio. You
look down onto a fine mosaic of tiny white squares of
drying salt and ponds. The colours of this basin turn the
severe countryside into quite a beauty spot, especially in
the evening (see photograph page 112). Beyond the third
viewpoint over the pans, you come to a roundabout at La
Hoya: go right for ‘Playa Blanca’ on the LZ701. Some
600m along, a signposted mirador jutting out above the
lagoon (c) enables you to view the salinas from the other
side. This is the setting for Walk 22. Then, 1.8km from
the view-point, you pass an isolated water desalination
building (P22), from where you can also reach Walk 22.
Now crossing the featureless, stone-strewn Rubicón
plain, you reach Playa Blanca (98km harp and 9
to Fuerteventura), once a small fishing village, but now
the island’s busiest resort. It’s the focal point for several
walks: the end of Alternative walk 18, the start of Walks
20 and 28, and the base for Walk 21. Moreover, Lobos
(Walk 32) and Fuerteventura are enticingly close.
The road to Papagayo is signposted on the east side of
the roundabout with the petrol station just outside Playa
Blanca. At a T-junction turn right; then, at the next
Los Hervideros, with Montaña Bermeja in the background
Charco de los Clicos and
the El Golfo crater — a
fascinating example of
marine erosion. See also
pages 10-11.
crossing, turn left.

Go over several
crossroads until
you come to a very
large roundabout;
turn right here on a
track. After 2km, at
a gatehouse, you
must pay a toll. Be
warned: this bumpy
track is a jeep safari
route. You might
prefer to walk
to Papagayo (see Shorter walk 20) — or even to take a
cruise there another day (boats leave from the port at
Playa Blanca). If you do decide to drive there, ignore tracks
branching off in all directions to various beaches. Stay on
the main track, just by following everyone else. You’ll
cross a barren stony shelf that lies at the foot of the
Ajaches. All the beaches along here are different, and all
are enticing. Before reaching Papagayo, branch off left to
Caleta del Congrio, an unofficial(and, needless to say,
very popular) naturist beach and Puerto Muelas (4).
Playa de Papagayo, with two small bar/restaurants and
spectacular beaches, is certainly worth the trip (P20;
photograph page 14).
From Papagayo go back to the roundabout at the end
of the dirt track and turn right for Femés on the LZ702.
The road climbs to a pass below an antenna-topped hill,
the Atalaya de Femés (P17). A superb panorama over the
plain to Playa Blanca and out to Fuerteventura unfolds.
You see the ‘pimply’ island of Lobos and the white dunes
of Corralejo directly behind it. The hills tower above you,
with ridges tumbling out of them in all directions.
Femés (118km rc) sits on a saddle overlooking the
flat Rubicón plain. Your view is framed by the encircling
hills. Take a break and enjoy the vista from this mirador.
The church is dedicated to San Marcial, the island’s patron
saint, and the lovely church square is an ideal spot for a
picnic if you don’t want to huff and puff your way up the
Atalaya! Femés is a precious little village, set high up in
an already elevated valley and shut off from the rest of the
island. Walks 17-20 converge on Femés (see photographs
on pages 89 and 97-101). Continuing through fields, you
drop down out of the valley and onto the LZ2. Cross
straight over the main road and then continue straight
ahead at the junction, on the narrower LZ30 (for P14
park 50m past the km22 stone).
Walks 14-16 set out from Uga (124km r), down to
the left — a colourful village with a North African flavour
about it. It rests in a saucer of gardens with its back up
against the dark lava sea of the Timanfaya National Park.
Walk 15 is a circuit; the other two descend to the coast.
Rounding a corner, the scenery changes yet again, as
you enter the intriguing valley of La Gerias, a dark
sweeping depression, further pitted with hollows. The
slopes are coated in black ash. Myriad low half-moon
stone walls (zocos) edge the hollows and stretch across the
countryside (see photographs on pages 28-29 and 82).
This is the home of malvasía wine, the product of an
ingenious farming method: the vines are planted in crater-
like depressions layered with lapilli, which absorb the dew
and transport it down into the thirsty soil, thus enabling
a single vine to produce up to as much as 200 kilos of
grapes annually. (Note: concentrate on the road; pull over
when you want to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’.) There are several bodegas
along this road. At 130.5km ignore the right turn to
Macher and, shortly after, a left turn to Tinajo. (This road
to Tinajo is worth exploring one day, as is the road from
El Grifo north to La Vegueta. Both are very scenic, with
fine examples of pahoehoe lava.)
Leaving La Geria, you re-enter the lava — this time
‘ropey’ pahoehoe lava, characterised by surface ripples
created when molten lava flowed beneath the solidified
outer crust (see page 120). Strips of encroaching ‘AA’
lava, encrusted with lichen, give the effect of stagnant,
weed-infested ponds. Cheerful green Aeoniums freckle
the landscape. Masdache (135km r) lies amidst this
upheaval of lava. Here’s your chance to do some wine-
tasting, at the Wine Museum on the outskirts of the
village. But remember: you still have to drive home! A
row of prominent, gaping craters lines the landscape on
your right. Re-entering vineyards and vegetable gardens,
serenity returns to the countryside. A couple of kilometres
beyond Masdache, at a pretty, palm-filled junction, bear
right for San Bartolomé, where you rejoin this morn-
ing’s route and return to Puerto del Carmen (150km).
Walking
Lanzarote may not be your top choice for a walking
holiday, but you may be as surprised as I was to find what
this island has to offer walkers and nature lovers.
The walks in this book cover a good cross-section of
the island. Do them all, and you will almost know
Lanzarote inside-out. Almost — because, in a very com-
mendable attempt to preserve the beauty of the island, the
government will not permit you to explore throughout
the Timanfaya National Park on your own; to see the best
of it you’ll have to join a guided walk.
There are walks in this book for everyone — take your
pick after reading ‘Organisation of the walks’ on page 40.
Guides, waymarking, maps

You won’t need a guide for any walk in this book
except Walk 24 in Timanfaya: see above and page 116.
Waymarking/signposting is evident throughout the
island these days, with fingerposts signalling both walking
and mountain bike routes. Walks are being developed all
the time — by local councils and the island government.
There are PR trails (pequeños recorridos; short, day walks,
waymarked yellow/white); SL trails (senderos locales; ‘local’
walks under 10km long, waymarked green/white); and
the Canaries-wide GR131 (grande recorrido; red/white-
waymarked long-distance hike). This last is now complete:
some 70+ km long, it runs in five stages from Orzola
south to Playa Blanca. Eventually it is hoped to develop
a long-distance GR135 to encircle the island along the
coast (200km). The style of waymarking is the same on
all trails: single or parallel stripes indicate ‘continue this
way’; right-angled stripes herald a ‘change of direction’;
‘X’ means ‘wrong way’. We’ve added all routes known at
time of writing if they fall within the area of our walking
maps, but information about the newest trails had not yet
been documented by the authorities at press date.
The maps in this book have been adapted from the
1:25,000 maps of the Servicio Geográfico del Ejército,
updated in the field. For GPS users we have overlaid a
UTM (28R) projection with 1km grid squares, Datum
WGS84. Enquire at your local map stockist if you want
the latest island maps at either 1:25,000 or 1:50,000.
36
Walking 37
W here to stay
Most of you will be staying in one of four places:
Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise, Playa Blanca (ideally
located for ferries to Fuerteventura), or Puerto Calero.
Any of these bases is fine if you have a hire car or don’t
mind travelling via Arrecife and changing buses. But if
you are going to Lanzarote mainly for a walking holiday,
and you don’t plan to hire a car, the best base is Arrecife,
from where you can easily get to all the walks by local bus.
Each of the four main resorts is within easy reach of a
solid week’s walking, and you will find that by sharing a
taxi one way and taking a local bus for the other part of
the route (since you can usually get a bus at least one way),
the cost of getting to and from walks is reasonable.
Finally, if you want something different, consider stay-
ing in a small countryside hotel or self-catering cottage.
For these rural tourism options, see www.lanzarote.com.
W hat to take
If you don’t have any special equipment, you can
still do some of these walks, but don’t attempt the more
difficult ones without the proper gear. For each walk in
the book, the minimum equipment is listed. You may find
the checklist below useful — while bearing in mind that
I’ve not done every walk in this book under all weather
conditions. Use your good judgement to modify my
equipment list according to the season!
walking boots up-to-date transport timetables
waterproof rain gear lightweight water containers
mobile phone (the emergency extra pair of socks
number throughout all long trousers
of Europe is 112) long-sleeved shirt
bandages and band-aids protective sun cream
plastic plates, cups, etc knives and openers
windcheat fleece, spare bootlaces
insect repellent plastic groundsheet
sunhat, small rucksack whistle, compass, torch
W eatherWith an average annual temperature of 21°C and

less than 140mm (51/2 inches) of rain per year, Lanzarote
has about 345 days of sunshine. The winter months
(November to March) are best for walking, but even then
the days can be hot. Temperatures average 14-21°C in
winter and 18-28°C in summer, with humidity between
60-70%. Good news for windsurfers: Lanzarote is a windy
island, and the average water temperature is 20°C.
The prevailing wind is the alisio — the northeast trade
wind. When this is blowing, the weather will be stable
and generally fine. You may strike a few bad days, but the
only place where the trade winds could ruin your day
would be in the north, where low cloud might prevent
you from appreciating those superb seascapes. It is very
rare for rain to disrupt an entire day on the island. It
usually lasts for only an hour or two, and then the sun
shines again — at least on the coast.
If, however, the wind swings from northeast to south-
east, a calima will blow in from Africa. This wind carries
fine particles of sand from the Sahara and dumps them
everywhere. At best the day will be hazy, but if the calima
is blowing strongly, it’s advisable not to go out walking:
it may be difficult to see even a few hundred metres in
front of you — the atmosphere will be so full of sand —
or even stand upright! Obviously it causes havoc for
contact lense wearers and is a danger to those with
respiratory problems; headaches can affect anyone. The
locals hate a strong calima because it affects tourism badly,
especially any sea trips: the small boats can’t go out in the
rough weather, and even the large ferries cannot dock.
Nuisances
Dogs should not pose any problem on the island;
all the ‘working’ dogs are either chained up or attended
by their owners. Mosquitoes will keep you awake at
night; be sure to apply ample anti-mosquito cream to keep
them at bay. There are no other nuisances of the animal
or insect variety, but in recent years jeep safaris have
become popular, and you may find yourself eating dust
on a few walks. Fortunately, in their frenetic search for
quick thrills, they never stay in one place very long.
Spanish for walkers and motorists

In the tourist centres you hardly need know any
Spanish. But out in the countryside, a few words of the
language will be helpful, especially if you lose your way.
Here’s an — almost — foolproof way to communicate
38
From left to right: lampranthus and Rumex vesicarius (dock family)
flourish near the coast; aeoniums abound from 100-800m. The ice plant
(Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) is another coastal dweller.
in Spanish. First, memorise the few short key questions

and their possible answers, given below. Then, when you
have your ‘mini-speech’ memorised, always ask the many
questions you can concoct from it in such a way that you
get a ‘sí’ (yes) or ‘no’ answer. Never ask an open-ended
question such as ‘Where is the main road?’. Instead, ask
the question and then suggest the most likely answer
yourself. For instance: ‘Good day, sir. Please — where is
the path to Máguez? Is it straight ahead?’ Now, unless
you get a ’sí’ response, try: ‘Is it to the left?’. If you go
through the list of answers to your own question, you will
eventually get a ‘sí’ response, and this is more reassuring
than relying solely on sign language.
Following are the most likely situations in which you
may have to practice your Spanish. The dots (…) show
where you will fill in the name of your destination. Ask a
local person — perhaps someone at your hotel — to help
you with place name pronunciation.
Asking the way
Key questions
English Spanish approximate pronunciation
Good day, Buenos días, Boo-eh-nohs dee-ahs,
sir (madam, señor (señora, sen-yor (sen-yor-ah,
miss). señorita). sen-yor-ee-tah).
Please — Por favor — Poor fah-vor —
where is dónde está dohn-day es-tah
the road to …? la carretera a …? lah cah-reh-teh-rah ah …?
the footpath to…? la senda de …? lah sen-dah day …?
the way to …? el camino a …? el cah-mee-noh ah …?
the bus stop? la parada? lah pah-rah-dah?
Many thanks. Muchas gracias. Moo-chas gra-thee-ahs.
Possible answers
Is it here? Está aquí? Es-tah ah-kee?
there? allá? ayl-yah?
straight ahead? todo recto? toh-doh rayk-toh?
behind? detrás? day-tras?
right? a la derecha? ah lah day-ray-chah?
39
left? a la izquierda? ah lah eeth-kee-er-dah?
above? arriba? ah-ree-bah?
below? abajo? ah-bah-hoh?
Asking a taxi driver to take you somewhere and return for you, or
asking a taxi driver to meet you at a certain place and time
Please — Por favor — Poor fah-vor —
take us to … llévanos a … l-yay-vah-nohs ah…
and return y venga buscarnos ee vain-gah boos-kar-nohs
at (place) at (time). a … a … .* ah (place) ah (time).*
*Just point out the time on your watch.
Organisation of the walks

The book describes rambles all over the island. To
choose a walk that appeals to you, you might begin by
looking at the touring map inside the back cover. Here
you can see at a glance the overall terrain, the roads, and
the location of the walks. Flipping through the book, you
will see that there is at least one photograph for every
walk. Having selected one or two potential excursions
from the map and the photographs, turn to the relevant
walk. At the top of the page you will find planning infor-
mation: distance/time, grade, equipment, and how to get
there.
If the grade and equipment specifications are beyond
your scope, don’t despair! There’s almost always a short or
alternative version of a walk, and in most cases these are far
less demanding. If you want a really easy walk, you need look
no further than the picnic suggestions on pages 10-15. On the
other hand, the hardy among you will find that Walk 2
will get you huffing and puffing! And there is always the
opportunity to link several walks for a good day out.
When you are on your walk, you will find that the text
begins with an introduction to the landscape and then
turns to a detailed description of the route. The large-
scale maps (all 1:50,000) have been annotated to show
key landmarks. Times are given for reaching certain
points in the walk. Do compare your pace with mine on
one or two short walks, before you set off on a long hike.
Don’t forget to take bus connections into account!
Below is a key to the symbols on the walking maps:
main road cbest views R pylon, wires
secondary road 2church.chapel ■ specific building
tracks != 5 car parking
2➔
shrine.cemetery
route of the walk b bus stop
2➔
lspring, tank, etc
P picnic spot (see

alternative route A-A lava
2➔
å
other walks pages 10-15) π pahoehoe lava
Walk 1: AROUND LA GRACIOSA
See also photographs on pages 12 and 57
Distance: 19km/11.8mi; 6h
Grade: easy, gently undulating, but long. Can be very hot. No shade
Equipment: comfortable walking shoes, sunhat, light fleece, raingear,
swimwear, suncream, picnic, plenty of water
How to get there and return: b to Orzola (Timetable 8), then 9
to La Graciosa (Timetables 18, 19). Note: the sea can be choppy!
Short walk: from Caleta del Sebo to the tidal lagoon (setting for
Picnic 1) and back (2.5km/1.6mi; 45min). Easy. Heading out from
Caleta del Sebo, turn off left for the cemetery (see map), which lies a
little over 10min uphill. Then descend to the sea, bearing slightly right.
In 8min, you’ll reach the lagoon … if the tide is in. This is a beautiful
spot to spend the day if you don’t want to walk far; the return along the
seashore takes about 25 minutes. Note that there’s little shade.
Alternative walk: You could follow coastal paths between Caleta del
Sebo and Playa del Ambar (see map) — the distance is about the same,
but it’s somewhat slower going. The only disadvantage is that you might
stop off at one of the pretty little beaches just at the start of the walk
and go no further! Just north of Pedro Barba there is a blowhole and
just north of Playa del Ambar an inlet bridged by four rock arches. In
places the path is a bit eroded and vertiginous: you must be sure-footed
Note: There are two bicycle hire shops by the seafront.
ll of you will have seen La Graciosa from the Mirador
A del Río. The vista is unsurpassed. For many people,
this view from the mirador (shown below) is sufficient.
But this little desert island deserves a second look. Take
a ferry over and see for yourself. You’ll discover superb
beaches, sand dunes, lop-sided craters, and a lagoon. The
fishing village, Caleta del Sebo, seems to be in perpetual
slumber; a relaxing calm pervades. Getting there is fun in
itself. The ferry passes through the straits of El Río in the
shadows of the towering Famara cliffs.
La Graciosa from the Mirador del Río: the little port of Caleta del Sebo
reaches out to sea, while the volcano Mojón rises in the background.
Straight below lie the Salinas del Río.
Once you’ve got your legs back on steady ground again
— on the quay at Caleta del Sebo, head off along the
waterfront to the left. The village is a simple fishing haven
of small low-slung houses. There are no gardens, no trees.
Stark naked! At the end of the promenade, veer inland up
past Bar/Pension Girasol Playa and onto a gravel road.
Keep on this main inland route.
Out of the houses you cross a sandy/gravelly flat area,
covered in various species of salt-resistant vegetation —
aulaga (photograph page 99), barilla (the ‘ice plant’;
photograph page 39), Schizogyne sericea and Traganum
moquinii. Looking back down the track, you have a superb
shot over the village clustered along the water’s edge to
the dramatic Risco de Famara and the striking Playa del
Risco (Walk 2), curving round the foot of the cliffs. On
windy days you’ll curse this dusty terrain. The two vol-
canoes, Agujas Grandes (right; also called Pedro Barba)
and Montaña del Mojón (left), rise up ahead on either
side of the track. A third, Montaña Clara (an island), soon
appears in the background, centred between the other
two.
At about 35min you pass a fork off to the left around
the north side of Montaña del Mojón. Shortly after, the
track forks again (just in front of the village dump). Go
right for Caleta de Pedro Barba. Reddish cosco (Mesem-
bryanthemum nodiflorum; the red ice plant) brightens up
the inclines here. Heading along the base of Agujas
Grandes, your view stretches beyond the wall of cliffs to
the Jable plain and the distant volcanoes of Timanfaya.
Soon you cross a low crest and descend to a lower plain,
edged by short, abrupt hills. Alegranza comes into sight,
rising up out of the sea into an impressive table-topped
mountain trailed by a tail of hills. The remains of stone
walls come as a surprise out here. What could they have
grown?
At about 1h40min come to a branch-off left — your
continuation, which circles the island. But why not first
visit the beautifully-kept little port: stay on the main track
and head to the right; it’s only about 10 minutes to Caleta
de Pedro Barba (1h50min). All the fishermen’s old
cottages here have been given glamourous ‘facelifts’.
Gardens filled with palms and shrubs encircle them, and
a sandy cove sits just below. The good-sized jetty, which
encloses a pool, points to the fact that this is no ordinary
weekend retreat — it’s a lovely serene spot with a good
outlook over the cliffs and to Orzola.
Punta Gorda
6 44 6 45 6 46 6 47 6 48
41
32
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Continuing around the island, you head towards

Alegranza on a rougher track. The north coast is sandier;
dunes grow into the landscape. Ignore the faint forks off
to the right within the next 15 minutes. Polycarpaea nivea,
a dense, silvery-leafed plant, grows in the dunes. Suaeda
vera crowns the little ant hills of sand that cover the plain.
Montaña Bermeja, the ‘Red Mountain’, soon appears on
Playa de las Conchas
rests at the foot of the
maroon slopes of
Montaña Bermeja.
This clean beach of
golden sand drops
deeply into a blue sea.
your left, and Montaña Clara reappears, seemingly joined

to the island.
At about 2h40min the track forks; keep left and head
towards the dunes to make for Playa del Ambar. What
appears at first to be a lovely beach soon becomes a
disappointment — it’s littered with washed-up rubbish.
Moreover, the rocks beneath the water’s surface make
swimming here awkward. The setting, however, makes
an appealing photograph — the white dunes, green sea,
and the volcanic hues of the mountains in the background.
Don’t worry — a better beach is en route! Note: the west-
coast beaches are usually treacherous; take care when
swimming!
The track heads behind and above the beach, fading as
it crosses the dunes. Just after dropping down to the
shoreline, you meet your turn-off, about 1h from the
Caleta de Pedro Barba junction — a very faint track
striking off left; it quickly becomes more obvious. Don’t
continue straight on; that way leads to Punta Gorda.
Shortly you’re alongside Montaña Bermeja. The
dunes lose their strength and flatten out, and Agujas
Grandes now reveals its crater. Further along, the
Timanfaya side of Lanzarote comes into sight. Coming
alongside the southern flanks of Montaña Bermeja, take
the track to the right. If you’re pushed for time you may
decide to forego the ascent to the summit and make
straight for Playa de las Conchas, the exquisite beach
shown above (4h10min).
From the beach, return to the wide main track (4h
20min) and keep ahead... past a large rubbish dump. It’s
a gentle ascent over a low col littered with stones and
rocks. Ignore all branch-offs. Heading between the two
craters, the Risco reappears like a green curtain in a
theatre, bringing an end to the walk. When you rejoin
your outgoing track, turn right for the port. There are
plenty of pleasant places to relax and have some refresh-
ment in Caleta del Sebo (6h), while you wait for the
ferry to sail.
44
Walk 2: RISCO DE FAMARA
Distance: Access is best for motorists. Travelling by 5, allow 9.5km/
6mi; 3h. By b, the nearest stop is Máguez: 18km/11.2mi; 5h30min.
Or get off the bus in Haría and pick up a taxi (that’s how I’ve described
the walk): ask the driver to take you to the parking place for motorists,
but walk on to Máguez at the end for a b (14km/8.7mi; 4h30min).
Grade: very strenuous — a steep, gravelly descent/re-ascent of 450m/
1475ft down a cliff face, with a possibility of vertigo for inexperienced
walkers. No shade en route: the return is sheer slog. Don’t attempt in
wet weather. Only recommended for experienced and fit walkers.
Equipment: walking boots, sunhat, light jacket, raingear, swimwear,
suncream, picnic, plenty of water
How to get there and return: 5 Travelling by car, park southwest of
the Mirador del Río: descending from the mirador as in Car tour 1,
watch for two derelict stone buildings just below the road on the right,
2.3km from the mirador. Just past them and just before the large Finca
La Corona on the left, turn right on a narrow stone-paved track. Follow
this track 100m to a small car park. Coming from the south, the track
is on the left, just past the Finca La Corona. Or b to/from Máguez
(Timetable 6; ‘Sociedad’ stop) and walk north to the starting point (see
map and add 1h to the times below). Or b to Haría (Máguez bus;
alight at the ‘Plaza’ stop) and then taxi: see under ‘Distance’ above.
his is a truly spectacular walk. You descend into the

T landscape viewed from the Mirador del Río and zig-
zag steeply down the sheer Risco (cliff) de Famara. You
discover that the captivating beach that sits imbedded in
the lava tongue hundreds of metres below you is acces-
sible after all! In the early morning and in the evening,
this setting is no less than an oil painting. You’ll probably
want to make this an all-day hike, so do be prepared for
the lack of shade.
Alight from the Máguez bus in Haría and pick up a
taxi in the plaza. Ask the driver for ‘Las Casillas’, the name
on the bus stop at the southern end of the road descending
The glowing ponds of the Salinas del Río

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Walk 2: Risco de Famara 47

from the Mirador del Río.
Set out by heading up this
narrow cliff-top road, pass-
32
ing low lichen-clad stone
32
250 walls criss-crossing coun-
GR131
50
200 tryside clothed in fig trees
4
150
q 100 and prickly pear.
J
Your first turn-off comes
254
La X ’
up after 500m/yds, just
Quemada J J π metres past the large FINCA
Casas La π π
Breña π π π π
πLA CORONA: take the stone-
GR13
π π π laid track off left, imme-
4q
1
c π
π
π
π π diately before this wall. A
30
203 π π πstunning panorama slowly

Torrecilla π π
32
del J unravels, as you near the

π
Domingo π π π
π π π π πcliff-tops. You look straight
π π π
π out on to La Graciosa, bare
13
1 π π π π
4q
GR π π of vegetation, desolate, and
π π
29
π yet quite beautiful in the

πMALPAIS π
201 π π π π π
32
π π ππ eyes of many beholders. The

πDE LA π
π π π
π π πCORONA
π
ππ
fishing village of Caleta del
π Sebo nestles around the
π π π exposed shoreline. Montaña
28
Clara is the blade of rock

32
π π π π πthat bursts up out of the sea

π
π π behind La Graciosa and,
π
π π
π π πfurther afield, to the right,
π π π
π
π π πlies the hilly island of
Cueva de π
π π
los Verdes π Alegranza.

π Y π
π 204 When the track ends in a
π π π
π
π small CAR PARK, continue
straight on, now descend-
ing a rocky, sometimes
stepped, path. Standing on
the very edge of the cliff
(Picnic 2), you look along a
sheer wall of rock that
plummets to a flat shelf
below. Playa del Risco steals
25
50
your attention with its
32
golden sand and shallow

10 turquoise-green water. An-
201 other sight distracts you:
the strangely-coloured pink
24
1
and maroon (and some-
Arrieta
32
times orange) ponds of
48 49 50
Guatiza
6 6 6
Y
The fabulous Mirador del Río and
the Famara cliffs
abandoned salt pans — the

Salinas del Río.
The path swings down
to the right of a magni-
ficent VIEWPOINT by a
POWER PYLON. The zigzag
path demands keen atten-
tion, but no stretches of it
are really vertiginous. An
astonishing amount of
vegetation clings to these
cliffs, which harbour the
richest plant life on Lan-
zarote. A number of very
rare species, as well as
nearly all the island’s en-
demics are found in this
northern massif. In and
around these riscos you can
find Pulicaria canariensis,
Asteriscus schultzii, Aich-
ryson tortuosum, Kickxia,
Reichardia, two species of
Aeonium, Limoniums, the
rare Echium decaisnei, a
yellow-flowering Argy-
ranthemum, and many
different grasses.
The desert-like Jable
plain and the assortment
of volcanic cones that con-
stitute the Timanfaya Na-
tional Park soon become
visible over to the left.
Approaching the faint track that cuts across the sea-flat
below, you meet a fork: keep right. Join the track and turn
right. (A left turn here used to lead to one of my favourite
walks — down along the cliffs to Famara — but the trail
is badly broken now and too dangerous to be
recommended.) Looking back up the way you came,
you’re bound to be impressed. Moreover, you know that
at least here you can escape the press of tourists. Five
minutes along, clamber across a dry, gouged-out stream
bed. Five minutes later, the track passes through a stone
Walk 2: Risco de Famara 49
wall. Some 100m/yds before the wall, fork off left to the
Playa del Risco (1h). Nirvana! At last you can fling off
your clothes (hoping that the telescope at the Mirador del
Río isn’t trained on you …) and plunge into the cool sea.
Now, whether you decide to swim first (watch out for
broken glass) or explore the salt pans, your continuation is
along this lovely stretch of beach. La Graciosa is just across
the strait — almost within swimming distance. At the end
of the beach, scramble over the stones and rejoin your
track, following it to its end (by an electricity transformer
station). The cliffs stand before you — a formidable
barrier of rock. See if you can locate the mirador in the
cliffs above: this will show you just how well camouflaged
it is.
From the track make your way over to the Salinas del
Río, again watching out for broken glass. Pass the
remains of a DERELICT BUILDING (1h30min). Towards
the end of the salt pans you come to the second ‘sight’ of
the walk: a magnificent pink, milk-of-magnesia-coloured
pond enclosed by crumbling stone walls (photograph
opposite). On a fine day you have a clear reflection of the
Risco in it. On occasions the pools of the shallower pond
in front of it glow a brilliant orange (see photograph on
page 45).
Return by crossing a WALKWAY that circles the pink
ponds, cutting across the salt pan. Rejoin the track some
12 minutes back, then keep left along it. When it fades
out a few minutes on, veer left uphill — you’ll find it
becomes clear again. Turn right at a T-junction and
remain on the track until you reach your outgoing descent
path, then retrace your steps up the cliff.
When you’re within sight of the top POWER PYLON (3h
30min), either keep uphill to your car or make for
Máguez to catch a return bus. For the latter, head south
on a somewhat vertiginous old path that hugs the edge
of the cliff, taking in the last of this memorable view and
passing a stone-covered house on your left. You scale the
side of a ridge. Soon you come on to a track; follow it up
over the crest, below a white house. Ignore all branch-
offs. Descending now, the craters visited in Walk 6
dominate the Guinate Valley below you. When you reach
the main road, turn right. The PLAZA/BUS STOP in Máguez
lies 40 minutes downhill (4h30min).
Walk 3: FAMARA CIRCUIT
See photograph on page 123
Distance: 10km/6.2mi; 2h30min (motorists could save 2km/30min)
Grade: fairly easy, with an ascent/descent of about 130m/425ft, but not
a walk for windy days when sand blows everywhere! No shade en route
Equipment: comfortable walking shoes, jacket, sunhat, raingear, sun-
cream, picnic, plenty of water
How to get there: b (Timetables 13, 14) or 5 to/from La Caleta de
Famara (to save 2km/30min, motorists can park near the urbanización)
ne of my favourite walks has always been the descent

O of the Famara cliffs from the junction with Walk 2
to La Caleta, but it recent years it has become far too
dangerous; landslides have broken the path in at least two
places, and walkers have had to be rescued by helicopter.
Start the walk from the BUS STOP in La Caleta. Stroll
over to the holiday houses and turn right up the road in
front of them (signed ‘Playa’). Despite being designed to
resemble half-moon zocos, I find these bungalows ugly.
But the track turns left once past them, and you have the
wonderful sweeping view shown on page 123. When the
track turns left down to the beach, walk ahead past a FARM
wreathed in palms and then a walled THRESHING CIRCLE.
Eventually you rise to a locked galería; 1h10min),
where they have bored into the cliffs for water. The wealth
of plants sprouting from the cliff walls testifies to the
amount of moisture carried here by the northeasterly
trade winds. Ahead is the way up the cliffs once used to
access the salt pans. But this link with Walk 2 is too dan-
gerous now; instead, turn left down a skiddy path behind 40 Vall
e
0
25
the house and, at the T-junction, turn left on a track.c Barranco

32
You pass an old PUMP HOUSE and the whole way back
is easy walking. Although you’ll be constantly entertained 5
50
by the antics of the windsurfers, don’t forget to look back Montaña
Las
X
Bajas
to those inspiring cliffs! Perhaps finish off your day with Ganada
24
a good fish meal in La Caleta (2h30min).

32
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6 40 6 41 6 42
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32
Walk 4: FROM MAGUEZ TO YE
See map pages 46-47
Distance: 9.5km/6mi; 3h (or, if returning to Máguez: 14km/8/7mi;
4h10min)
Grade: moderate, with ascents of about 250m/820ft overall (of which
175m/575ft is at the end of the walk). Can be cold and misty.
How to get there: b to Máguez (Timetable 6; ‘Sociedad’ stop) or 5:
park as for Picnic 4 on page 12, joining the walk at the 15min-point.
To return: pre-arranged 5 taxi from Ye (Haría taxis: K928-835368, 928-
529806 (English spoken), or 629-331827 (English spoken). Or walk
the 5km back to Máguez (add 1h10min): head south from Ye on the
LZ10, then turn right on a track opposite the Guinate road; follow this
to your outgoing track, turn right and retrace your steps to your parked
car or the bus stop in Máguez.
n this pleasant countryside ramble you wind your

O way amidst the hills of the Famara massif — the
highest and (in winter) the most lush corner of the island.
Farm plots keep you company. Masses of solid stone walls
fortify the inclines. In spring the herbaceous slopes are
flecked with dandelions, indigo Echium, gold-coloured
Asteriscus, white Argyranthemum, and mauve and scarlet
poppies. A splendid sight! The massive yawning craters
of Monte Corona and La Quemada, and the neighbouring
Malpais (badlands) de la Corona remind you of the
volcanic origins of Lanzarote.
The walk begins at the small PLAZA in Máguez, where
the bus stops at an intersection. Follow the road dia-
gonally across from you, the one that heads straight into
the village (signposted ‘Correos, Colegio, Sta B.bra’). A
minute along pass the church square on the left. Two-
three minutes later (after 150m/yds) turn left at an inter-
section. Ascending steadily (keep straight uphill) you look
back over the village, spread along a gentle valley sprinkled
with palms. Some 8 minutes up, a road joins you from
the right. Just past it, branch off right on a farm track
lined with palms (15min).
You exit through hills into another valley. Keep left at
the fork several minutes along, crossing a saucer-shaped
valley dominated by the enormous crater of 4000-year-
old Monte Corona (609m/1995ft; photograph overleaf).
A rough patchwork of cultivated fields stretches across the
sloping inclines. Anywhere along this track is a lovely
setting for Picnic 4.
Just over 35min from Máguez go over an intersection
at the foot of Monte Corona. A short way past here,
there’s a WATER TANK on the left with a faded blue door.
51
Some 400m/yds past the intersection, come to a second
WATER TANK, just after a crossing cinder track (40min).
(Walk 5 sets off here for the ascent of Monte Corona.)
From a col 300m/yds further on, the large, dilapidated
castle-like house shown on page 21, the Torrecilla del
Domingo, captures your attention. It sits high atop a
ridge overlooking the northeastern inclines and the sea.
On the slopes of Corona you see a plethora of colourful
vegetation. But all colour drains out of the landscape as
you approach ash-covered fields and a vast labyrinth of
stone walls. Off the hillside, keep left at a fork and enter
this labyrinth.
Close to the MIRADOR DEL RIO ROAD, at around
1h05min into the walk, the track forks. Bear left. On
reaching the road, keep straight ahead (left). A gap in the
crater walls above gives you a good view of its sharp-
toothed crown and an uninterrupted vista over the spiky
interior of the Malpais de la Corona.
At the top of the rise, where the road curves left, veer
off right through a gap in the roadside barrier on a wide
farm track flanked by high stone walls and descend
towards the malpais. Ignore two chained-off tracks
turning off to the right but, where a wide farm track
Walk 4: From Máguez to Ye 53
sweeps down the hill in front of you, follow it to the right.
Your route now circles another extinct volcano (La
Quemada), which soon reveals a quite substantial crater.
Looking back up the hillside you get a dramatic shot of
Monte Corona: its razor-sharp rim rears up above the
wall-rutted slopes.
At 1h35min meet the ORZOLA ROAD and turn left,
continuing along the edge of the malpais. Some seven
minutes downhill, on a bend to the right, turn left on a
track that circles La Quemada. A steady, sometimes steep
climb will take you up to Ye. Ignore two private, chained-
off tracks to the left. You sidle up against the mountain
and get a glimpse of the inside of the crater. You cross the
saddle, passing a house on the left. Ignore a track off left
just past it. Descending, a deep valley slicing back into the
plateau comes out of hiding. Your route dips down and
crosses it. Ignore all side tracks as you head past beautifully
cultivated land adorned with whimsical cacti.
At 2h40min you ascend into another, higher valley,
just below the plateau, and come into Ye, a small village
sitting with its back to the gaping crater of Monte Corona.
Cross the ROAD TO THE MIRADOR DEL RIO and pick up
the road heading right, into the CENTRE (3h). This is
where your pre-arranged
taxi from Haría should be
waiting.
But you have a couple
of options if you want to
walk back to Máguez.
You can head south on the
LZ10 as far as the Guinate
road, then head east on a
track (as described on
page 51), or you could
return to your outgoing
track via Monte Corona.
A well-defined path leads
from Ye to the lowest part
of the crater. See the notes
for Walk 5 and the various
paths on the map.
Anywhere along the track, looking

towards Monte Corona, is a good
place to enjoy Picnic 4.
Walk 5: MONTE CORONA (MAGUEZ)
Distance: 7.2km/4.5mi; 2h25min
Grade: fairly strenuous ascent/descent of about 350m/1150ft, but only
recommended for very experienced walkers; you must be sure-footed
and have a head for heights (danger of vertigo)
Equipment: walking boots, jacket, sunhat, raingear, suncream, picnic,
water
How to get there and return: b to/from Máguez (Timetable 6;
‘Sociedad’ stop) or 5: park as for Picnic 4 on page 12, joining the walk
at the 15min-point. (See also the notes in the first paragraph below: you
may prefer to park at the church in Ye and approach the crater from the
north; this route is shown on our map, highlighted in violet.)
onte Corona, one of the most impressive sights in
M the north of the island, dominates the horizon when
approached from the south — from Máguez. It’s certainly
Orzola
π
A 6 44
the highlight of Walk 4, as you can see in the photograph
R q 52-53. In the past, intrepid, sure-footed hikers
Salinas del Río
6 45 on pages
33
have used Walk 4 as00 a starting point for the ascent. These
32
q
50 1 0 Mirador
days, judging by all the
20 tracks on Google Earth, a more
2
del Río
q
300 c
250 0
popular approach seems 40 to be450 from Ye — an easier option

15
Playa del
via the collapsed northern rim of the crater. The ascent is
0
35
Risco
100m/330ft2 less than in my approach. Try it if you like:
32
q
32
6 47 6 48 6 49 6 50 50
200
4
202 150
100
q
J
100
2
202
250 200
00
q
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254
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La X ’
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q
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32
del J
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π π π π
Mirador de ‘ Corona
π π π
Guinate π
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π π π π
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Walk 5: Monte Corona 55
take the southbound dirt track off the LZ201 at the km4
road marker, 150m east of the car park for Ye’s church.
Surprisingly, at press date this was still not signposted.
Otherwise, start the walk in Máguez by following
Walk 4 (page 51) to the SECOND WATER TANK (40min).
Turn left on the cinder track on the left-hand side of this
tank. When the track ends in stone walls and terraced fields
of cacti, head above the fields. In some places rainwater
has eroded a ‘path’, but basically just make your way
straight up to the top (a climb of just under 300m/
1000ft). Where possible avoid the scree and keep to the
volcanic rock all the way to the top of Monte Corona
(1h20min) with its fantastic views round the clock. But,
like me, you may be too mesmerised by the view almost
200m/650ft down into the crater to notice them at first.
If you’ve made it this far you no doubt have a very
good head for heights and may decide to circle the crater’s
rim. I’ve not done so: my timings are simply out and back
to Máguez (2h25min). Allow more time if you try any
of the traces shown on the map — or forge your own!
Walk 6: MAGUEZ • GUINATE • MAGUEZ
Distance: 10km/6.2mi; 3h35min
Grade: moderate, but with a steep ascent of 300m/1000ft at the start
of the walk.
How to get there and return: 5 or b (Timetable 6; ‘Sociedad’ stop)
to/from Máguez
Alternative walk: Exclude the ascent to the trig point on Los Helechos,
saving a climb of 100m and shortening the walk to 2h35min.
Short walk: Los Helechos (1.5km/1mi; 1h). A moderate climb of
100m/330ft; equipment as above. Access by 5 only. Use the notes
ππ π π πbelow
π to leave Máguez on the lane followed in the walk. Drive (on
ππ
GRACIOSA 6 44
π πsurfaced road) to the white circular building and park. Pick up the notes
π π at the 1h20min point. You’ll be back at yourRcarq in 1h. Either drive back
the way you came or, to enjoy Salinas del Río
6 45 6 46 6 47 6 48
the view shown below (right), continue
33
q
the circuit on the motorable — if in places bumpy — track; you
10
0 come
0 Mirador
32
50
2
20 del Río
out just above the Guinate Tropical Park.
q
0 c
250 0
30
15
0 450
40
ake it out! This summed up one reader’s opinion of
T Playa del
0
35
Risco
as2 an alternative to
CO
this walk — when it appeared 203
RIS
Walk 4 in the first edition of the book. Why? Because part
q
32
EL
of the track had been surfaced, and the rest was motor-
32
able in any case. So we suggested on Update sheets that

readers might like to omit this walk. And were202pleasantly
surprised by the response from other visitors. Not only
100
2
250 200
did they urge us to leave it in the book, but to make it a

q
3
00
Ye b
50
31
350 3
walk in its own right — it’s gorgeous, they said. Only

150
La Corona
q
2, 3carpet of wild
32
5 J
PR J
3
farmers use the road and track, and c the
q
J 25
flowers in spring is a delight.
q
So we went to see for ourselves and decided that we

2
J
2
q
30
Monte 5
q
q
32
6 44 6 45 6 46 201 6 47
‘ Corona
q
Mirador de
0 [ 1 km Guinate
c X422
150
35 50
0.5 mi
50
Parque Tropical
6q 2
2
609 X
0
Guinate
0
q
100 20
0
29
30
q
4q 5
32
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2
c
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6
X422
La 5
q
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Pescosa
500
5
27
100
200
4
350
q
32
Máguez
q
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b
GR131
26
350 206
32
Walk 6: Máguez • Guinate • Máguez 57
could please everyone. For those of you who abhor tarmac
and tracks, but have a car, there’s a delightful short walk
to the twin craters of Los Helechos, from where you can
enjoy one of the island’s best views. But anyone wishing
a longer walk, or limited to bus travel, can rest assured
that this is not a busy road, and the only cars you are likely
to see are those of the few local potato farmers.
And there’s icing on the cake: Lanzarote has joined the
elite circle of UNESCO’s Geoparks, and this walk area is
now a natural park, with information boards about local
geology and agriculture all along the route.
To start out, head straight uphill from the BUS STOP
in Máguez, following the GUINATE AND MIRADOR DEL
RIO SIGNS. Just over 350m/yds along, fork half left up a
narrow asphalted lane into the houses (CALLE DE LA
CALDERA). As you climb, Monte Corona will catch your
eye, well off to the right, but you are soon below the flanks
of the Helechos volcano. About 1km along, the road curls
to the left directly below Helechos, and you enjoy a fine
view left down over Máguez. The ubiquitous Nicotiana
glauca (photograph page 99) lines the road here as in so
many other places on the island. Already you are
approaching the fields of potatoes that characterise the
higher sections of this walk.
Soon the road comes up to a rise, and the military
installations atop the Peñas del Chache lie straight ahead
in the southwest. Keep chugging uphill, ignoring all side-
tracks; a new crater, La Pescosa, yawns ahead on the right.
La
Graciosa,
from
above
Guinate
A beautifully-walled potato plot marks the start of your short hike to
La Quemada (left) and the trig point on Los Helechos (right).
A track veers off right to La Pescosa; ignore it and walk

ahead to a circular white building with conical antennae
behind it (a METEOROLOGICAL STATION; 1h20min).
A cinder track turns right uphill just before the meteo
building — your route to the trig point on Helechos. Even
if you are omitting the climb to the summit, if you have
a picnic, do carry on with the main walk for just a few
minutes more. The track takes you up to the neatly walled-
off potato plot shown above, with its own Lanzarote-
green picket gate. Before you reach the end of the plot,
head half-left on a grassy track/trail towards a plateau —
yet another angle from which to enjoy ‘the’ perfect view
of La Graciosa and the Risco cliffs (Picnic 6).
The main walk continues uphill to a small white build-
ing on La Quemada (562m/1845ft), past the gaping
Pescosa crater on your right. From the house make for
the trig point seen ahead: keep to the left of the white
building and aim for the saddle between the hill you are
on and the trig point. There is no path, but your way over
the grass-covered hillside is obvious. Be sure to admire
the pristine farm below in the valley, with its walled fruit
trees.
Once on the ridge leading to the trig point, new views
open up to Monte Corona and the Torrecilla del
Domingo. Relax a while at the Los Helechos SUMMIT
(581m/1905ft), overlooking Máguez straight below,
with Haría beyond it and Arrieta and Mala stretching
away down on the coast. Below you are twin craters, in
58
From top to bottom: pimpernels
(Anagallis arvensis), mauve-flowering
Canarian stock (Matthiola bolleana)
and yellow Reichardia tingitana,
storks’s bill (Erodium), and a tangle of
white and yellow cress (Cruciferae)
line with Monte Corona. One

of them is well over 100m
deep, and beautifully terraced.
Return to the METEORO-
LOGICAL STATION (2h20min)
and continue the circuit —
now on a track. At a fork just
past the station, keep right.
Ignore all minor side-tracks.
Eventually you descend into
the Guinate Valley and will
spot the Tropical Park below.
You pass above the FARM seen
from the climb to the trig point
and soon enjoy a view to the
Playa del Risco, reaching out
towards the port at Caleta del
Sebo. The narrow strait is a
turquoise mirror. A wide
grassy area on the left is
another magnificent view-
point, much beloved by local
picnickers (see photograph on
page 57).
Just under 1km further on
you reach the GUINATE ROAD.
Head left here, to visit the
Tropical Park, or go right to
the main road. Crossing the
main road, take the track
directly opposite. Turn right at
an obvious right-angled bend
and continue until you come to
a T-junction with a cinder
track. Turn right and follow
this track (Walk 4 in reverse).
Ignoring all side tracks, you
come back into Máguez
(3h35min). The bus leaves
from the intersection by the
PLAZA.
59
Walk 7: AROUND HARIA
See also photographs pages 1, 13, 18
Grade: easy, but sometimes slippery underfoot. A bit of scrambling
through brambles. An initial descent of 220m/720ft, followed by an
ascent/descent of 200m/650ft; you must be sure-footed and have a head
for heights near the cliff-edge in the second half of the walk.
Equipment: comfortable walking shoes, sunhat, light jacket, raingear,
long trousers, suncream, picnic, water
How to get there and return: b (Timetable 6; ‘Plaza’ stop) or 5
to/from Haría, then taxi to the Restaurante Los Helechos: K928-835368,
928-529806 (English spoken), or 629-331827 (English spoken). Note
that the bus goes through Haría before returning to stop in the plaza.
Short walks
1 Restaurante Los Helechos to Haría (2.5km/1.5mi; 1h). Easy, but
slippery underfoot when wet. Equipment, access/return as main walk.
Do the first half of the main walk only.
2 Haría — Valle de los Castillejos — Valle del Rincón — Haría
(4.5km/2.8mi; 1h30min). Grade, equipment as main walk. b or 5
to/from Haría. Do the second half of the main walk only. For a very
short walk (45min in total), leave the Castillejos Valley by the track met
at the 1h23min-point and return on the far side of the valley.
Alternative walks (see also map pages 68-69)
1 Start the walk at the Ermita de las Nieves (add 3km/2mi; 40min).
From Haría, take a taxi to the ermita, and from there follow the (motor-
able) track northeast past the ‘golf balls’ of the Peñas del Chache to the
main road. Then turn left downhill for 200m to the Restaurante Los
Helechos, to pick up the main walk below. PR LZ 16
2 Valle de Malpaso (6.5km/4mi; 2h). Grade, equipment as main
walk. b (Timetable 6; ‘Plaza’ stop) or 5 to/from Haría (or start at the
Restaurante Los Helechos, if you’re feeling particularly energetic). Start
at the 1h-point of the main walk, at the church square in Haría. Follow
the main walk to the 2h-point, the motorable track. Do not turn left
here through the Valle del Rincón, but instead follow the somewhat
wider track climbing gently up to the LZ10. Turn left downhill along
the road and turn left again after just under 1km, through a gap in the
roadside barrier (there is a signpost here for the PR LZ 16). You have
now joined the main walk at the 30min point, where it crosses the LZ10
for the second time. (The energetic will see a similar gap in the roadside
barrier leading uphill, if they want to head up to the Restaurante Los
Helechos.) Follow the main walk past César Manrique’s house, back to
the church square in Haría.
his delightful countryside ramble takes you down a

T centuries-old trail into the palm valley of Haría, with
wonderful views all the way. After a break, you leave the
village to walk up the Valle de los Castillejos, along the
edge of the Famara cliffs, and then down the Rincón
Valley back into the village. The ramble ends at the lively
church square — the Plaza Leon y Castillo.
Pick up a taxi at the PLAZA in Haría and ask for the
Restaurante Los Helechos. Circling up the impressively-
60
Máguez
5 2
b
26
350 206
32
Haría
7q P
500 c 13
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7
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walled hairpins by taxi, you may wonder how you’re

going to get back down to Haría on an ‘easy’ path! After
enjoying the view from the mirador at the restaurant, start
the walk by heading down the road in the direction
you’ve just come (passing the km17 stone), with the
Barranco del Cuchillo a deep gash on your right. As you
approach a sharp bend, there is a break in the roadside
barrier on the right (just below electricity wires). Step
through — into history. Stone paving underfoot recalls
the days when this was the pilgrims’ route from the north
to the Ermita de las Nieves. This is the PR LZ 16, which
runs between Haría and the Ermita de las Nieves (see
Alternative walk 1).
You head straight for the white ‘Mirador de Haría’
building on the Filo del Cuchillo (‘knife’s edge’) but,
before you reach it, the path veers off to the left. All the
way down (Picnic 7a), on a very gentle gradient, you
enjoy long-range views over Haría … while you step
through a veritable botanic garden. You’ll cross the road
(carefully) three times. At the second crossing there’s a
sign, ‘Valle de Malpaso’). After the third crossing
(30min), the way becomes a cart track, and you can pluck
some wild fennel to add to your herbs if you’re in self-
catering accommodation. Monte Corona rises just to the
left of the large school building. The plots of maize,
potatoes, marrows and vines are festooned with huge fig
trees.
On coming to a T-junction (40min) with a diagonally
61
On the descent from the mirador, you
look ahead to the two valleys explored
in the second part of the walk.
crossing track, head left

towards the SCHOOL, soon
passing an OLD FARM flanked
by two palms and then some
derelict cottages (the latter a
rare sight on Lanzarote).
Coming onto tarmac, keep
straight ahead — ignore the
road to the left. Now watch
for the house on the left
surrounded by trees and lava-
stone walls: this was CÉSAR
MANRIQUE’S HOUSE at the
time of his death. At a Y-fork
not far past it, bear right.
Ignore side-streets. When
you reach a square, keep left
to continue. At the T-
junction, where the town hall
is on your right, turn right
and immediately left and left again, back to the taxi rank
and the CHURCH SQUARE in Haría (1h).
Moving on (perhaps after a quick drink), follow the
main street north uphill, passing a restaurant on the right.
Ignore a fork back left into the village in five minutes, but
at a junction a minute later, go left: pass Calle Romero
and head downhill on CALLE CASAS ATRAS. After about
100m/yds fork left up an earthen track with grass down
the middle. Monte Corona is ahead to the right, with the
green spread of Máguez below it. This delightful track
through cultivation and wild flowers takes you up the
Valle de los Castillejos (Picnic 7b; photograph page 18),
where a dry barranco falls away gently on the right.
The bulk of Montaña Ganada looms ahead. To the left
is a series of hillocks, with neatly-terraced ‘aprons’ of vine-
yards. Pass a house (1h20min) and ignore tracks off left
into fields. Three minutes later (1h23min) a track joins
from the right. (For a very short walk, you could turn
right and follow this track across the valley and back to
the main road.)
By 1h30min or less you’re just below a RUIN and
cinderblock gateposts leading to a stone-faced building.
Continue uphill on the track. In five minutes the track
62
ends at a terraced plot. You’ve climbed up to the right
(north) of a castellated ROCKY OUTCROP that rises just at
the edge of the Risco de Famara.* To continue, walk
between the two palm trees about 20m/yds away to your
right. A faint path now becomes visible; follow it straight
ahead towards the long, low stone wall that borders the
edge of the cliff.
When you reach the cliff-edge, you will be astounded
by the stunning views. But the views are even better from
the very top of the outcrop on your left, so climb it, using
the faint path (which some people may find vertiginous).
From up here you’re ‘on top of the world’: on the right
is La Graciosa, Alegranza and Roque del Oeste. On the
left, beyond the long golden beach of Famara, you can
see the wastelands as far as La Santa and Sóo. On the
horizon are the Montañas del Fuego, and behind you are
Haría and Máguez.
From the top of the cliff follow the faint path downhill
(it runs at a safe distance from the edge). The path takes
*If you find this section too vertiginous, go back inland towards the
cinderblock gateposts and walk up the hill behind them, avoiding any
private property. When you get to the top of the rise, keep right to
join the path along the cliffs.
63
The Ermita de las Nieves (top left); view from the ermita (bottom left) and
César Manrique’s simple grave in the cemetery at Haría
you down to a small mirador with drystone walls and the

(motorable) track (2h), where you turn left downhill
through the Valle del Rincón — totally different in character
from the Castillejos. There are no far-reaching views, fewer
flowers, and little cultivation.
What catches the eye instead are the soft rosy-rusty hues
emanating from the soil and the rock, set off by isolated
splashes of cultivation. Notice, for instance, some 10 minutes
down the track, a fruit tree on the right, completely enclosed
by a circular drystone wall. On the hillsides opposite this tree,
the stone walls not only help prevent erosion, but also
capture water coming off the hillside and trap it in pools —
at least in spring. Two minutes later a mini-reservoir on the
left allows one lucky farmer to irrigate his smallholding:
outside summer, pink carnations thrive among his marrows
and onions. Around here the track is embroidered with ice
plants (photograph page 39).
Looking south, you should be able to spot your descent
route in the first part of the walk. A swathe of vegetation
takes you back into Haría. Pass the SCHOOL on the right and
come into a small grove of palms, where there is a ruin ahead.
Bear left in front of the ruin, then ignore a road to the right.
Continue on tarmac. Soon a barranco is just on the right. Go
straight over all junctions until you come to the town hall
and return to the PLAZA LEON Y CASTILLO (2h30min).
64
Walk 8: HARIA • RESTAURANTE LOS HELECHOS •
ERMITA DE LAS NIEVES • TEGUISE
Map begins on page 61 and ends on pages 68-69; photographs
opposite and on pages 1, 13, 25, 64, 70-71, 72
Grade: moderate but long, with an ascent of about 350m/1150ft.
Equipment: comfortable walking shoes, sunhat, long trousers, rain-
gear, suncream, picnic, water, warm clothing (it can be cold and misty)
How to get there and return: b to Haría (Timetable 6; ‘Plaza’ stop)
To return: b from Teguise (Timetables 6, 7, 14)
his walk between two of the island’s loveliest villages
T is characterised by spectacular vistas and a wealth of
endemic flora. The ascent out of Haría almost goes
unnoticed as you rise through a ‘botanic garden’ on an
extremely well-graded mule trail, which was once the
main route to the old capital, Teguise, as well as a pilgrims’
path to the ermita. Once the ascent is over, you enjoy that
‘top of the world’ feeling and can just stride out.
Start the walk with your back to the TOWN HALL in
Haría: turn left, then take the first left (CALLE EL
PUENTE). The PR LZ 16, which runs from Haría to the
Ermita de las Nieves, is signalled here by an INFORMATION
BOARD and FINGERPOSTS. Keep straight ahead where a
lane forks back to the right. The street becomes CALLE
ELVIRA SANCHEZ and you pass (all on the right): CÉSAR
MANRIQUE’S FORMER HOUSE (the ample grounds
surrounded by volcanic stone walls), the SCHOOL AND
SPORTS GROUND, a pair of derelict cottages and the solitary
OLD FARM BUILDING shown on page 1.
At the next fork, keep right. You will now climb
straight up across the hairpin bends of the LZ10. After
the first road crossing the way narrows into the old stone-
laid donkey trail. When you reach the road for the fourth
time, turn up left to the RESTAURANTE LOS HELECHOS
(1h30min) and perhaps take a break.
Continue along the LZ10 for another 200m/yds, then
bear right on a road signposted ‘MIRADOR RISCOS DE
FAMARA’. Follow it below the Peñas del Chache (a
military installation and off-bounds to the public) to the
Ermita de las Nieves (2h; Picnic 9). The current building
dates from 1966, but there has been a place of worship
on this site since the 15th century.
From the ermita, use the notes for WALK 9 on page 69
from the 3h05min-point to continue to Teguise (4h
30min), the gem of a town described on page 26. The
lively Sunday market is worth visiting during your stay.
65
Walk 9: MALA • ERMITA DE LAS NIEVES • TEGUISE
See also photographs pages 25, 64, 70-71, 72. 74
Grade: strenuous, with a drawn-out ascent of 600m/1970ft in the first
part of the walk. Can be quite cold, windy and misty … or even wet!
Equipment: comfortable walking shoes, warm jacket, sunhat, raingear,
How to get there: b to the ‘Correos’ stop in Mala (Timetable 6)
To return: b from Teguise (Timetables 6, 7, 14)
Shorter walks: both are easy; equipment as above. Take private trans-
port (friends, or a taxi from Haría or Teguise) to start; return by bus.
1 Ermita de las Nieves to Teguise (8km/5mi; 2h30min). Pick up
the main walk at the Ermita de las Nieves and follow it to the end. If
you are travelling by 5, park in Teguise and take a taxi from there.
2 Ermita de las Nieves to Mala (10.5km/6.5mi; 2h30min). Pick up
the main walk at the chapel and use the map to walk down to Mala; it’s
very straightforward — but see above notes on weather conditions. If
you are travelling by 5, park in Mala and telephone the Haría taxi (see
page 60); they will collect you in Mala and take you to the ermita; you
pay only for the journey between Mala and the ermita.
rossing the island from east to west, you climb to the
C solitary Chapel of the Snows (Ermita de las Nieves)
— the coldest point on Lanzarote. So if you’re after some
bracing air … join us and leave the sea plain! You wind
up into a narrow concealed valley. The denuded clay-
brown slopes soon fold up into pasture-like inclines (in
winter and spring). Seascapes and mountain views accom-
pany you all the way up to the chapel — where from a
windswept plateau you enjoy a 360° panorama — the
view of views.
When you leave the bus at Mala at the ‘Correos’ (post
office) stop, start by heading north along the road.
Several minutes along, turn up a road branching off left
— where a road sign on the right depicts a MAN
DESCENDING STEPS. Immediately the road forks: bear
right. You pass the church shown above (Nuestra Señora
de la Merced). The village is immersed in fields of prickly
pear — sidle up to some of these plants to see the cochi-
neal insects thriving on the gooey white cactus juice. You
can see the wall of the Presa (reservoir) de Mala ahead,
wedged across the mouth of the Valle del Palomo.
In about 300m/yds go over the LZ1 and ignore tracks
on either side of the bridge, then continue straight ahead
on a rough track. Some 100m/yds further on, when the
track forks by two houses, go right. Your climb begins as
you leave the farmland behind. Just before crossing the
crest into the Valle del Palomo, you get a good view
along the sea plain of Mala, buried under a dark green
66
Nuestra Señora de la Merced is
the little church passed at the start
of the walk in Mala. Just beyond it,
you come into prickly pear
plantations, and have an
opportunity to inspect the habitat of
the cochineal insect at first hand.
cloak of prickly pear, and

then the carpet of tightly-
woven gardens extending
back to Guatiza. Some 30-35
minutes uphill, ignore a fork
right to a building. To see the
fish pond-sized Presa de
Mala (the only reservoir on
Lanzarote), leave the track
and cross the top of the crest;
it’s only a few minutes over
the top.
Somewhat over 1km and
100m/300ft higher up the
valley, you pass behind some
houses … and continue
climbing. After gaining an-
other 100m in height, you
cross the bed of the stream,
and (outside summer) see
before you a verdant valley.
After the rains have fallen, this is the most luxuriant valley
on Lanzarote. Higher still, and keeping always to the main
track, you re-cross the bed of the barranco and the track
lazily zigzags up out of the valley. Yellow, violet and
scarlet flowers set the hillside alight. Catch a corner of the
Malpais de la Corona (Walk 4) over the hills. Mounting
the plateau, you swing up past a Lilliputian FARM dwelling
leaning against a rocky nodule. A minute or two beyond
the farmhouse you circle a house and, looking back, you
have a fine view down onto Arrieta and the sea. To the
northwest you see the plateau of Guatifay and the
prominent cones of Corona and La Quemada (Walk 4).
The great gap separating you from these craters is created
by the valleys of Máguez and Haría — an impressive sight.
Meet the LZ10 (2h30min) and follow it to the left.
Over to the right rises the island’s highest summit, the
Peñas del Chache, crowned by a large military installation.
As you descend, the Llanos de Zonzamos (the sweeping
plain behind Arrecife) comes into view, with Arrecife in
67
Valle
400
6 40 6 41 6 42 6 43
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32
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the 300
background. The refuge of Las Nieves soon captures
32
your attention. It stands 1conspicuously 00 alone on the

tableland. The signposted turn-off to it comes up in
Jardin
800m/yds; head right. Los Valles is visible through the
y de Cactus
mouth of the barranco 20 0
below. Soon the roar of the sea is
18
heard, and a roadside mirador gives you a view over the

32
Guatiza
Playa de Famara far below.
Santa
Once alongsideMargarita the Ermita de las Nieves (3h05min;
Picnic 9), you’re probably 2 getting a good battering from
Las Calderetas
the wind. If this is the case, picnic inside the walls X that
275
17
enclose this haven. For an unparalleled 2 vista, head over

100
32
the cliffs (carefully). Below you lies the beach [ of Famara.

Beyond it, the desert-like Jable plain fans inland, littered
with remnants
Montaña of volcanoes. On your 100 right, the Risco de
]
de Guenia
Famara X(Walk 2) ends abruptly in a razor-sharp tail;
]
353 0
beyond lie the islands of Graciosa, Montaña Clara and
16
20
32
Alegranza. 200
La
69 Caldera
X
1 324
45 46 47 48 49
Arrecife
6 6 6 6 6
404 Y
Once you’ve soaked up this great view, continue on
the gravel road that descends south of the chapel and
follow it along the crest of this declining ridge towards
Teguise. The locals use this road, and the odd tourist will
bounce past in a jeep. (If you don’t like sharing your walk
with motor vehicles, after 2km follow the route highlighted in
violet: at the ‘Marmajo’ fingerpost ascend a clear, sandy-
coloured track on the right. From the rise look down straight
below to a track behind a large rectangular field. It’s an easy
scramble down to this other track, which you follow to the left.
Two kilometres outside Teguise, fork right to pass the substan-
tial remains of the Ermita de San José (see map; Picnic 10).)
Shortly the modest Castillo de Santa Bárbara becomes
a prominent landmark. Set on the crater rim of Montaña
Guanapay, it stands guard over Teguise and the encom-
passing plains. Following the main (motorable) track, you
head back into fields. About 3km from the Ermita de las
Nieves ignore the GR trail to the right. (This short-cut is
used in Walk 10.) Then, about 1.5km further on, after a
track joins from the left, you descend to an intersection.
Here the track turns left to join the LZ10; you, however,
keep straight on through the intersection. After 200m or
so a track joins from the right. Some 12 minutes later,
come to a wide track and follow it to the left.
Entering the rear of Teguise, now on asphalt, pass the
STADIUM and come to a junction. Just keep straight ahead
into the street with the ‘no entry’
sign. Then head half-left towards
the church tower seen in this
photograph. Follow the street
down through houses and over a
small bridge. Just over the bridge,
cross a huge square to the CHURCH,
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.
An arched gateway lets you into a
beautiful plaza. Exit to the left of
the ‘Bankia’ (if it’s open, take a
peep inside this well-restored
building). You come out to another
SQUARE (5h35min); catch your
bus here, outside the Convento de
San Francisco (which now houses
the MUSEUM OF SACRED ART).
It’s worth spending at least two hours

exploring Teguise — a jewel of a town.
Walk 10: TEGUISE• LOS VALLES • TEGUISE
See map pages 68-69; see also photographs on pages 25 and 64
Distance: 16km/10mi; 4h30min
Grade: moderate but fairly long. Ascent/descent of about 270m/900ft
overall. One short pathless descent. Can be cold, windy, misty, wet…
Equipment: comfortable walking shoes, warm jacket, sunhat, raingear,
How to get there and return: b or 5 to/from Teguise (Timetable
6, 7, 14; ‘Centro de Salud’ stop). Motorists should park by the stadium
on the eastern outskirts of Teguise. The ‘Centro de Salud’ bus stop is
just south of the stadium: with your back to the bus shelter, turn right
and walk towards the masts of the stadium (easily seen); see map.
his walk, a variation on Walk 9, is especially suitable

T for motorists. Non-motorists might like to do the
walk on a Sunday, when there are extra buses running to
Teguise for the popular market. Use the map to make
your way to the stadium.
Start the walk at the STADIUM in Teguise. Referring
to the map on pages 68-69, head northeast along the
GR131 towards the Ermita de San José. The tarmac
quickly gives way to track. In just 2min you pass another
motorable track coming in from the right — the final leg
of Walks 8 and 9 (and your return route). At a Y-fork
(7min), bear right. This takes you to the substantial ruins
of the Ermita de San José (Picnic 10) on your right.
Just 60m/yds past the ermita, cross straight over a
motorable track and follow the GR fingerposts along a
Not only palms
surround the
ruin in the
valley south of
Los Valles: it’s
choked with a
collar of
ancient prickly
pear and fresh
green verode.
lovely old mule trail going straight ahead uphill.

Rejoining the motorable track route of Walks 8 and 9,
you pass an ARMY TELECOMMUNICATIONS CENTRE and
quickly come to the Ermita de las Nieves (2h15min).
Leave the ermita by heading east-southeast on the
asphalt road towards the LZ10. After 10 minutes, on the
first sharp left-hand bend, take the clear track straight
ahead. Follow this for about 35 minutes, passing under
cables, until the track splits three ways. Take the left-hand
branch and zigzag down into Los Valles (3h10min).
Turn right past the SPORTS COMPLEX, and at a three-way
road junction (where the LZ10 is ahead to the left), turn
sharp right, to pass a small CHURCH and SCHOOL on the
right. Follow this road for 15 minutes, over two cross-
roads and eventually up a short incline out of Los Valles.
There are cinder fields either side and the odd house.
Once past the last FARM on the left, with animal sheds
and noisy, chained dogs (3h25min), ignore a track going
left up to the top of the small hill. Now the walk continues
pathless for a very short way. At this point you are on a
right-hand bend in the asphalt road. Look down into the
valley ahead and locate a ruined farm surrounded by palms.
Just before and to the right of it is a faint track with walls
either side. Carefully descend the open hillside to that track
and follow it to the right of the FARM RUINS (3h30min).
From the ruin, do not follow the red soil track that
sweeps left just in front of the building; keep to the stony
track between the walls, crossing (or fording) a STREAM
BED. The track rises diagonally left, but has been washed
away in places, so climb above the right-hand wall and
walk above the washed-out track until your onward track
(now narrowed to a path) is clearly visible ahead, climbing
the hillside. The path joins a track coming from the left
at some CULTIVATION (3h55min). You walk between two
sheds and join the MAIN JEEP TRACK between the Ermita
de las Nieves and Teguise used in Walks 8 and 9. Follow
this track back to the STADIUM in Teguise (4h30min).
72
Walk 11: TABAYESCO • VALLE DE CHAFARIZ/DEL
CUCHILLO • PEÑA DE LA PEQUEÑA • TABAYESCO
See map pages 68-69; see also photographs pages 13, 64, 72
Distance: 12km/7.4mi; 4h (travelling by bus, add 2km/35min overall)
Grade: strenuous; an ascent/descent of about 500m/1650ft overall and
a pathless descent requiring care. Can be cold, windy, misty … or wet
Equipment: walking boots, warm jacket, sunhat, raingear, suncream,
picnic, plenty of water; strong gloves (for the pathless descent on all fours)
How to get there and return: 5 or b to/from the ‘Tabayesco’ stop on
the LZ1 (Timetables 6, 8). Park by the bus shelter in Tabayesco itself
Short walk: Barranco de Chafariz/del Cuchillo (5km/3mi; 2h;
equipment and access as main walk; quite easy, with an ascent/descent
of about 200m/650ft). Follow the main walk to the 40min-point. Take
the left turn at this T-junction. This track soon becomes a grassy path
as it sweeps round above your outward route. The view of the valley is
wonderful — all the way to Arrieta on the coast — as the path runs
between cultivated terraces. When you reach the LZ207 (54min) turn
left and walk down this quiet road for eight-nine minutes. Cross a
barranco on a bridge and immediately after take the clear track going
left. This track, lined with palm trees, gives you a real feel for the valley,
as it passes through vineyards and fruit orchards. You reach a junction
(the 37min-point of your outward route; 1h12min). Turn right and
retrace your outward route back to Tabayesco (1h50min).
his walk starts at Tabayesco and goes through a
T delightfully lush and fertile valley, using an old mule
trail to join the Haría road (LZ10). From there the main
walk continues up the mule trail to the mirador above the
Restaurante Los Helechos, then follows the PR LZ 01
along a ridge between the Cuchillo and Palomo valleys.
From there a pathless descent could take you down
through terraces to join Walk 9 in reverse to end in Mala.
But the main walk continues along the ridge. A final,
tricky pathless descent takes you back down to Tabayesco.
Start out in Tabayesco by taking the lower (right-
hand) road at the junction by the BUS SHELTER*, heading
into the village. Ignore Calle la Luciana running left up
to the church. At the end of the village (8min) the road
becomes a wide dirt track rising up the valley. The
Restaurante Los Helechos is already visible on the hilltop
ahead and slightly to the left. Every bit of arable land is
being cultivated with fruit, vines, vegetables or just animal
food in this valley; it’s lushly green and refreshing in
spring. You may even be regaled by the song of a
nightingale in April, although house buntings are more
common here (an African bird similar to a small hedge
sparrow but more musical).
Ignore tracks going off either side to fields or houses,
*This bus stop, called ‘Tabayesco Pueblo’ was disused at press date; bus
travellers walk here from the ‘Tabayesco’ stop on the LZ1 (see map).
73
In the Valle del Palomo (Walk 9)
until you reach a major split in the tracks (37min). The

left-hand track is the return route for the Short walk. Take
the right-hand track and continue to ignore small tracks
leaving this main track, which is always obvious as it heads
straight up to the top of the valley. Just after passing tracks
going off either side (the one to the left to a small house),
you come to a T-junction (45min), where Restaurante
Los Helechos is to the left. (The Short walk goes left here.)
The main walk goes right at this point, on a track which
soon peters out into a path. This path — very unusually
for Lanzarote — wades through waist-high grass in parts,
and you need to dodge the odd cow pat. It affords
fabulous views down the valley. You reach a stone-laid
mule trail, clearly marked by red paint dots and/or cairns.
Follow the zigzags and the going is easy. In a further 12
minutes you reach the top. Here you meet a track and,
turning left for 100m/yds, you come to the LZ207 road
(1h10min). Go right for 50m, to the LZ10, from where
you look down into the Haría and Máguez valleys and see
the Risco de Famara ahead. A track directly opposite
would take you into Haría in 10 minutes if you wished.
But for the main walk, continue along the road to the
left (carefully) for a good five minutes. Less than 150m
beyond the km20 marker, head left uphill on a mule trail
(1h15min). This lovely trail (the PR LZ 16, followed in
Walks 7 and 8) leads you easily up past the hairpins on
the road, passing the white ‘Mirador de Haría’ building
at the Filo del Cuchillo (‘knife’s edge’; 1h40min), with
wonderful views down the valley through which you have
just walked. After two more crossings, including one close
Walk 11: Circuit from Tabayesco 75
to the Restaurante Los Helechos, you meet a track. You
are now above the restaurant.
Turn left on this track, parallel to the LZ10 below you
at the km17 marker. The military base at Peñas del Cache
is ahead to the right and, as you meet another road leading
to the Ermita de las Nieves, walk over to a ROADSIDE
VIEWPOINT to your left on the LZ10 (1h55min). You
have walked from not far above sea level at Tabayesco to
the highest point on the island, and the fabulous views
are a great reward. You can see the restaurant on your
left, with Montaña Corona beyond; behind you is Peñas
del Cache and the Ermita de las Nieves; in front is the Valle
del Cuchillo/de Chafariz, with Tabayesco and the coast at
Arrieta beyond; to the right is the ridge separating this
valley from the Valle del Palomo (Walk 9).
Note now a track along this ridge, which begins
beyond some palm trees on your right about 650m away.
This track is your onward route. Follow the LZ10 south,
walking carefully, to meet this track. Just after the last
roadside palm, 100m after the km16 marker and just past
a house on the left, take the track which initially runs
parallel to the road, to its left. It then turns away from the
road (by a PR LZ 01 WAYMARKING POLE; 2h05min),
running towards the ridge you saw. You pass between
potato fields and, as the ridge narrows, you start to see
the Palomo Valley on your right as well as the Cuchillo/
Chafariz Valley to the left. The track up the Palomo Valley
followed in Walk 9 is clearly visible. When the track forks,
go right (left goes to a house). Heading out along the
ridge, you pass the odd building and ruin. Anywhere
beside the track makes a beautiful picnic spot with far-
reaching views over the Palomo Valley or back to the
Picnic 11: On the ridge between the valleys of Palomo (right) and Cuchillo,
north of Peña de la Pequeña
Peñas de Chache. (You could link up with Walk 9 and follow
it in reverse to end up in Mala. The outward track used in
Walk 9 is clearly visible below, and the pathless descent via
abandoned terraces is easily negotiable in 15 minutes. You
would join the track in the ‘verdant valley’ near the barranco
crossings at approximately the 2h-point on that walk.)
Continuing the main walk along the ridge, you come
to a Y-fork with a PR LZ 01 FINGERPOST at Peña de la
Pequeña (2h35min), indicating a left turn. Encouraging
as this is, it’s the last waymarking until Tabayesco! Follow
the track left along the ridge, to come to potato fields at
Cerro Tabayesco. Beyond here the track deteriorates and
becomes very indistinct. You need to leave the ridge and
head down to Tabayesco. Fortunately — despite the
authorities warning that this part of the trail is three-star
difficult and yet neglecting to mark it even with sighting
posts — navigation is easy. Locate Arrieta (the final goal
of PR LZ 01) on the coast — it’s the first village you can
see; the one further left (north) is Punta de Mujeres.
Now scramble carefully straight down this gentle but
very skiddy and eroded, ankle-twisting slope towards
Arrieta, weaving and picking your way over the terraces
and gullies, sometimes on all fours (gloves come in
handy!). You should brush past a RUINED HOUSE hard on
your left, then make for the LZ207 below. When you
come to a few plots just above the road, be sure to pass
to the left (top) of them, or you’ll have to fight your way
through prickly pear. Join the road (at a PR LZ 01 WAY-
MARKING POLE!; 3h40min) and go right, back to the
disused BUS SHELTER at Tabayesco (4h).
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Walk 12: MANCHA BLANCA • PLAYA DE LA MADERA
• TINAJO
Grade: easy but long. Since there is no shade en route, this walk is not
recommended in very hot weather. Note also: if you plan to swim in
the rock pools or at the beach, make absolutely certain that the sea is
safe. I have never swum at the beach myself, because it never looked safe
enough to me!
Equipment: comfortable walking shoes, fleece, sunhat, raingear,
suncream, swimwear, picnic, plenty of water
How to get there: b to Mancha Blanca (La Santa bus, Timetable 11)
To return: b from Tinajo (Timetable 11) or 5 taxi
Short walk: Mancha Blanca — Tinajo (6.5km/4mi; 1h45min). Easy
stroll on country lanes, through beautiful farming country. Access/
return as above; wear comfortable shoes and take a sunhat. Follow the
main walk for 55min, then fork right for Tinajo, picking up the main
walk again at the 4h30min-point. If travelling by 5, park at Tinajo and
take a bus to Mancha Blanca to start, picking up your car at the end of
the walk.
his walk will not appeal to everyone. It takes you

T straight through the vast lava flows that have buried
much of the southwest of Lanzarote. Not a soul lives out
here — not even plants survive. It’s a no-man’s land. Deep
in its midst, you stumble upon islands of lava-free ground,
called islotes (see overleaf). Here you’ll find some plant life
and cultivation taking refuge. It’s a curious landscape that
few would dare to call beautiful, but it has a special allure.
Alight from your bus in Mancha Blanca, and set off
by turning left towards the MASTS on the volcano just
north of the village. Pass the SPORTS GROUND on the left
and then turn left on the LZ67 road signposted to
Timanfaya. Ignore all side-streets. You skirt this well-
Playa
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dispersed rural village. Stone walls hedge in the road and
cordon off the countryside. Here you’re on the edge of a
sea of ‘AA’ lava (a sharp, unevenly-surfaced lava; photo-
graph page 120). The grand crater dominating the scene
is Montaña Blanca (Walk 13; see overleaf), and pint-
sized Montaña Caldereta sits in front of it.
Just outside the village, 100m/yds past the last house,
turn right on a tarred lane (15min). (Walk 13 goes straight
ahead here, on a track with PR LZ 19 signposting.) From
here you follow tarred country lanes through fields. Seven
minutes later, before a solitary house ahead to the right,
turn sharp left (by a 40KM SPEED RESTRICTION SIGN).
Ignore all side-tracks. The sharp colour contrast of vivid
green plots and ash-grey lapilli enhances this picturesque
countryside. Montaña de Tenezar rises up boldly at the
end of the road. Another junction awaits you at the foot
of the mountain, where there is a SOLITARY FARM ahead
Left, top: curious ‘islands’ of greenery

(chiefly tabaiba) rise out of the lava.
These islotes are patches of ground
untouched by the eruptions in the
1700s. Tabaiba (left, middle)
flourishes on the island, but uvilla
(below) is confined to coastal areas.
Bottom: waves crash on the
Timanfaya coast ahead, as you near
the Playa de la Madera.
Walk 12: Mancha Blanca • Playa de la Madera • Tinajo 79
on the right (55min). Turn left (right for the Short walk).
After passing two forks to the right (the first chained off),
the tar peters out into a motorable track. You head into
lava that now takes over the landscape. The craters of
Montaña Blanca and son soon bulge up out of the lava.
Up close, the mountain’s rocky exterior resembles a
freshly-baked cake.
Slowly, the off-shore islands appear: Alegranza, the
furthest afield, Montaña Clara, and finally La Graciosa.
The dark lava drops off into a deep blue sea. Without
warning, suddenly the lava flow subsides and reveals a
basin of low stony hillocks that lean up against Montaña
Blanca like cushions. A couple of stone casitas can be seen,
set in a coomb in the shoulders of the crater. This is Casas
del Islote. You pass a fork off left to Casas del Islote and
the Montañas del Fuego at about 1h45min and dip down
into an islote.
Some 25 minutes further on pass another turn-off to
the right. From a rise eight minutes further on, you spot
the first of the beaches, Playa de las Malvas. These black
sand beaches are small and the waters usually turbulent.
A tiny lagoon sits back off the beach here. Beyond this
playa you head back into the lava again and, less than 15
minutes later, you drop down onto Playa de la Madera
(2h35min). This small cove doesn’t look too friendly
either. Play it safe and stick to the rock pools. Pillows of
yellow-tipped Zygophyllum fontanesii (uvilla — ‘little
grapes’) grow out of the sand. A path crosses the beach
and climbs into the rock on the other side, from where
Walk 30 heads south. Shallow and inviting rock pools
(only safe when the sea is calm) lie nearby.
Some 1h55min into the straightforward return walk
you rejoin the road by the solitary farm below Montaña
de Tenezar. This time, keep straight on for Tinajo. La
Graciosa is at last in full view, and the Risco de Famara
(Walk 2) dramatises the landscape as it bursts straight up
out of the sea. Tinajo is a sprinkling of hamlets that
sprawls over a large cultivated plain. Entering the village,
keep straight along, passing all turn-offs to the right. On
reaching a large intersection, go left, taking the second of
the two roads leading down to the PLAZA (5h20min).
The bus stop for Arrecife is in front of the church.
Walk 13: CALDERA BLANCA
See also photograph on page 4
Distance: 10km/6.2mi; 3h15min (13km/8mi; 4h if travelling by bus)
Grade: moderate, with an ascent of about 250m/820ft; possibility of
vertigo on the crater rim (not recommended on windy days!). The loose
stones underfoot on the path in the malpais make for tiring walking.
Equipment: walking boots (ankle-twisting terrain underfoot), fleece,
sunhat, raingear, suncream, picnic, plenty of water
How to get there and return: 5 or b to/from Mancha Blanca (La
Santa bus, Timetable 11). Travelling by 5, take the dirt track heading
west off the LZ67 Timanfaya road just past the last houses of Mancha
Blanca (the 41km-point on Car tour 2), by an information board.
(Approaching from the south, this track is 1.5km north of the Timanfaya
Visitors’ Centre.) After 700m the track ends at a small car park. Travel-
ling by b, see Walk 12 (pages 77-78), to walk to the dirt track with
the PR LZ 19 fingerposts and information board (add 1.5km each way).
Short walk: Montaña Caldereta (4km/2.5mi; 1h20min). No prob-
lems with vertigo, so easy — but tiring walking nevertheless. Follow
the main walk to the refugio and return the same way.
he Municipality of Tinajo boasts that 65% of its
T terrain is under protection — not surprising, since it
includes La Geria and the Timanfaya National Park! This
walk is just outside the national park, but (like Walk 6)
the Caldera Blanca area has become a protected
UNESCO Geopark — the Los Volcanes Natural Park.
Start the walk at the PARKING AREA: in the company
of the PR LZ 19, head due west on the clear path through
the ‘badlands’ of AA lava. In just 10min you’re dipping
into a depression in the malpais and arrive at the first
Geopark INFORMATION BOARD explaining lava rivers.
About a dozen more of these displays follow — sure to
whet your interest in vulcanology.
At about 30min into the walk you spot some smooth
red soil and greenery ahead — a welcome respite from the
veritable ocean of sharp rock through which you’ve been
floundering. In fact there is a clear ‘edge’ to the lava: the
flow stopped dead in its tracks here. Like the other vol-
canoes in this chain, Montaña Caldereta, on your left, is
part of an islote, terrain untouched by the eruptions of the
1700s. Fork up left past a WELL to the ancient HUT
(refugio; 40min; Picnic 13). Take a break to admire the
fertile basin and, if you hanker to walk inside a crater, this
is a good place to do so; Montaña Blanca’s is very steep!
Although cairns lead from here to Montaña Blanca, it’s
easy to go back to the main path and follow it west for
450m/yds, to where an ARROW OF LARGE STONES on the
ground point you up a rough path via TWO CORRALS.
Follow everyone else through a zigzag, up to the lowest
point of Montaña Blanca’s CRATER RIM (1h15min).
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Now it’s a steep 30 minute ascent to the SUMMIT TRIG
POINT (1h45min), with its fantastic views into the
perfectly circular basin and across the national park.
Descend the skiddy goats’ path carefully until you reach
a SADDLE (2h15min), from where the walking is a bit
easier. Descend to the track seen below, and turn right.
Just past a PR LZ 19 FINGERPOST you regain your out-
ward path. Follow it back to the CAR PARK (3h15min).
Clockwise from right: the red-earth

Caldereta islote is a most welcome
sight in the sea of lava; it’s an easy
descent to the crater floor, but it’s
impressive nonetheless; walkers on the
saddle: some will descend left into the
crater, others start on the path to the
right, to Caldera Blanca; the ancient
stone stone hut (refugio) with its
wattle-and-daub walls has an oven
Walk 14: UGA • MONTAÑA DE GUARDILAMA •
MACHER • PUERTO DEL CARMEN
Grade: relatively easy climb of 200m/650ft and descent of 420m/
1375ft, excluding the ascent of Guardilama. The ascent of Guardilama
involves an additional steep climb and descent of 180m/590ft, some-
times over loose stones. The climb is also to be avoided in hot weather,
but remember, on the other hand, that the peak can be very cold and
windy! Note: this route is sometimes followed by jeep safaris.
Equipment: walking shoes (boots if ascending Guardilama), jacket,
sunhat, suncream, raingear, picnic, plenty of water
How to get there: b to Uga (Playa Blanca bus, Timetable 5). Travel-
ling by 5, you could leave your car in Puerto del Carmen and take one
of the frequent buses into Arrecife for the connecting bus to Uga.
To return: b from Puerto del Carmen (Timetables 2, 12), or your 5
he island’s farming methods are of much interest on

T Lanzarote. With great ingenuity the islanders have
been able to grow a variety of produce. This hike, partly
along the GR131 and then the PR LZ 06, takes you
through the dark ash fields of La Geria — an intriguing
landscape patterned by hollows and stone walls. You then
cross the grassy summits that divide east and west, two
quite different worlds! The mirador atop Montaña de
Guardilama reveals a world of vivid contrasts: vineyards
and vegetable plots, meadows and ash fields, and the great
lava flows. It opens up the interior of the island for you,
and you have a fine outlook over the lunar landscape of
the Timanfaya National Park.
Leave the bus at the cheerful square in Uga. Start out
with your back to the CHURCH door: head left (back the
way the bus came in). Pass a GAMES COURT on the left and
From the top of Guardilama, you have a superb view over the Geria Valley
and to the mountains of Timanfaya.
Walk 14: From Uga to Puerto del Carmen 83
walk past Calle El Ganchillo on your right. Keep straight
on to a junction, where you first fork left and then imme-
diately right on a wide road. Some 150m/yds before the
main LZ30 to La Geria and Teguise, turn left on CALLE
LOS ARENALES. Two minutes along, leave the road and
climb a farm track on the right, the first one you come to.
The route overlooks the village, which nestles in a shallow
depression of gardens, its back to a vast expanse of crusty
lava. Out of the lava rise the great fire mountains of
Timanfaya, their inclines splashed with rust browns and
reds. A cluster of hills stands to the south of the village.
These climb into the southern massif — Los Ajaches.
The track carries you up to the TEGUISE ROAD, where
you turn left. A few minutes along (50m/yds past the
KM22 STONE), fork right onto another track bristling with
walkers’ and mountain bikers’ FINGERPOSTS. You’re now
entering the Geria Valley. Vines and fig trees fill the small
hollows. The ash fields are ornamented by an assortment
of stone walls. Your route will take you straight over the
cumbre, the island’s spine. Ignore all turn-offs. Wandering
through this blackened world is quite extraordinary. Over
to the left, the lava fields grow into a vast lake ruptured
by weather-worn cones, and above you stands a line of
grass-capped hills that glow with greenery. The solitary
white farmsteads stand out like sanctuaries in this inhos-
pitable landscape. Before long, walls take over the
countryside. You’re entering the vineyards, and the
inclines are pock-marked with depressions that are
collared by half-circles of stone walls (see pages 28-29 and
opposite). You’re in malmsey territory, where the well-
known malvasía originates. This myriad of walls could be
the ruins of a grand ancient city.
Crossing the saddle of the cumbre the way eases out.
You’ll have a superb view back over La Geria and Timan-
faya (Picnic 14). At the top of the PASS (1h), a track turns
off right to a paragliders’ launching site. (Walk 15 goes
right here.) Just beyond this turning, head left up a
path/track through the vines for the ascent of Montaña
Guardilama. When the track ends, continue straight up
to the summit — a tiring climb, as it’s very steep.
At the 1h30min-mark you flop down on the SUMMIT
of Montaña de Guardilama. If it’s a windy day, you
won’t be able to stand upright or even take photos up
here! The panorama is, however, magnificent and encom-
passes the waves of hills in the south, as well as the Risco
de Famara and La Graciosa and its neighbouring islets in
Teguise
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At the next intersec-
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tarmac lane (CAMINO SAN PEDRO). At the following
junction, after 300m/yds, turn right down to a T-junction
(CAMINO LOS OLIVOS; 2h30min).
Turn left, but after just 50m turn right and after only
another 20m (just past a house with ‘Geria’-style half-
moon walls in its garden) cut right down a rough narrow
track/path to the LZ2 seen below. Cross this speedway
carefully, and pick up the track directly opposite (CAMINO
LA CALDERINA). The track shortly becomes tarred and
edged with garlands of pink and red geraniums as it passes
the FINCA MACHINIDA on the left. The tar runs out before
the next, Y-fork, where you go right, leaving a rougher
track off to the left (a short-cut, but it may be private
property). At the T-junction at the bottom of the track,
turn left (CAMINO DEL PUERTO). About eight minutes
later, just after rounding a bend, turn right on a tarred
road. Ignore the Camino del Rompimiento to the right.
Turn right just before the main road on CAMINO BAR-
RANCO DEL QUIQUERE, another motorable track. While
the views are limited, it’s preferable to the main road and
will give you the chance to follow a pretty stretch of coast.
Cross straight over the road to Puerto Calero on CAMINO
DEL POZO. After 50m/yds keep left at a junction. The track
ends 500m/yds further on, at villas 13 and 15 (3h15min).
Pass between the large boulders on the right, to join a
footpath running along the eastern side of the Barranco
del Quiquere. Walking below the colourful gardens
shown on page 84 and then above a lido, follow the good
coastal path 1.5km into Puerto del Carmen (3h40min).
The steep ascent of Guardilama
Walk 15: UGA • MONTAÑA TINASORIA • UGA
See photographs opposite and on page 82
Grade: moderate; ascent/descent of 280m/920ft overall, excluding the
ascent of Guardilama (see Walk 14 if you plan to make that ascent).
Equipment: walking shoes (boots if ascending Guardilama), jacket,
sunhat, suncream, raingear, picnic, plenty of water
How to get there and return: 5 (park near the church) or b to/from
Uga (Playa Blanca bus, Timetable 5).
his entire walks takes place in La Geria, a perfect

T example of how man’s need to tame nature for
agricultural purposes results in the creation of a stunning
landscape. The many thousands of half-moon drystone
walls (zocos) of La Geria are dizzyingly beautiful.
Start out by following WALK 14 as far as the PASS (1h),
just before the Guardilama ascent . Turn right here on a
wide track through vineyards, and head straight up the
hill past the PARAGLIDERS LAUNCH SITE and the large
RUIN. You’ll spot what looks like an old stone wall some
10m/yds to your right — in fact an old AQUEDUCT.
The track rises over the top of Montaña Tinasoria
(503m; 1h20min), and a fantastic view unfolds over the
southeast coast, with Lobos and Fuerteventura in the
distance. When the track peters out ahead, go straight into
a steep, gravelly descent. Then, where the PR LZ 06
(Mozaga to Yaiza trail) veers off right to round Tinasoria’s
rim, make your way over to the left — towards some larger
rocks on the side of the mountain (facing Uga and Yaiza).
From the left of these rocks a steep and narrow (but not
difficult) path zigzags down, and in just 10 minutes you
reach the tracks below (1h45min).
Go straight on, walking right through the middle of
Montaña Mojón. Coming out of this crater, ignore a
path off right to a ‘baby’ crater. Soon the track becomes
tarred; then you cross the LZ30 road and make your way
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Walk 16: UGA • MONTAÑA TINASORIA •
PUERTO CALERO (OR PUERTO DEL CARMEN)
See photographs on pages 82, 84, 86
Distance: 12.5km/7.8mi; 3h to Puerto Calero (4h to Puerto del Carmen)
Grade: moderate, with an ascent of 280m/920ft and descent of 500m/
1640ft. Note: this route is sometimes followed by jeep safaris.
Equipment/Access: as Walk 14, page 82
hat could be more enjoyable than a countryside

W hike through the half-moon vineyards of La Geria,
working up an appetite, followed by a gentle descent to
the coast and an alfresco seaside lunch?
Start out by following WALK 15 TO THE 1H45MIN-
POINT. Instead of heading into the Mojón crater, turn left
and descend a track straight downhill. After 20 minutes
you meet the LZ2 (2h05min); follow it to the right for
400m/yds, then cross carefully and take a downhill track
opposite, crossing straight over two junctions (2h10min,
2h15min). As you pass a small barranco on your right,
the track veers slightly left. At a fork just past a FARM with
old drystone buildings, keep right (2h25min).
π π π π π π π ππ
Meeting a tarred road in a few minutes, turn left and
walk down
π πto π the MARINA 300 at Puerto Calero (3h). You
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Walk 17: YAIZA • ATALAYA DE FEMES • YAIZA
See also photographs pages 97 and 101
Grade: fairly strenuous, with a steady 425m/1435ft ascent. Can be cold
and windy.
How to get there and return: b to/from Yaiza (Playa Blanca bus,
Timetable 5), or 5
Short walk: Femés — Atalaya de Femés — Femés (3.2km/2mi; 1h
30min; a strenuous, but short, ascent/descent of 300m/1000ft). Equip-
ment as above; access/return by b (Timetable 4, but scheduling is
currently inconvenient) or 5 to/from Femés. Facing the Bar Femés,
walk up the road at its left-hand side, keeping the church on your left.
You will meet a brick-paved road: follow it uphill to the right. At the
top of the road, where it bends right to rejoin the main road, take the
concrete track up to the left (just in front of a green garage door). At
the next junction, go straight ahead on an asphalted road. After 50m/yds
this becomes a dirt track: follow it for 300m/yds, then turn left up a
chained-off track.
Alternative walks
1 Femés — Atalaya de Femés — Yaiza (7.5km/4.7mi; 2h30min).
Fairly strenuous, with an initial ascent of 300m/1000ft; the rest of the
way is downhill. Access: b (Timetable 4) or 5 taxi to Femés; return
by b from Yaiza (Timetable 5). Follow the Short walk (above) to the
6 27 Atalaya de6Femés,
28 then use the map on page 88 to descend to Yaiza.
3250 Yaiza — Atalaya de Femés — Femés (7.5km/4.7mi; 3h30min).
La (2h30min), then go back down to the junction with your

Grade, access, equipment as main walk. Follow the main walk to the
Asomada
2 Atalaya
outgoing path and
04
follow the track

0
30
down to the right.

32
502
Follow
250
the main 200
track until you
Tias →
reach the chain
Macher
San
o
and,
s 20m/ yds fur-
Miguel liv
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03
2
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32
meet asphalt, go
over an intersec-
tion. At the next
Calde
crossing, go right,
q
then left. Follow

rina
02
the brick-paved
32
road to the square

Puert at Femés. Walks
Puerto
o
18 and 19 start
del
iento
here, affording
Carmen
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many possibilities
Ro
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for the fighting fit

del Qui
40
— on cooler,
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Barranco
Picnic 17: view down

506
over Femés on the

[
q Poz
50
climb to the Atalaya
q 2
o
Barranco
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Y
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6 27 6 28 6 29
he view from the Atalaya de Femés is best appreciated
T at sunrise and sunset, when shadows creep across the
countryside, and the last (or first) light captures the real
beauty of both Timanfaya and the Salinas de Janubio.
Sitting high above the picturesque hamlet of Femés, you
have the southern vista of Lanzarote all to yourself. On
your ascent you’ll often see camels grazing in one of the
adjoining valleys. Nearer the summit, goats and a few
sheep keep you company.
The bus drops you just before the SQUARE in Yaiza.
This bleached-white village has won a number of awards
for its appearance. It really is picture postcard-perfect,
with its resplendent bougainvillea and graceful palms.
Start off by taking the ROAD TO LA DEGOLLADA: it heads
uphill between the CHURCH and the square, to a large
parking area with a restaurant. Continue uphill, past a
huge PLAZA on the left and a beautiful PARK on the right
(built to commemorate the the 250th anniversary of the
Timanfaya eruptions). Turn left on a wide street beyond
the plaza (about 50m/yds before the walled-in CEMETERY,
which can be seen ahead on the left-hand side of the road).
Cutting across the valley floor, you look up into a tapering
valley and see the hamlet of La Degollada ensconced at
the end of it. Your ongoing track is visible ahead. When
the tarmac ends at an intersection, go straight ahead on a
cinder track. Ascending the valley wall, pass a faint fork
off to the left. Mount the crest just over 20min from
Yaiza, by a RUINED WINDMILL on the left. A track coming
up from Uga joins from the left; you continue up this
plump ridge, which will carry you all the way to the
Atalaya de Femés.
As you climb, the island
opens up, revealing a variety
of scenery. Yaiza is in full
view below, its brightness
accentuated by the intense
green garden plots and the
dark sea of lava. A barrier of
volcanoes, one running into
the next, fills in the back-
drop. About 1km along this
wide track, just beyond the
brow of the hill, take a right
Casa de Cultura at Yaiza, opposite
the church, in the main square
Walk 17: Yaiza — Atalaya de Femés — Yaiza 91
04
04
Yaiza
π ππ ππ π ππ π π π π π π π π π π π π
π π π π 6 22
El Golfo
π π ππ
Timanfaya
anfaya
32
32
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turn marked by CAIRNS, going through a gap in the wall.
Your view becomes more expansive and more rewarding
— dipping down now onto Uga and stretching all the
way up the dark, shadowy Geria Valley (Walks 14-16).
Some 200m/yds past the turn-off, at a fork, keep right.
Mounting another step in the ridge, you see over the
sloping plains of the east to Puerto del Carmen and
Arrecife. Looking north, notice the line of three lopsided
craters. The way dips briefly before reascending, and you
enjoy an introductory glimpse of the Femés valley. Mon-
taña de Timanfaya, the king of the volcanoes, dominates
the national park, with its distinct reddish-brown slopes.
The way fades as it remounts the top of the crest, which
in turn narrows into a sheer-sided ‘neck’. Another striking
sight follows: the off-white salt pans and the khaki-green
lagoon of the Salinas del Janubio shimmering in the sun.
Eventually the path meets the Atalaya de Femés track
(2h15min). Head right, up to the SUMMIT of the Atalaya
de Femés (608m/1995ft; 2h30min). A stupendous view
unfolds. The remote (for this island!) little village of
Femés lies straight below, huddled around the pass that
descends to the Rubicón plain. Fuerteventura and Lobos
fill in the backdrop. And from up here you can almost
count the colourful volcanoes of Timanfaya. On the far
side of the transmitter station, you look down onto Las
Breñas, stretching along a raised shelf of cultivation that
steps off onto the Rubicón.
From the top, allow 1h30min to return to Yaiza (4h).
The BUS STOP is at the zebra crossing north of the plaza.
Walk 18: THREE BARRANCOS: A CIRCUIT FROM
FEMES
See also photographs pages 101 and 102
Grade: moderate climbs and descents of about 320m/1050ft overall,
but you must be sure-footed and have a head for heights (possibility of
vertigo on one stretch). There is also volcanic rubble underfoot for much
of the walk — good ankle support is needed. The last part of the walk
is a fairly steep ascent of 180m/600ft in full sun— quite a slog.
Equipment: stout shoes with good ankle support (or walking boots),
warm jacket, sunhat, raingear, suncream, picnic, plenty of water
How to get there and return: b (Timetable 4) or 5 to/from Femés.
The bus shelter is by a supermarket: when you alight, walk 200m/yds
towards Playa Blanca to reach the roundabout where the walk begins.
Short walk: Femés — Degollada del Portugués — Femés
(3.5km/2.2mi; 1h35min). Equipment and access as main walk. Climb
and descent of only 100m/330ft, but there is a possibility of vertigo on
one short stretch. Follow the main walk to the 50min-point and return
the same way.
Alternative walk: Femés — Playa de Papagayo — Playa Blanca
(20km/12.4mi; 5h15min). This is Walk 20 in reverse; equipment and
access as above; return by b from Playa Blanca. Follow the main walk
to the fork at the 45min-point and bear right. This path tends to fizzle
out in goat tracks, but try to keep to the main zigzag path, or you’ll have
a terrible skid over the volcanic rubble. In less than five minutes you
descend to another, smaller goat house. Ahead of you here is the dirt
track followed in Walk 20. To continue to Papagayo (photograph page
14) and Playa Blanca, turn left on this track. Entire route is PR LZ 09.
his short circuit is one of my favourite walks on
T Lanzarote, and it’s ideal for motorists. If you’ve
energy to spare at the end, why not climb up to the Atalaya
de Femés (Alternative walk 17-1) to watch the sunset?
Perhaps in part owing to the burgeoning of Playa
Blanca as a resort, in recent years interest has grown
enormously in walking in this southwestern corner of
Lanzarote. The local council set up a ‘Network of Ajaches
Footpaths’ (Red de Senderos), and you may see some old
information boards detailing the routes. We’ve shown
many of their paths in this area on the map overleaf, most
of which have been taken over by the island government
(cabildo). The map also shows the route of the well-
signposted GR131 heading out of Playa Blanca as it
crosses the island to Orzola in the north.
From the ROUNDABOUT on the main road in Femés,
start out by following the PR LZ 09 fingerposts up the
tarred lane opposite the bar, making for some ugly
concrete buildings seen ahead on the hilltop. The tarmac
peters out, and in 5min you pass between two aljibes
(water tanks set into the ground). Continue up to the
buildings, and walk just to the right of the main building,
93
6 14 6 15 6 16 6 17 6 18
22
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q
Las
Breñas
131
GR
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50
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0
de Femés
703
701
99
31 300
200
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131
150
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97
31
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Terminillo
96
31
El Llano
GR131
€
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b
Las Coloradas
20 q
2 PR L b
Playa Playa
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5
Blanca Dorada 18
q
Playa
5
93
Papagayo
Blanca
31
Marina hArena Resort

Playa de
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3 Castillo de las Coloradas
c X 43
(del Afe)
Punta del Torre de Aguila
las Coloradas/
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92
31
Playa del Pozo

PR
LZ
Playa de Papagayo J 5
09
c
El Papagayo P JJ
91
31
6 14 6 15 6 16 6 17 Punta de Papagayo
La Degollada
17 q
6 20 6 21 6 22 6 23
400 702 Pico
Loma Pico
Naos
de Naos
X
423
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P Pico
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18
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100
PR LZ 09
93 31
Caleta Larga
0 [ 1 km
Horn
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0.5 mi
El Pasito
92 31
Puerto Muela de Arriba
Puerto Muela de Abajo

4
Caleta del Congrio

91 31
6 19 6 20 6 21 6 22 6 23
still on the road/track. Looking to the left now the reason
for this blot on the landscape reveals itself: there’s the
amusing sight of a GOAT FARM, and the large pen may be
bursting with these delightful creatures, which are bound
to keep you company later in the walk. The buildings lie
at the edge of a crest, the Loma del Pico de la Aceituna
(414m/1358ft; 10min). From here you look down over
the isolated Barranco de la Higuera — a huge abyss,
lime-green to gold in colour, due to the sparse sprinkling
of grasses in the volcanic soil. Straight below you, the dry
river bed traces an intricate meander in a wonderfully
pristine landscape.
At this point you have a choice of two paths, as indi-
cated on the INFORMATION BOARDS to the right. The PR
LZ 10/11 heads left, straight down into the valley (the
route of the Walk 19, and the return route for the main walk).
The other, the PR LZ 09, heads west round the head of
the valley: look right and you’ll spot it, cut into the ledge
and accompanied by a black pipe. Walk towards it, passing
to the left of another building (a water basin half sunken
into the rock), and bearing slightly left downhill.
As you approach a saddle between Pico de la Acei-
tuna and Pico Redondo, the way fades over bedrock, but
small stones on either side of the path keep you in line.
You curl up left to the SADDLE and at 30min enjoy a
superb view to Playa Blanca and Corralejo on Fuerte-
ventura. The setting is always more photogenic on windy
days, when scudding clouds create an ever-changing
mosaic on the featureless Rubicón plain below. The little
volcano to the west of Playa Blanca, Montaña Roja, is
climbed in Walk 21; beyond it are the lighthouses at
Pechiguera.
By 40min a new barranco on your right drops away
steeply to the hairpins of the jeep track that comes up to
meet the track followed in the Alternative walk and Walk
20. Some people may find this stretch vertiginous, al-
though the path is amply wide. Five minutes later
(45min) be alert for a fork in the path. Your route is to
the left. (But the Alternative walk goes right here with the
PR LZ 09.) You climb the flanks of Pico Redondo for
just two minutes, to reach a pass, the Degollada del
Portugués (Picnic 18). You’re above and to the left of
the Papagayo track followed in the Alternative walk.
Looking below, to the right, you’ll spot the small goat
farm shown on page 102; the Alternative walk passes it.
A minute later there is a wonderful view east to Puerto
The pretty church square in Femés
Calero, Puerto del Carmen and the outskirts of Arrecife.

A second deep barranco, the Barranco de la Casita, opens
out in front of you here.
Leaving the pass (and keeping an eye out for zigzags
in the path), soon a third gash opens up on the right —
the Barranco de los Dises. On the far side is Hacha
Grande; rusty volcanic hues ripple down its flanks. Ahead
is a ROCKY KNOLL colonised by an incredible variety of
plants — it stands out like a huge green sombrero in this
hostile terrain. At 1h you’re passing just to the left of the
‘hat’ and walking an exhilarating RIDGE between the two
barrancos — the Dises on your right and the Casita on
your left. A solitary cairn can be spotted ahead (‘302’ on
the map). The path bends to the left 80m/yds before this
point is reached, however. Your ongoing path can be
spotted on the far side of the Barranco de la Casita, making
for a stone shelter.
Descend into the barranco, where you’ll spot a good
variety of wild flowers in spring, as well as the ubiquitous
yellow-flowering aulaga (‘canary firebush’, see overleaf).
The 1h20min-mark sees you crossing the dry barranco,
still making for the shelter ahead. The SHELTER (built in
1996; 1h30min) is a lovely stone-built resting place with
seats and welcome shade. Beside it another aljibe catches
the rainwater off the slopes of Pico Redondo.
Go back to the U-turn in the path just before the shelter
and head uphill towards the Morro de la Loma del Pozo,
a ridge which can be seen ahead. The path becomes a
track. As you gain height, the Atalaya de Femés comes
into view once more. At 1h43min pass a track off right
to the top of the Morro (20min there and back). Two
minutes later, the track veers right: continue left on the
path. More stones line the route in this area, to keep you
on course. From this angle, Pico Redondo is a smooth
cone to the left.
By 1h50min you’re descending into the Barranco de
la Higuera — the first barranco you saw from the goat
house. On the far (eastern) side, the track to Playa
Quemada (Walk 19) stands out clearly. If you’ve timed
your walk right, the goats will now lead you back to
The meandering Barranco de la Higuera, looking east into the early-morning
sun — a pristine landscape.
Aulaga (Lotus lancerottensis; top) and various
Euphorbias predominate in the valleys, along
with Nicotiana glauca (the tobacco plant, second
from top). But hidden in rock crevices you’ll spot
many other species struggling to survive, such as
yellow cut-leaf Reichardia tingitana and purple-
flowering bugloss (Eichium lancerottense).
Femés. They’ll come inquisitively (but

timidly) trouping in from the slopes
behind the Morro and make their way
up to the farm ‘for lunch’ — just follow
them up (but later in the climb, when the
paths narrow, please keep out of their way;
they are not tame).
As you approach a PYLON, ruined
stone walls and pens lining the path
testify to a long history of goat-rearing
in the valley. Just past the pylon, keep
right on a narrow path and, 100m/yds
further on, turn left. (Walk 19 follows
the path on the right here.) This path
runs between the walls and more
ruined pens — following the electricity
cables. The goat farm is visible up to
the right. Pico de la Aceituna is to the
left now; your outgoing path is etched
into its flanks.
Soon you leave the electricity wires
and cross a dry barranco, making for
the goat farm. Many ‘skiddy’ goat
paths thread the area; if there are no
goats to guide you, just keep making
for your destination on the best path
— all paths lead to the goat farm! At
2h12min a fairly steep dry barranco
(offshoot of the Higuera) is crossed.
Ahead, at the top of the valley, volcanic
hues ooze out of the rock — burgundy,
rust, cream, black. Ten minutes later,
for the final assault, you can either
zigzag up the main path or climb more
or less straight up the bedrock near the
edge of the barranco. Once you arrive
back at the GOAT FARM (2h30min),
descend to Femés (2h 40min).
Walk 19: Femés • Barranco de la Higuera •
Playa Quemada • Puerto del Carmen
Map begins below and ends on pages 84-85; see also photographs pages
84, 89, 97, 98
Grade: a 10-minute climb at the outset, then a descent of 400m/1300ft
(sometimes slippery underfoot), followed by some ups and downs over
headlands. All PR LZ 11
Equipment: stout shoes with good ankle support (or walking boots), warm
jacket, sunhat, raingear, suncream, picnic, swimwear, plenty of water
How to get there : b to Femés (Timetable 4)
To return: b from Puerto del Carmen (Timetables 2, 12)
Alternative walk: Playa Quemada — Barranco de la Higuera — Lomo
del Pozo — Playa Quemada (10km/6.2mi; 4h10min). Moderate, with an
ascent/descent of about 350m/1150ft; equipment as main walk. Access: 5
to/from Playa Quemada. Follow the coastal path to the Barranco de la
Higuera (40min), where you should note your return path (PR LZ 11)
coming in from the right. Continue on the coastal path until a purple
waymark on the right signals an ascent up the Morro de la Loma del Pozo
(1h15min). Eventually joining Walk 18 (2h), follow it down the Barranco
de la Higuera and on to Playa Quemada (4h10min).
he ‘Red de Senderos de los Ajaches’ referred to on page

T 93 opened up a wealth of walks in this southwestern
corner of Lanzarote; some of the routes, like this one, were
‘upgraded’ as PR walks by the island government.
Start out by following WALK 18 TO THE GOAT FARM
(10min), then take the narrow PR LZ 11 path which heads
left initially, then bends right and descends steeply into the
Barranco de la Higuera. On the descent, looking left, you
can see your ongoing route to the sea — an old washed-out
track. About 100m/yds before an electricity pylon, ignore a
path to the right (the return route for both Walk 18 and the
Alternative walk). Zigzag down to the track and, once on it,
ignore a track to the right which climbs the Morro de la
Lomo del Pozo (approached from the south in the Alter-
native walk) and a footpath to the left.
Follow the left-hand side of the barranco down to a small
beach if you want to swim; otherwise, a couple of hundred
metres before the beach, cross a dry riverbed and follow it
towards the sea, where the clear track off to the left (still the
PR LZ 11) leads to Playa de la Arena and Playa Quemada.
Almost at the top of the headland, on a bend, pick up the
path again. It winds above the coastline with fabulous views
of the blue, blue ocean. Five minutes later, ignore a path
heading left inland, then another path down to Playa de la
Arena. Reaching Playa Quemada (2h30min), use the notes
on page 122 (Walk 27; see map on pages 84-85) to go on
to Puerto del Carmen (4h30min).
100
The ‘Balcón de Femés’ overlooks the Rubicón plain and Playa Blanca. On
the climb to the goat farm, you look back down on Femés and over to the
Atalaya de Femés, setting for Walk 17 and Picnic 17.
La Degollada
17 q
6 20 6 21 6 22 6 23
400 702 Pico
Loma Pico
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31
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0
Walk 20: PLAYA BLANCA • PLAYA DE PAPAGAYO •
BARRANCO PARRADO • FEMES
See map pages 94-95; see also photographs page 14, 97, 101
Grade: strenuous, with ascents of about 550m/1800ft overall — most
of it at the end of the walk. There is no shade en route, and it can be
very hot, so keep this walk for cool overcast days — or do it in reverse
(see Alternative walk below). The entire route is PR LZ 09.
Equipment: comfortable walking shoes or walking boots, fleece,
sunhat, suncream, raingear, picnic, plenty of water, swimwear
How to get there and return: b to Playa Blanca (Timetables 5, 12)
and return from Femés (Timetable 4). Or 5 to/from Playa Blanca: on
arrival, arrange with a taxi to collect you from Femés at the end of the
walk (or telephone from one of the bars when you arrive at Femés).
Shorter walk: Playa Blanca — Playa de Papagayo — Playa Blanca
(10km/6.2mi; 3h). Fairly easy, with ascents/descents of about 100m/
300ft overall; equipment and access as above. You can make the walk
even shorter (6km/3.7mi; 2h10min): take the half-hourly Playa Blanca
town bus to the most easterly stop, Las Coloradas, or drive there. There
are blue walkers’ signs just east of the stop, opposite a shopping centre.
Alternative walk: See Alternative walk 18 on page 93 to do this walk
in reverse, downhill from Femes. All signposted PR LZ 09.
ooner or later you’ll discover the island’s most
S beautiful beaches — those east of Playa Blanca, of
which Playa de Papagayo is the best known. All are
accessible by track, but this walk meanders along the
jutting coastline, dipping down into each of these
delightful beaches, most of which cater unofficially for
naturists. You can bet your boots they’ll lure you back
another day. With the last of the beaches behind you,
you’re unlikely to see another soul, save for a goatherd.
The landscape is sliced up by ravines and hidden valleys,
shut off from the rest of the island by a wall of high hills.
Start off by following the brick-paved COASTAL
Walks 18 and 20: near the Degollada del Portugués you overlook the winding
track to Papagayo running below Lomo Blanco on the flanks of Hacha Grande.
Walk 20: Playa Blanca • Playa de Papagayo • Femés 103
PROMENADE east from Playa Blanca, walking towards the
CIRCULAR TOWER on the headland. Keep to the walkway
past the RUBICON MARINA and the eye-catching ‘volcanic
cone’ of the HOTEL VOLCAN. You reach this well-restored
tower (Castillo de las Coloradas, bearing the date 1769
and also called Torre de Aguila) in 30min. Off this
headland you have a good view back to Playa Blanca and
towards the superb beaches scooped out of the open bay
on your left which culminates in the Punta de Papagayo.
The wide promenade rises and falls as it curves along
the coast past several large apartment and hotel complexes.
Surprisingly, there is still some undeveloped land in this
prime location. After crossing a BRIDGE, you come to
Playa de las Coloradas (also called Playa del Afe). This
stony beach is the ugly duckling of the playas. Just past
the beach the promenade ends in front of the HOTEL
PAPAGAYO ARENA, from where a steep and skiddy path
leads up to the headland.* Once at the top, you find a
clear path over to Playa Mujeres. Low spiny aulaga lies
scattered across the plain. Wherever you find aulaga
there’s usually cosco nearby. Cosco (the red ice plant) turns
a vivid wine colour under drought conditions, and great
colonies of it stain the inclines. Its fruit was used to make
a substitute gofio (normally a roasted corn flour), and was
used as a thickening agent in soups, etc.
Some 1h05min into the walk the unspoilt Playa
Mujeres is in sight. This lovely open beach stretches
across the mouth of a shallow barranco. El Papagayo, the
only sign of civilisation out here, is the handful of
buildings near the point. Your path drops down into a
small gravelly barranco and mounts a faint track which
leads you down onto the golden sandy beach. You look
back into the windswept hills of Los Ajaches. Near the
end of the beach, scale the sandy bank to remount the
crest — a steep, slippery three-minute climb on sand,
followed by loose gravel. Continuing along the top of the
crest, you dip in and out of small barrancos which empty
out into concealed coves below.
Playa del Pozo is the next of the larger beaches. You
can either clamber down a narrow stream bed to reach it,
*This path is the ‘traditional’ route: everybody uses it. But if you don’t
fancy the scramble, walk back 400m/yds and turn right just before the
bridge, heading for the signposted commercial centre. Pass a parking
area and, 150m/yds from the seafront, bear right. Pick up a path between
the commercial centre to the right and gardens to the left. A blue walkers’
sign indicates ‘Playas de Papagayo’ from here. In a couple of minutes
an information board signals the the new ‘official’ trail to the headland.
or follow the trail straight on down along the ridge
(easier). Ascend the goats’ path that edges around the
hillside at the end of the beach, and once again you’re
above the sea. If the way appears vertiginous, scramble
up onto the plain straight up from the beach. Now more
enticing coves reveal themselves. Most days you’ll find
they’re occupied. Soon the old settlement of Papagayo
reappears on the crest of the ridge ahead. Circling behind
a couple of coves you reach the top of the crest and come
to El Papagayo (1h45min); there are three bar/restau-
rants here, if you’re in need of refreshment. A rust-brown
and deep mauve-coloured rocky promontory separates
the two dazzling coves on either side of you. From here
you have a striking view of the smooth-faced inland hills,
as well as along the string of beaches you’ve just visited
(see photograph page 14). If you’re only doing the Short
walk, you’ll have plenty of time to sample these paradisial
beaches and coves (Picnic 20); otherwise, you’ll only have
time for a couple of them.
Continuing on, follow the path curving around the
walls of Playa de Papagayo. Ice-plants and cosco patch the
slope. (If this path looks unnerving, make your way
around via the top of the crest.) Shortly meet a track
coming in from your left and follow it out to Punta de
Papagayo. It passes a pillbox a couple of minutes along
and then swings sharply back left. The point is just beyond
the shelter. Don’t go too near to the edge of the cliffs on
windy days! Fuerteventura is now closer than ever, and
the dark ‘pimply’ island of Lobos is made more prominent
by the sand dunes of Corralejo in the background. Back
to your left you can see Puerto del Carmen and Arrecife
— a vast expanse of white trimming the sloping sea-plain.
A staggered chain of cone-shaped hills runs down the
centre of the island.
A few minutes below the PILLBOX (at about 2h) the
track fizzles out onto yet another beach — Caleta del
Congrio, with its large camp site. Five minutes along the
beach (trying not to look left or right), reach the car park.
Follow the track north to the next cove, a minute over,
and then ascend to the top of the cliffs beyond it. Bits and
pieces of track lead you along these cliffs. Some 15
minutes from the last beach you come onto a clearer track
and overlook a rocky cove set at the mouth of a deep
ravine. Here you turn up left, keeping straight up (bear
left at the fork you encounter and go through an intersec-
tion), until you meet a T-junction (at about 2h45min).
Walk 20: Playa Blanca • Playa de Papagayo • Femés 105
Turning right at the junction, you now sidle along the
hills, disappearing further out ‘into the sticks’. No more
beaches, no more people … but perhaps a goatherd and
a handful of goats. Ignoring all tracks left and right, you
ascend very gradually while looking straight off the
sloping shelf onto the sea. The way curves back into a
number of barrancos that slice inland. Some 3h30min en
route, drop down into a good-sized gully and cross a wide
gravelly stream bed. The countryside can be surprisingly
green out here in winter and spring. Still no sign of life,
nor any trees … a desolate spot indeed.
Tías comes into full view, its elevated slopes speckled
with white buildings. The surrounding hills have subsided
into a gentle rolling landscape. A brief descent takes you
down to another barranco crossing. Now the hard work
begins — a climb of over 400m/1300ft lies ahead. You
wind your way up into the largest of the valleys so far
encountered, the Barranco Parrado. Dandelions and
Echium add their golds and purples to the greenery if you
walk in spring. Some seven-eight minutes uphill from the
stream bed crossing, come to an junction and head left.
Several minutes later, you’ll see a shepherds’ crumbled
outpost on a rocky outcrop above the track. On a windy
day it’s a good picnic shelter. There’s also a large colony
of ice plants here. This plant was once traded for its soda
content. Pico Redondo (551m/1800ft; Walk 18) is the
peak rising over on your right, between the Casita and
Higuera barrancos. Soon you encounter the first trees —
some rather scrawny examples of Solanaceae (the tomato
family) — scattered along the side of the track.
A fantastic viewpoint (where you’re often hit by a gale-
force wind), awaits you when you reach a pass below the
Degollada del Portugués (5h). A small GOAT FARM sits
nearby. Make your way to it, then climb the slippery slope
behind it (there is a zigzag path here, but a myriad of goats’
trails have nearly obliterated it). In five minutes you’ll
come to a fork on the Degollada del Portugués, but you
may not notice it. The path heading sharply back to the
right is the route of Walk 18. Keep straight on, with a
steep barranco hard on your left, as you round the flanks
of Pico Redondo. By 5h50min you’ll stagger up to a
LARGE GOAT FARM — a great photo opportunity! Turn
down left on a track before the largest of the buildings:
Femés is just ten minutes below (6h). Collapse in the bar
at the ‘Balcón de Femés’, overlooking the Rubicón plain,
while you wait for your transport.
Walk 21: MONTAÑA ROJA
See also town plan pages 8-9 Distance: 3km/2mi; 1h05min
Grade: an easy climb/descent of 130m/425ft, but the volcanic pumice
underfoot is slippery. An ideal walk for those with children. No shade.
Equipment: comfortable walking shoes with ankle support, fleece,
sunhat, suncream, water
How to get there and return: 5 to the roundabout outside Playa
Blanca, then take the road for ‘Faro de Pechiguera’. Pass the Corbeta
Hotel on the left after about 1km, go straight over the next roundabout
and, at the next (third) roundabout, turn right for Jardines del Sol
(among others). Pass Los Claveles on the left, then keep ahead following
the sign ‘To the Volcano’. Park around here in one of the streets below
the easily-seen path up the crater. Or: b (Timetables 5, 12) to the bus
station in Playa Blanca, then town b 30 (see box on page 9) to Virginia
Park. Sometimes the names are missing from the bus stops: Virginia
Park is the second stop after Colegio. From the stop walk seaward, then
take the first right (Calle de Noruega), passing Los Claveles on the left.
hether you’re staying at Playa Blanca or just driving
W through, here’s a short leg-stretcher to start or end
your day. Montaña Roja is just a little pimple of a volcano,
but in spring wonderful miniature gardens of wild flowers
flourish in the pumice and, as the mountain rises in isola-
tion on the Rubicón plain, you have far-reaching views.
Start out at the ‘TO THE VOLCANO’ sign: follow the
street uphill to access the path. It’s only 15min up to the
rim, where you can go either left or right. (For Picnic 21,
you might like to turn left and reach the trig point in 10
minutes.) Heading right, you soon passing a path into
21 q
Colegio
Montaña Roja q
28
b Virginia
q
150
q
5 Park
94
94
Faro cX Mña Baja Los Paradise p
31
Claveles Island
31
Park 194
q
0
15
b Rio Jardines
Sol del Sol h
Corbeta b
50
11 q q
Castillo 2
Playa
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10
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Blanca Playa
Playa Dorada
Montaña Roja
93
Playa Corralejo
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Rubicón
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0 1 km
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90-91
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echiguera Limones
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6 10 6 11 6 12 6 13 6 14 6 15
the bottom of the crater,

just 20m below. The crater
floor is disfigured with
‘graffiti’ — small stones ar-
ranged to spell out the
names of previous visitors.
As you round the basin,
the urban sprawl and a net-
work of roads comes into
view — one leading to the
large Atlante del Sol ruin in
the northwest, a landmark
on Walk 22. It stands iso-
lated in a desert wilderness.
In about 45min or a
little more you will reach
the Montaña Roja TRIG
POINT, the highest point of
the walk (194m). From
here there’s a fine view
down to the lighthouses at
Pechiguera and over to the
dunes in the north of
Fuerteventura. You’ll be
back at the junction in an-
other 10 minutes and
down at the ‘VOLCANO’
SIGN in 1h05min.
Rounding Montaña Roja’s small

crater, you look down over an urban
sprawl to the lighthouses at Punta de
Pechiguera. In the immediate
surroundings are ‘rock gardens’,
where plants like leaf-lichen (Rama-
lina bourgeana; top) and fagiona
(Fagiona cretica; bottom) flourish.
Walk 22: LA HOYA • EL CONVENTO • LA HOYA
Grade: moderate; the terrain is mostly level underfoot, but you’re
floundering over uneven lava for much of the way. The final descent to
El Convento is vertiginous and dangerous if wet (but this may be
omitted). No shade.
Equipment: stout shoes with grip or walking boots, sunhat, suncream,
fleece, raingear, picnic, plenty of water, swimwear
How to get there and return: b to/from La Hoya (Playa Blanca bus,
Timetable 5). If you are travelling by 5, there are several places to park
(see map). The best choices are the large mirador on the south side of
the Salinas de Janubio or behind the water desalination plant — a large
isolated dark yellow building off the LZ701 (old road), 2.4km south of
the El Golfo roundabout, and start and end the walk there.
f you’re tired of picnicking at the beach and eating

Isuperb
sandwiches ‘à la grit’, then this coastal walk, with its
unvisited rock pools, may be just what you’re
looking for. Beyond Playa de Janubio you follow a jagged,
rocky coastline. There are no more beaches (or people),
only natural rock pools — pools to suit all the family —
hidden on the lava shelves that jut out into the sea. El
Convento is the name given to the impressive sea cave at
the end of the walk. It’s a beautiful stretch of coastline,
only frequented by the local fishermen.
Leave the bus at La Hoya (the junction for Las Breñas
and El Golfo) and start the walk: follow the LZ701
south towards Playa Blanca, crossing straight over the
roundabout. Less than 10min along, just past the guard-
rail, turn right. Walk over to a viewpoint that hangs out
over the new salt pans on the right and the old, unused
salt pans and lagoon facing the ocean. From here you have
a bird’s-eye view over the multitude of tiny white squares
of salt and the evaporation ponds that divide up the basin
floor, leaving it with a sunset-pink glow. The dark green
lagoon enhances this fine setting, shown on page 112.
This particular salina produces one-third of Lanzarote’s
salt. Ornithologists will be happy to know that this is a
popular destination for migratory birds as well, and you
can expect to find: teal, the cattle egret and little egret (on
rare occasions); the grey heron and storks (from time to
time); plovers, lapwing, and sparrow hawks (more
commonly). Notice also the few derelict windmills down
in the basin; these were used for pumping the seawater
into the ponds.
The top of the plateau is bare and dusty. From above
the lagoon continue south, circling the top of the basin.
When you come to a small but deep RAVINE (a few
minutes from the viewpoint, below the second round
108
Walk 22: La Hoya • El Convento • La Hoya 109
tower-like structure), clamber down the steep rocky face
at its mouth. Take care, it’s gravelly. A short descent drops
you down onto the BASIN FLOOR, south of the lagoon.
Follow the track over to your left to leave the basin. You’ll
pass by a shed and below a derelict house. Come onto the
beach track at 30min. Playa de Janubio sweeps around
the shoreline below you. From here head south (left)
along the edge of the sea plain, following trails the
fishermen use.
Your continuation is a very faint track that lies across
the beach track. It begins a minute uphill to your left.
Keep close to the sea, so that you don’t miss any of those
alluring charcos (pools) and, where possible, scale down
over the rock to check them out. You’ll soon discover one
that will steal an hour or two of your time. Your own
private pool, too!
Along modest cliffs, you follow paths (sometimes
marked by cairns) or just plough over the loose lava, and
On the outgoing leg, you follow paths the fishermen use, floundering over
rough lava, so as not to miss any of the alluring rock pools. The return, on
earthen tracks just inland from the coast, is far easier on the feet.
6 10
02
32
01
32
00
32
99
31
Above: rock pools (charcos) lie all along the
route, and make delightful swimming holes,
many of them suitable for children.
98
31
now and then you join up with a
stretch of track. If you tire of
floundering over all this rocky
Costa de Rubicón
Punta
97
terrain, head inland for a couple

Gorda
31
of minutes and follow the main

track (the return route), keeping 28 q
parallel with the coast. Soon J

you’re looking straight across the Atlante del Sol
stone-strewn Rubicón plain to

the pointed Ajache hills. In the
distance, further along the coast,
the water desalination plant and
the abandoned urbanización of
Atlante del Sol with its ugly ruin
95
bare themselves. Las Breñas is the

31
village you soon see strung out

along the edge of an elevated
plateau that steps back off the
28
q
Rubicón. The landscape is still

94
Faro
and lifeless, without a drop of
31
Park
b
colour.
In under 1h you walk behind
the WATER DESALINATION PLANT.
Stretches of the coastal lava
93
resemble cobblestone paving.

31
110
Punta de
Pechiguera
u Faro de Pechiguera
6 10
π π π π π π π π Laπ
π
El Golfo
π ππ π π π π π π
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96
50
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El Llano
95
Papagayo,
Femés Y
31
GR131
100
21 q
Colegio
Montaña Roja q
b Virginia
150
q
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94
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Mña Baja Los Paradise p
31
194 Claveles Island

q
0
15
Rio Jardines
Sol del Sol h
Corbeta b
50
20 q q
Castillo 2 PR L
IllllII
18
5 Z 09
Playa Playa
Playa Blanca Dorada
Montaña Roja
Playa
9
Marina
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Rubicón
Corralejo w
Punta 94-95
Limones
6 11 6 12 6 13 6 14 6 15
The Salinas de Janubio, where the walk starts and ends.
About 10-15 minutes beyond the water plant you begin

finding the best pools (Picnic 22). So keep an eye out for
them. The sea churns up against the shelf, replenishing
these pools: obviously, swimming isn’t recommended in
bad weather or when the sea is rough.
At 1h10min spot a sea-shelf (from the edge of the
plain) with a number of pools embedded in it. A few
minutes’ scrambling over rocks and boulders brings you
down to them. This is an excellent spot for children, and
the pools are also deep enough for adults. Some eight
minutes later, there is another vast shelf with more
inviting pools. Finally, a few minutes past this spot, you
will find a magnificent solitary pool. All of these emerald-
green waterholes are simply irresistible…
Attention is needed at about 2h10min: shortly after
turning inland (behind a small ‘dip’) to avoid a mass of
lava rock, you pass a round WHITE CONCRETE TRIG
MARKER that stands on a point to your right. Here you
scramble over all the rock, to the top of the cliffs, for a
dramatic coastal overlook. Two inviting green pools lie
in what appears to be an inaccessible shelf, immediately
below. Behind the pools stands an enormous cave — El
Convento — with a ‘cloistered’ entrance opening back
into the face of the cliff. A smaller cave sits to its right.
Now the problem is: how do you get there?
The safest way down is just beyond the second cave,
some four to five minutes round the top of the cliff. You
pass over some interesting rock formations, resembling
large fragments of broken crockery. Straight off this area
of rock, you drop down onto ‘lumps’ of lava. Metres to
Walk 22: La Hoya • El Convento • La Hoya 113
the right (and close to the edge of the cliff!), a nose of
rock reveals itself. Locating it requires a bit of scouting
about. Descend here with care! All fours are needed, and
this descent is only recommended for very sure-footed
walkers! Also note: before venturing down, make sure the
breakers aren’t crashing over the shelf! When the sea is
calm, there is no danger.
This is a superb and sheltered spot at which to spend
the rest of the day. A BLOW HOLE lies a further 20 minutes
along the coast, if you can summon up the energy. It’s
more noticeable for its noise than the spray of water. Find
it on a sea-shelf set in the ‘U’ of the next bay along. The
noise gives it away.
The return section of the walk is much easier on the
feet: you follow a track that lies just a few minutes back
from the top of the cliff — slightly inland from the path.
Heading back, you get a good view of the Golfo crater
— a prominent orange-coloured cone that rises up off the
seashore. Remain on the track, keeping along the coast.
Ignore all turn-offs inland. You’ll cross several other
tracks. By 3h you should be passing the DESALINATION
PLANT, where you cross the asphalt road leading to the
LZ701. From here on no clear track is visible unless you
go back closer to the coast. Just before the beach track
you’ll be traipsing across a rocky hillside. Above the Playa
de Janubio, continue up the track to the right and, on
the main road, turn left to the La Hoya junction and your
BUS STOP (3h45min).
Rock pools (charcos) lie all along the route, and make delightful swimming
holes, many of them suitable for children.
Walk 23: MONTAÑA CORONA (COSTA TEGUISE)
Distance: 8km/5mi; 2h30min-3h
Grade: moderate, with an ascent/descent of 235m/770ft. But you must
be sure-footed and have a head for heights: paths are skiddy underfoot,
and the crater rim may prove unnerving for some (avoid very windy days).
Equipment: walking boots, fleece, sunhat, suncream
How to get there and return: b (Timetables 1, 9; alight at the ‘Hotel
Salinas’ stop) or 5 to/from Costa Teguise (see map for parking places)
ess famous than its namesake near Máguez, Montaña

L Corona on the northern outskirts of Costa Teguise
affords a wonderful 360° panorama from the top,
stretching from the mountains in the north of the island
all the way across the strait to Fuerteventura. It’s a typical
crescent-shaped volcano, with the side towards the sea
missing. So the sure of foot can climb one arm of the arc,
stride along the ridge, and descend by the other arm.
Begin in Costa Teguise: take CALLE DE LA ATALAYA
which rounds the north side of the large, isolated HOTEL
BEATRIZ. (You can cut through to it on a walkway 150m/
yds east of the bus stop; see map.) At the highest point
of Calle de la Atalaya, before it bends left at the foot of
the mountain, fork right on a ROUGH TRACK (35min)
heading towards the main peak. Ignoring a path off right,
aim for the BIG GAP IN THE CORNER OF THE DRYSTONE
WALL ahead. Keep on the clear path through the gap and
past a LARGE CAIRN (42min). After a further 100m/yds a
path crosses, and a steep path goes straight ahead up the
mountain’s southern arm, to the summit.
This southerly path is not only steep but gravelly, so it
is certainly easier going up than coming down, and most
guides suggest ascending here. But I prefer to turn right
here. My path, to the right, stays level for a bit, then dips
into a little corrie. It carries you to the start of the north-
eastern arm of the crescent. The sharp left turn leading up
to the ridge is indicated by another large CAIRN. Now just
climb the ridge, stopping to admire the views over the wild
coastline and the odd bits of plant life somehow clinging
to life in the cindery rubble.
The view from the TOP OF THE RIDGE is splendid —
encompassing volcanic cones near and far, the distant
wind generators to the north, the green ‘sausages’ of the
golf course sitting in the gravy-brown lava, the massive
network of drystone walls, and the white villages and
specks of farmhouses. Arrecife, with its dominant power
station, seems only a stone’s throw away.
Curving along the ridge is reasonably easy in calm
weather, but on windy days it may be wiser to keep below
114
Approaching the wall at the start of the climb
the highest part of 150

6 46 6 47 6 48
q
the ridge, on the lee- q
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150
0 [ 1 km
Montaña q
ward side. The ‘high Corona 0.5 mi
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the wall. There is no path at first, but the way is mostly
over bedrock. Lower down it’s gravelly and skiddy: keep
to the right here, where you will find more stable bedrock.
You can be back in Costa Teguise in less than an hour
(2h30min). Less steep descents will take longer: you could
go back the way you came — or start back the way you
came then, just before the CAIRN on the northeastern arm,
either dive straight down (skiddy) or fork due north on a
path for just 100m/yds, then fork right on another, gentler
descent path which joins the more direct trail at another
CAIRN. From here see the map: two right turns, followed
by a left, would take you back to the Hotel Beatriz. Yet
another option is to take the faint path down the west side
of Corona (facing the golf course) and, at the bottom,
fork left to get back to the CAIRN at the 42min-point.
115
Walk 24: TIMANFAYA — THE TERMESANA ROUTE
Distance: 3km/2mi; 2h walking (but allow about 4h)
Grade: easy, level walk
Equipment: stout shoes, fleece, raingear, sunhat, suncream
How to get there and return: 5 to/from the Timanfaya Visitors’
Centre, just west of Mancha Blanca on the LZ67
Note: this is a guided walk and must be booked in advance and re-
confirmed 24 hours before the date arranged. During Christmas, Easter
and summer holidays it is wise to book at least one or two months in
advance at www.reservasparquesnacionales.es (English pages). At other
times, book before you travel to the island. At time of writing, children
under 16 years of age were not allowed, even in the company of adults,
so check in advance to avoid disappointment.
here’s only one walk you can do in Timanfaya on your
T own — the coastal path north of El Golfo to Playa
de la Madera (see page 123). But this doesn’t take you
into the heart of the volcanoes. Do try to do this walk —
and as early in your visit as possible. You will learn so
much that will add to the pleasure of the rest of your stay
— after you have learned to ‘read’ the landscape. Not only
are the guides schooled in vulcanology, but they can
answer many more questions besides!
You may wonder why visitors are not allowed to walk
freely in Timanfaya. There are several reasons. Firstly,
some of the lava ‘tunnels’ have a very thin crust — your
weight could collapse them, leading to a nasty accident,
far from help. A second reason is a matter of aesthetics!
The park is picture-
postcard perfect: the
rolling volcanic
slopes all appear to be
dusted with a smooth
coating of caster
sugar — a pâtisserie of
pristine, freshly-iced
cakes. But just one
footprint in this sand
changes its colour,
and can take three
years to disappear! It
would take the wind
It’s exhilarating to enter the

national park on a clear
day, when the Fire
Mountains glow red
above the sea of
jagged ‘AA’ lava.
Walk 24: Timanfaya — the Termesana route 117
hundreds of years to smooth out jeep tracks. But the single
most important reason is conservation. It can take lichen
— the first of the vegetation, on which all subsequent
growth depends, up to 900 years to take hold. (Timanfaya
is one of the best areas in the world to study lichens: they
can be seen evolving on the naked rock in extreme
conditions of heat and cold, their only source of moisture
the water in the rock itself and the humidity of the
northeast trade winds.) Some tiny lichen which you might
not even notice bear hairs that provide life-giving
moisture to the animals and birds which survive in the
park. Lichens grow most readily on relatively flat surfaces
(where they can trap the greatest amount of moisture; see
photograph page 120) and in the crevices of northeast-
facing slopes, where they catch the moisture off the trade
winds.
Your day starts by assembling at the Visitors’ Centre
at 10 o’clock. The maximum group size is seven people,
and usually there are two groups. Each starts at one end
of this linear trail, and the drivers exchange minibus keys
halfway along the walk. (In the rare case where there is
only one group, you will do only half the walk — or, if
you are all strong walkers, you will do the entire route
and return the same way — 6km; your guide will decide
which is best.) On the outward or inward trip, you will
å å
14
Playa
6
Y
de la å
å
Playa Madera 29
del Paso
118 Landscapes of Lanzarote å
q
å
travel via Yaiza, where your guide will point å å å å
å
out two old houses that survived almost six å å å å å
50
years of eruptions beginning between nine å å
29 å
å å å
q
and ten o’clock at night on September 1st, å å å
å å å
1730. (Nearby is a raised water tank with a å å
07
29
å
large tilted ‘apron’ surface to collect the
El å
å å π
32
J
Golfoå å
q
water — a mareta. The actual tank below is 5
å
much smaller than the ‘apron’. These are less
common than the aljibes — sunken water
tanks with flat roofs. Montaña 156
del X
El
06
How could some houses have survived
and, more surprisingly, why was no one Golfo
Golfo å
32
å
å
å
killed in the eruptions that obliterated 14 å
La Hoya
å
villages in what once was one of the most å å
Y
702
å å å
fertile areas on the island? Probably because
the first material vomited out was ‘AA’ lava, 32 05
which moves very slowly; families were able to load up

their camels and get away. In an eruption, three types of
lava spew out: lapilli (fine ash), malpais or AA type lava
(scoria), and ‘bombs’. Bombs are solid and hard; they fly
on average 30 to 300km away from the volcano. Bombs
can be tiny (you’ll be given one to examine) or huge.
If you start the walk from the Yaiza (east) end of the
trail, Termesana will be the first volcano you come to.
You will see many fig trees here, most of them encircled
by drystone lava walls. All this land was once private; now
the national park has an arrangement with the farmers:
the trees remain in private hands, but the farmers are
obliged to use certain paths to reach their plots. The
venerable old fig tree in the photograph on page 121 has
a circumference of 12m — almost 40ft!
A very strange construction stands near the fig trees: a
scoria-walled enclosure with a 3ft-high ‘bed’ of lapilli on
top. What on earth could it be? Called a pasero, it’s for
drying the figs. Since scoria is full of holes, air can circulate
all round the fruit. And on the subject of lava walls… those
in this part of the park were built about 100 years ago by
the men who built the walls in the Salinas de Janubio —
‘master stonemasons’, who can build a fairly high
drystone wall using just one thickness of rock. (Try it
yourself on one of your other walks — goodness knows
but there’s plenty of rock around to play with…)
The colours in the rocks are dazzling. And they vary
enormously depending on their mineral content. Red
comes as no surprise, but the sapphire-blue to mauve hues
are particularly striking. Look at an example, as in the
6 15 å 6 16 6 17 6 18 6 19
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32
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Pedro å
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å å å å å X X
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å å å å Hernández Termesana å
Caldera del Islote b
PARQUE NACIONAL DE TIMANFAYA å

å å å å å å
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photograph on page 120: you’re likely to see that one part

6 20
6 15 of the rock has been formed beneath the earth and another
has been formed in contact with the air — this is often
evident from the shape. The part that solidified
underground comes out almost black, but the part that
came into contact with the air is more red from oxidisa-
tion. Some rocks are blue from cobalt mixing with oxygen
and others gold from sulphur. (The guides even claim to
know which way the wind was blowing during the
eruption, from the colour of the hillsides! They are likely
to point out a cone with yellow streaking on only one side
— indicating both the wind direction and a second
passage of sulphurous wind as the rock cooled, which
makes the gold colour even paler.)
Caldera Rajada (‘Split Mountain’) lies north of
Termesana. If you thought volcanoes always ‘blew their
tops’, then this one comes as a surprise. It split its side, and
the resulting volcanic tube (jameo) reaches out just to the
edge of your path. When tongues of lava flow from the
point of eruption, they drag along the surface of the
ground. The surface lava cools rapidly and solidifies, but
molten lava (magma) continues to flow beneath the crust.
The magma sinks gradually (either because the eruption
ceases or because the flow follows a natural depression).
Thus a cavity or ‘tube’ sometimes forms beneath the crust
and the depressed lava flow (see photograph page 120).
Volcanic tubes vary in size — this tube from Rajada
formed inside and over a barranco and is very high. The
ceilings of tubes vary greatly in thickness, too: some are
very thick, while if you tap the tops of others, you’ll hear
how hollow they are! (At the end of the walk you’ll climb
Top: the vivid colours
in the rocks are due
oxidation. Middle
and bottom: it’s easy
to recognise the
difference between
jagged AA
(malpais) and
smooth pahoehoe
lava. One type of
pahoehoe lava is
called ‘ropey’ for
obvious reasons
(middle). The
solidified crusts of
pahoehoe lava
eventually break up
into great blocks,
sometimes revealing
the underlying tubes.
inside a tube and see the ‘stalactites’, where the lava

dripped as it cooled.) The famous tubes at the Cueva de
los Verdes and Jameos del Agua resulted from the
eruptions of Monte Corona (Walk 5).
Near the end of the walk you pass Montaña
Encantada (‘Enchanted Mountain’) … a cartographic
misnomer. The fig farmers in the area paid a watchman
to sit atop this mountain and sing out (‘Canta!’) if anyone
was stealing their fruit, so the mountain became known
120
Top: this massive fig
tree at the foot of
Montaña
Termesana is still
privately farmed: an
arrangement
between the park
authorities and the
owners of the land
permits them to work
their plots, but they
must use agreed
paths. Middle: after
a long day carrying
tourists, these camels
are making their
way home via Yaiza.
Bottom: silky-sided
craters rise from a sea
of jagged scoria.
locally as Montaña Canta. But the map makers were from

Madrid… Around here you will pass terrain where malpais
and pahoehoe lava intermingle; their different surfaces
make them instantly recognisable. There’s a ‘bubble’ on
show, too: called a hornito. You’ll see other hornitos at
César Manrique’s house in Tahiche or if you do the walk
around Lobos (see page 132). The walk ends at Pedro
Perico, from where you take a minibus back to the
Visitors’ Centre.
121
COASTAL WALKS
My favourite coastal walks are described in full in the book, but there
are many others to be enjoyed — especially if you can arrange transport,
since most are linear. Here’s a selection, with approximate walking times,
grades and suggestions for access. If they are shown on a large-scale
walking map, the page reference is given, but you really won’t need a
map beyond the touring map — just follow the coast and use common
sense when you encounter property or a barranco to be negotiated. With
the good coastal breezes, these hikes can even be done in summer, but
there is no shade: always wear protective suncream and clothing (as well
as stout lace-up shoes), and take plenty of water! Clockwise from Orzola:
Walk 25: SHORT WALK FROM ORZOLA

Distance: up to 2.5km/1.5mi; 50min
Grade: easy
Transport: b (Timetable 8) or 5 to/from Orzola
From the Orzola ferry terminal, walk up the coastal road to the left.
When it ends, follow sandy tracks through the lava, heading diagonally
towards the cliffs. When you approach Playa de la Cantería, you will
see the old cliff path to Punta Fariones ahead. Follow it a short way,
until you are above the far end of the beach (not far beyond here the
path has fallen into the sea due to landslides).
Walk 26: LOS COCOTEROS TO COSTA TEGUISE
Distance: 9km/5.5mi; 2h30
Grade: moderate, with ups and downs of about 180m/590ft overall;
you must be sure-footed
Transport: b (Timetables 1, 9) or 5 to/from Costa Teguise; then
5 taxi from Costa Teguise to the salt pans at Los Cocoteros to begin.
(If you’re travelling by bus, you could take an Orzola-bound bus to start
(Timetable 8), and walk some 2km down the road to the salt pans.
Ask the taxi driver to set you down just before the salt pans at Los
Cocoteros, where the main road turns left to the urbanización and a
wide earthen track goes straight ahead (south). Follow the track — later
a wide path — back to the Avenida de las Islas Canarias at Costa Teguise
(map page 115).
Walk 27: PLAYA QUEMADA TO PUERTO DEL CARMEN
Grade: fairly easy; minimal ups and downs; map on pages 84-85
Transport: b (Timetables 1, 2, 12)
or 5 to/from Puerto del Carmen; then
5 taxi from Puerto del Carmen to
Playa Quemada to begin
Follow the road behind the seaside
houses at Playa Quemada, heading
towards Puerto Calero, then pick up a
track running along the coast. By the
first hotel in Puerto Calero (45min)
take steps down to a private beach and
back up again. Now follow the coastal
promenade above the marina. When it
ends at a gate, continue on a coastal
path. Shortly before Puerto del
Carmen a sometimes-stepped path
The lighthouses at Pechiguera

122
Walk 3: A greenery-bound farm against the sweep of the Famara cliffs
takes you down and across the Barranco del Quiquere. Then continue
on the manicured path shown on page 84 and finally down a zigzag
descent into Puerto del Carmen.
Walk 28: FARO PARK TO LA HOYA
Distance: 11km/6.8mi; 3.5-4h
Grade: fairly easy; map on page 110-111
Transport: b (Timetables 5, 12) or 5 to/from Playa Blanca, then b
(Line 30, see box at the bottom of page 9) to the Faro Park develop-
ment at the west end of Playa Blanca to start. Return on b from La
Hoya (Playa Blanca bus, Timetable 5)
From the bus stop at Faro Park (map page 110-111) walk the short
way west to a coastal track. Follow this north to an isolated house. At
the end of the wall curving behind the house, you pick up a trail which
soon widens to a track and passes another house. When you reach the
abandoned urbanización Atlante del Sol (currently just a large, ugly,
isolated ruin), you are just south of Walk 22. From here you can follow
the track or the coastal path shown on the map.
Coast at Orzola (Walk 25)

Walk 29: CIRCUIT FROM EL GOLFO
Grade: easy-moderate ups and downs of 100m/330ft overall; volcanic
rock underfoot throughout (boots essential). Map on pages 118-119.
Transport: 5 to El Golfo. Follow the coastal road through the village
to the very end, by a parking area and childrens’ playground.
Straight off the parking area, follow the coastal path north (usually edged
with stones and easily seen). It merges with the southbound path from
Playa de la Madera (Walk 30) at the point where a track crosses. Follow
the track down left to Playa del Paso, a little-visited black sand beach.
Then follow the track inland, past a couple of houses below Montaña
Quemada, and take the next right turn. Past the last house, when this
track heads south to the road, take the footpath straight ahead, back to
the car park at El Golfo. See also shorter version in the panel on page 32.
Walk 30: PLAYA DE LA MADERA TO EL GOLFO
Distance: 13km/8mi; 5-6h
Grade: fairly strenuous due to length; volcanic rock underfoot through-
out (boots essential). End of the walk on the map pages 118-119.
Transport: 5 Ask friends to take you to Playa de la Madera to start out
and collect you at El Golfo. Otherwise, do Walk 29!
This (and a short stretch of Walk 29) are the only parts of the Timanfaya
National Park where you can walk without a guide, but you are asked not to
venture off the made path. The path leaves from the far side of Playa de
la Madera. The rock formations and the constant breaking of the waves
are an endless source of enjoyment, and you have the backdrop of
Timanfaya all along the route (photograph page 78). Just before Playa
del Paso, cross a track and continue on the path into El Golfo.
Walk 31: CIRCUIT FROM LA CALETA DE FAMARA
Distance: 16km/10mi; 4h30min-5h
Grade: moderate but long; overall ascents about 200m/560ft; the tracks/
paths shift under sand (avoid windy days!), but orientation is easy.
Transport: 5 or b (Timetables 13, 14) to/from La Caleta de Famara.
By car or on foot go through La Caleta and out on a ‘dual carriageway’
track to Playa de San Juan; motorists can park here, saving 2.5km return.
Shifting sands make this is a walk for those who are very relaxed about
where they end up and when they get there! It was suggested by readers;
Sunflower has not checked the whole route. From the beach, walk back
and take the first right for ‘Dominique’. Ignore ‘private’ signs and go
straight through the Bajamar development, ignoring the right turn to
Villa Dominique. You can see your path up the first volcano: make your
way fairly steeply to the top. From the rim enjoy the terrific view to the
Famara cliffs, then locate a T-junction in the tracks below (due north).
Continue round the rim to a depression where a path goes down to the
plain. Walk to the T-junction and take the track/path heading west to
the next volcano. Follow the trail right to the top of the volcano and
round the rim until it descends back in the direction from which you
came. But abruptly the trail makes a U-turn and heads west again.
Although it is often obscured by sand, you should be able to follow this
path as it reaches and then skirts a third volcano. It then continues more
clearly up to the fourth, final volcano, just north of Sóo. A track leads
to the edge of the crater, where a short but steep climb (no path) takes
you to the northern rim and the most fantastic view to the mountains
of the national park, to La Santa and round to Famara. Rejoin the track
and head seaward. By turning right, the track would take you all the
way back to Caleta. Or just walk along the top of the beach.
A day out on
Fuerteventura
Car tour 3: A DAY OUT ON FUERTEVENTURA 126

Playa Blanca • Corralejo • Dunes Natural Park •
(Puerto del Rosario) • Caleta de Fuste • Antigua •
Tuineje • Pájara • Puerto de la Peña • Betancuria •
La Oliva • (El Cotillo) • Lajares • Corralejo •
Playa Blanca
WALK
32 Around Lobos 132
Touring map* reverse of Lanzarote touring map
*The numbers on this touring map indicate car tours and walks in the
book Landscapes of Fuerteventura.
125
Car tour 3: A DAY OUT ON FUERTEVENTURA
Playa Blanca • Corralejo • Dunes Natural Park •
(Puerto del Rosario) • Caleta de Fuste • Antigua •
Tuineje • Pájara • Puerto de la Peña • Betancuria • La
Oliva • (El Cotillo) • Lajares • Corralejo • Playa Blanca
190km/118mi; 6 hours driving (plus 12min each way on the ferry and any
driving on Lanzarote to reach Playa Blanca)
On route: Picnic by the Presa de las Peñitas, or have lunch at Pájara.
This is a very long day. Do plan on taking the first ferry in the morning and
returning on the last one. There is no need to pre-book; just turn up about
half an hour before sailing time and buy your tickets at the office on the pier
at Playa Blanca. Either fill up with petrol at the roundabout just outside
Playa Blanca, or in Corralejo. This tour takes in the sights of the north and
middle of Fuerteventura — it’s just not practicable to get to the Jandía
Peninsula as well on a day trip from Lanzarote. To visit Jandía, you should
spend at least one night on the island. Puerto del Rosario, the capital, is only
included as an optional detour — I concentrate on the countryside. Roads
are all good, but the road between Pájara and the Vega de Río de Palmas is
narrow, with very sheer drops; it is built up at the side, but some motorists
might find it unnerving. See map of northern Fuerteventura and plan of
Corralejo on the reverse of the Lanzarote touring map inside the back cover.
et up with the birds to make the most of this day —
G not only to get value from the cost of your ferry cross-
ing, but to take in the best landscapes. After spending a
week or so on Lanzarote, Fuerteventura comes as a bit of
a shock! Lanzarote’s landscapes are so neatly-manicured,
so bright-white, so tidy. Corralejo, by contrast, looks ram-
shackle and dusty as you bump your way off the ferry.
And Fuerteventura’s landscapes are equally unkempt.
You’ll drive for miles and miles with hardly a sign of
habitation — just rosy-red untamed hillsides, dotted with
the odd palm or windmill. And when you do come upon
settlements, you may be delighted to find a wealth of old
buildings full of character and colour … even though
some of them appear to be coming apart at the seams.
Leave Corralejo’s port following signs for ‘Puerto del
Rosario’ and ‘Las Playas’. Joining the coastal road to
Puerto del Rosario (FV1), you head out through the
Dunes Natural Parks — white caster-sugar sands
stretching as far as the eye can see. This stunning stretch
of white shimmering sand is further enhanced by the
aquamarine sea and the purply-blue hills that rise in the
background. Lobos (Walk 32) stands out clearly on your
left, offshore, with its hundreds of little hillocks and
guardian volcano. The dunes are supposedly a natural
park, but all the same, a couple of hotels interrupt this
unique stretch of beauty (hr).
Out of this mini-desert, you cross a featureless stone-
littered plain. At 19km pass a turn-off to Parque Holandés
126
The Dunes Natural Park near Corralejo
(ar): a number of tourist booklets recommend a visit,

but I would advise you to skip it. This tour also bypasses
Puerto del Rosario (har2pmM); the town centre has
little to offer the passing tourist. So on your approach to
the capital, keep following ‘aeropuerto’, to stay on the ring
road, the FV3. Watch for your turn-off: filter right for
‘aeropuerto’ and ‘Morro Jable’ (37.5km): this takes you
back to the coastal road (FV2 p) and you pass a hotel on
the left at 39km (h).
Caleta de Fuste (harm) is a popular tourist centre.
To see the best (older) part of it, take the second turn-off,
signposted ‘Puerto Castillo’. A beautiful palm-lined road
takes you to the circular 18th-century defense tower (El
Castillo) by the little yachting harbour.
Return to the main road and continue south. At 65km
turn right for Antigua on the FV50. On coming to a main
road (FV20; p) turn right again, into Antigua (74km 2
hr). The square is beautifully laid out; the church
simple but imposing nevertheless. Just north of Antigua
on the FV20 (the Puerto del Rosario road) stands El
Molinos (r), a well-preserved 200-year-old windmill,
once used for grinding corn, now a handicraft centre. The
windmill is an appropriate introduction to Antigua,
because this area has the highest concentration of
windmills on Fuerteventura — as you will see as you head
south towards Tuineje on the FV20.
Out in the country again, palms return to the scene. A
trickle of villages is seen sitting back in the plain. Thread-
ing your way through hills, you find cultivated fields
sheltering along the floors of the barrancos. You pass some
photogenic windmills on your route through Valles de
127
Ortega, Agua de Bueyes and Tiscamanita (r and small
windmill information centre, ‘Centro de Interpretación
Los Molinos’). Three dark volcanoes, La Laguna, Liria
and Los Arrabales, rupture the lake of lava that spills out
over the plains on your left. This area is called the malpais
(‘badlands’). Around Tuineje (86km p) the large fincas
of the tomato-growers stand out in the barren landscape.
Head out right on the FV30 towards Pájara. Rosy-
rusty tones emanate from the landscape and are reflected
in the honey-coloured stone of the walls and old ruins.
You cross a col and a huge basin opens up ahead, with
views to the sea. Down in the valley, on the approach to
Toto, you’ll spot ‘wigwams’ of cane, waiting to be used
in the tomato fields. Pájara (94km 2hr and swimming
pool) is a large farming community surrounded by hills.
The shady village is a welcoming sight, with its abundance
of trees and small colourful gardens. Don’t miss the
church here; it is especially noteworthy for the striking
‘Aztec’ stone-carved decoration above the main entrance.
Quite a curiosity because, apart from similar sculptures
in La Oliva, these carvings are unique in the Canaries. The
two naves inside the church date back to 1645 and 1687,
while the carving over the door is thought to date from
the 1500s. If you haven’t brought a picnic, nearby Casa
Isaítas (a hotel rural) serves good home cooking.
From Pájara take the FV621, to descend to Ajuy/
Puerto de la Peña. Rounding a corner, you look down
into a valley lush with palm trees, tamarisk shrubs and
Betancuria
Car tour 3: A day out on Fuerteventura 129
garden plots. Below Ajuy you come into Puerto de la
Peña (103km), a small village set on the edge of a black
sand beach. It’s one of two fishing settlements on the west
coast. Few tourists venture over to the dramatically-sited
ancient port here. It hides in a bay some 15 minutes’ walk
around the coast to the south of the village.
From Puerto de la Peña return to Pájara, then take the
road for Vega de Río Palmas (FV30, signposted for
Betancuria); it’s at the left of the church. Again you ascend
into the hills, climbing on a narrow winding road that
hugs the sheer inclines (some people might find this road
unnerving). There are excellent views back over the
Barranco de Pájara. The Degollada de los Granadillos
(c) is the pass that takes you over a solid spur of rock
that juts out into the valley below. From here you have a
superb outlook over to the enclosing rocky ridges.
Soon, descending, you come to a another large parking
area overlooking the Presa de las Peñitas (c), a muddy
reservoir lodged in the V of the Barranco de las Peñitas.
The reservoir looks deeper than it is, as it has filled with
silt; in summer it’s bone dry. Groves of tamarisk trees
huddle around the tail of the presa, and that’s a good spot
from which to do some bird-watching. Green gardens
step the sides of the slopes, and palm trees complement
the scene. Below the reservoir lies a sheer-sided rocky
ravine, the ideal hiding place for the chapel dedicated to
the island’s patron saint, Nuestra Señora de la Peña.
This impressive ravine is one of the island’s beauty
spots, so let’s do more exploring. Past the viewpoint, the
rest of the valley opens up, and a string of casas stretches
along it. They’re set amidst a healthy sprinkling of palms
and cultivated plots — a luxuriant corner. Turn down
sharp left at the first road you come to, just before the
centre of Vega de Río Palmas. This 3km-long road is
very narrow, but there is room for two cars to pass.
Continue to a turning area at the end of the road. This is
an exquisite picnic spot beside the reservoir, with shady
palms and a symphony of birdsong.
Return to the main road, pass the church dedicated to
Nuestra Señora de la Peña on the right, and continue
twisting up the valley. The countryside subsides into
rolling contours once again. Notice a large abandoned
field of sisal on the hillsides on your left, a short distance
further on. This crop was introduced from Mexico.
At the end of this valley you come to the village of
Betancurias (134km 2arM), well hidden from the
marauding Berbers of earlier centuries. It’s a very pic-
turesque collection of manorial buildings, with a grand
17th-century cathedral. The cathedral and convent here
are the oldest examples of their style in the archipelago.
Relics abound in historic Betancuria, and I hope you’ll
notice some of them. A number of the old houses have
doorways and arches dating back to the 15th century.
Betancuria was the capital of Fuerteventura for some 400
years, up until 1835, and was also the first episcopal seat
for all the Canaries. The oldest part of the village huddles
around the cathedral. History-hunters will enjoy the
cathedral and the small Museo Sacreo here — as well as
the municipal museum.
Leaving Betancuria on the FV30, everyone passes by
the Franciscan monastery, the shell of which sits below
the road on the northern side of the village. Inside it
(unseen from the road) are some beautiful cloistered
arches. Near the convent is a small enclosed church —
actually the first church on the island; however, much of
the building was rebuilt in the 17th century.
You zigzag up out of the valley and pull over at the
top of the pass (c) for a fine panorama over a vast plain
to the north. Its far-distant reaches are edged by sharp
abrupt hills called cuchillos (knives); over on your left lie
morros (low, smooth hills). Betancuria nestles cosily in the
valley floor below.
Leaving the viewpoint, when you come to a round-
about, turn left. Pass through Valle de Santa Inés and
Llanos de la Concepción. At another roundabout go left
for ‘Tefía, La Oliva’ (FV207). After passing between
Montaña Bermeja on the left and Morro Bermejo on the
right, mellow old stone walls and farmhouses introduce
Tefía (M). Beyond the village, turn left on the FV10 for
La Oliva. You next pass above Tindaya (r). It spreads
across a flattened crest amidst a profusion of faded brown
stone walls. Behind the village stands captivating
Montaña Tindaya, a great rocky salient that dominates
the surrounding countryside with its boldness. Perhaps
this is why the Guanches chose it as their holy mountain.
At the other end of this plain lies the pleasant country
village of La Olivas (166km 2hrpM). It rests on the
edge of a lava flow. Montaña Arena, a mountain of sand,
rises up out of the lava in the background. Drive straight
ahead to the church, where there’s ample parking. Nuestra
Señora de Candelaria overpowers the village with its solid
black-stone belfry. La Oliva was a town of some impor-
Car tour 3: A day out on Fuerteventura 131
tance in the 17th century, when the island’s military post
was stationed here. The official residence (the Colonels’
House, open Tue-Sat, 10.00-18.00, entrance fee) can be
seen on the outskirts of the village: follow signs for ‘Casa
de los Coroneles’ and ‘Centro de Arte Canario’. The
Centro de Arte Canario (Casa Mané; M), a museum of
contemporary Canarian art, is well worth a visit. One can’t
help but notice the perfectly-shaped Montaña Frontón
rising up in the background of this naked setting; in fact,
it’s not a real mountain, but only the tail of a long ridge.
The Casa del Capellán (Chaplain’s House), another old
and dilapidated building, sits off the side of the Corralejo
road, on the left. This house, and a small house in the
village, which has a stone façade with an Aztec motif, are
other examples of the as yet unexplained Mexican
influence seen earlier in the day at Pájara.
From La Oliva make for Lajares: take the road forking
left opposite the church, towards ‘El Cotillo’. The road
runs alongside the pale green lichen-smeared malpais —
a pleasant change in the landscape. Bear right for Lajares
where the main road goes left to El Cotillo.*
You circle Montaña La Arena before coming into
Lajares (177km) and passing between two roadside
windmills.The one on your left is called a molina: a
wooden contraption that rotates and is built onto the
rooftop of a house. The house normally has a room on
either side of the mill. On your right is a molino: it’s conical
and is rotated by pushing the long arms, thus moving the
cap with the windmill blades. This building is not
inhabited. Both mills were used for grinding gofio. There’s
also a curious church nearby. Lajares is an attractive little
village of white houses set amidst dark lava-stone walls.
From here it’s a straightforward run back to Corralejo:
turn right at the roundabout in Lajares, taking the FV109,
then turn left on the FV101 at a T-junction. (A right turn
here would take you back towards Villaverde and La
Oliva. Just before Villaverde, the museum and volcanic
tube of Cueva del Llano, open daily from 10.00-18.00,
is well worth a visit). You drive through malpais almost
all the way to the outskirts of Corralejo, from where you
follow a palm-lined dual carriageway back towards the
port (190km).
*How are you doing for time till the last ferry? If possible, do make a
17km return detour to El Cotillo (har). Any of the tracks leading
out past the 17th-century watchtower on the cliffs would give you a
taste of the exquisite little coves ensconced in the dark lava coastline.
Walk 32: AROUND LOBOS
Grade: easy, but there is no shade, and it can be hot, windy and dusty.
The ascent of Montaña La Caldera is just over 100m/330ft.
Equipment: comfortable walking shoes, fleece, sunhat, suncream,
picnic, plenty of water, swimwear
How to get there and return: 9 ‘Princesa Ico’ (www.princesa-ico.
com) excursion boat to Corralejo on Fuerteventura and Lobos. As this
is fairly expensive, check in advance how many hours you will have on
Lobos. Note that this excursion only operates in summer. In summer you
may also be able to find a boat to take you to Lobos: enquire at the port
in Playa Blanca. Or 9 from Corralejo to Lobos (Timetable 15).
ou can have Fuerteventura’s Jandía and El Jable; I’ll

Y settle for Lobos any day. A short — 2km from
Corralejo or 8km from Playa Blanca — ferry ride takes
you over to this strange little island of sand and rocky
mounds. Seen from afar, it may not even arouse your
curiosity. But once you’ve seen the exquisite lagoon
cradled by Casas El Puertito and you’ve climbed the
crater, then finished your day with a dip in the turquoise
green waters off the shore, you’ll remember it as one of
the highlights of your holiday. Lobos takes its name from
the seals that once inhabited these waters.
You follow a track that circles the island. A quad, which
belongs to the park rangers, is the only vehicle you’ll
encounter. On Lobos all the paths and tracks are very
clearly marked — with signs warning you not to leave the
marked route: Lobos is a bird sanctuary and a protected area!
Straight off the JETTY, start out by forking right twice
and heading for the tiny port of Casas El Puertito, a
jumble of buildings with a restaurant. A neat wide path
leads you there through a landscape dominated by
mounds of lava and littered with rock. These small
mounds, called hornitos (‘little ovens’; see page 134) are
caused by phreatic eruptions. You’ll see the beautiful
Limonium papillatum, with its paper-like mauve and white
flowers. And fluorescent green tabaiba glows amidst the
sombre rock. You’ll also notice plenty of cosco
(Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum), the noticeably bright
red ice plant, and Suaeda vera. A reef of rocky outcrops
shelters the lagoon, making it into a perfect natural
swimming pool. Through the rock you can see the sand
dunes of Corralejo in the background; Casas El Puertito
(7min) is a picture postcard setting. (Tip: if you want to
eat here after your walk, order your meal now!)
Once past the little houses, you continue around the
LAGOON. Almost at once, swing back inland and, at a
T junction, head left. To the right is a coastal path: if you
132
Walk 32: Around Lobos 133
take it, you can rejoin the main walk once you reach the
tidal pools.) Arthrocnemum fruticosum (a fern-like plant)
grows in the hollows. Ice plants (see page 39), with trans-
parent papillae resembling water droplets, also catch the
attention. This plant was once traded for its soda content.
The track loops its way through these miniature
‘mountains’. The rock is clad in orange and faded-green
lichen. Overlooking all this is Montaña La Caldera (the
crater), the most prominent feature in this natural park.
Shortly, cross a sandy flat area. The track loops up the
embankment; a small fork off to the left cuts the loop and
joins the track at an INFORMATION BOARD. Lanzarote
begins to grow across the horizon. Ignore the forks off to
the right (30min, 37min). (The second fork leads past a
patch of sisal — an aloe-like plant with exceptionally tall
flower stems, sheltering in a hollow just a few minutes
away.) Soon (55min), ignore side-paths to some ugly
concrete buildings. Then join a track coming in from the
left. In a few minutes you’re alongside the abandoned
building and outhouses of the Faro de Martiño
(1h10min). If you don’t plan to climb the crater, this will
be your best viewpoint in the walk. You look out over the
dark lava hills and the tiny valleys of golden sand that
thread their way through them. To the right of the
broken-away crater of Montaña La Caldera you’ll glimpse
Corralejo. Across the straits, just opposite, lie some of
Lanzarote’s magnificent beaches, from Playa Blanca to
Punta Papagayo.
From the lighthouse follow the main track off to the
right (the GR131). Within 30 minutes from the
lighthouse (at about 1h40min), you will turn off to climb
Montaña La Caldera, by taking the second fork off to the
right. But first you might like to take a 30 minute return
detour to Caleta del Palo, a beach inside Montaña La
Caldera’s crater. If so, take the first right turn (where a
signpost points forwards and backwards, but not to the
Caleta del Palo) and follow the track along a sandy
depression. (Careful: in late spring and early summer
breeding seagulls around here can be very aggressive!) Pass a
water tank and continue on a path through a narrow
’valley’ of rock, which leads down to this black-sand
beach. Return the same way.)
The Montaña La Caldera turn-off comes up four
minutes after the detour route. Straight into this track,
the route forks. Go right and follow the well-worn path
that ascends to the RIM OF THE CRATER (2h10min). A
The ‘hornitos’ of
Lobos — an
intriguing land-
scape. These phreatic
eruptions come about
when under-
ground water heats
up and expands.
brilliant sight awaits you. You find yourself on a razor-

sharp ridge, looking down sheer walls onto a beach,
hidden inside this half-crater. Your vista encompasses the
profusion of hornitos that make up this island, the dunes
of Corralejo, and Fuerteventura’s hazy inland hills. To the
north, you can trace Lanzarote’s coastline as far as Puerto
del Carmen. The crater is also home to a large seagull
colony. The birds here seem used to visitors, and not
aggressive. Take time to observe the fascinating social
behaviour of these beautiful and elegant birds.
Returning to the main track, head right. In 15 minutes,
watch for the turn-off to the main beach: it comes up two
minutes past two concrete buildings that sit in a hollow
on your left. This exquisite bay (Playa de la Concha; 2h
30min) is a shallow lagoon that curves deeply back into
the coastline. Here’s where you’ll end up passing the rest
of the day, no doubt. Keep an eye on your boat’s departure
time! To return to the ferry, just continue along the track,
keeping right at the fork, to the JETTY (2h45min).
6 13 6 14 6 15 Punta Martiño 6 17
u Faro de Martiño
q
q
0 [ 1 km
c
1 q
13
82
0.5 mi J
GR
J
31
Caleta
q
del Palo
l
q
81
q
La Caldera
X 100
31
q
q
c 127 50
q
JJ
8031
P
q
LOBOS
GR
q
13
1 q
Playa de
Casas El Puertito
4
la Concha
q P
Caleta de
9
la Rasca
7931
Corralejo
BUS AND FERRY TIMETABLES
Log on to www.intercitybuslanzarote.es (see page 7) for the latest timetables, or see ferry operators below
1: Arrecife–Costa Teguise (Line 1); 20min 11: Arrecife–San Bartolomé–Tiagua–Tinajo —La
Dep Arrecife Mon–Fri: 06.40 and approx every 20 Santa (Line 16); to Tinajo 25min
min until 22.40, then 23.40; Sat/Sun/hols: 06.40 and Dep Arrecife Mon–Fri: 07.00, 08.00, 09.00, 11.00=,
twice-hourly at 10 and 40 min past the hour until 23.40 12.00+, 14.00+, 15.00=, 17.00=, 18.00+, 19.00, 21.10,
Dep Costa Teguise Mon–Fri: 07.00 and every 20 min 21.40=; Sat/Sun/hols: 08.00, 10.15, 12.00, 14.00,
until 22.40, then 23.00, 00.10; Sat/Sun/hols:07.00 and 15.45, 17.30, 19.00, 20.30
every 30 min until 23.00, then 23.30, 00.10 Dep La Santa Mon–Fri: 07.00, 08.00, 09.00=, 10.00+,
2: Arrecife–Pto Carmen–Pto Calero (Line 2); 30min 12.00+, 13.00=, 15.00=, 16.00+, 18.00, 19.00, 19.50=;
Dep Arrecife Mon–Fri: 06.20 and every 20 min until Sat/Sun/hols: 07.00, 08.45, 11.00, 12.45, 14.45,
22.40, then 23.20; Sat/Sun/hols: 06.20 and at 20 and 16.45, 18.15, 19.45
50 min past the hour until 22.20, then 23.20 =Line 52; +Line 53
Dep Puerto del Carmen (buses leave Puerto Calero 12: Puerto del Carmen–Playa Blanca= (Line 161);
a few min earlier) Mon–Fri: 07.00 and every 20 min about 1h
until 22.20, then 23.00, 00.10; Sat/Sun/hols: 07.00, Dep Puerto del Carmen* Mon–Fri: 06.20=, 07.30 and
08.00 and every 30 min until 23.00, then 00.10 every hour on the half hour until 22.30; Sat/Sun/hols:
3: Airport (Lines 22, 23); circular routes; 20min 08.00 and every two hours on the hour until 22.00
Two circular routes between the capital and the airport Dep Playa Blanca*
on a daily basis, with frequent departures starting at Mon–Fri: 06.50, 08.30 and every hour on the half hour
06.50 from Arrecife. Service is half-hourly after 08.00 until 23.30; Sat/Sun/hols:09.00 and every two hours
4: Arrecife–Conil–La Asomada–Femés (Line 5); to on the hour until 23.00
Femés about 1h =See also box at the bottom of page 9 (Line 30)
*The bus actually starts at the airport before going into Puerto del
Dep Arrecife Mon–Fri only 08.00, 14.00, 19.15 Carmen; buses from Playa Blanca terminate at the airport.
Dep Femés Mon–Fri only 09.00, 14.45, 19.15 13: Arrecife–Sóo–Caleta de Famara (Line 20);
5: Arrecife–Playa Honda–Tías–Macher–Uga– about 1h
Yaiza–Playa Blanca† (Line 60); to Playa Blanca Dep Arrecife Mon–Fri: only 06.30, 09.45, 14.00,
about 1h 17.45, 20.45
Dep Arrecife Mon–Fri: 06.00+ and every hour on the Dep Caleta Mon–Fri: only 07.00, 08.40, 17.00, 20.45
hour until 21.00; Sat/Sun/hols:07.00, 08.00*, 09.00, 14: Costa Teguise–Teguise–Caleta de Famara
11.00, 13.00, 14.00*=, 15.00, 17.00, 19.00, 21.00 (Line 31); about 1h
Dep Playa Blanca Mon–Fri: 06.50+, 07.00 and every Dep Costa Teguise Mon–Fri: 07.30=, 09.30=, 11.30,
hour on the hour until 22.00; Sat/Sun/hols:08.00, 13.00, 15.30=, 17.30, 19.30, 21.15; Sat/Sun/hols:
09.00*=, 10.00, 12.00, 14.00, 15.00*, 16.00, 18.00, 09.00, 11.00, 13.00, 15.00, 17.00, 19.00, 20.30
20.00, 22.00 Dep Caleta Mon–Fri: 08.30=, 10.30=, 12.15, 13.45,
*only Sundays;+Line 06, via Puerto del Carmen; = Line 13
†See also box at the bottom of page 125 16.30=, 18.30, 20.30, 22.00; Sat/Sun/hols: 10.00,
6: Arrecife–Teguise–Mala–Arrieta–Haría–Máguez† 12.00, 14.00, 16.00, 18.00, 19.45, 21.15
=Line 33
(Line 7); to Máguez about 1h
Dep Arrecife Mon–Fri: 08.00, 10.00, 12.30, 14.30,
16.30, 18.30=, 20.30; Sat/Sun/hols: 08.00, 10.00, 9 15: Lobos boats (all daily from Corralejo on
12.00, 14.00, 18.00, 20.00 Fuerteventura); 35min
Dep Máguez Mon–Fri: 07.00, 09.00, 11.00, 13.30, Isla de Los Lobos; dep 10.10; ret 16.00 or 18.00
15.30, 17.30, 19.30; Sat/Sun/hols: 07.00, 09.00, El Majorero; dep 10.00, 12.00; ret 12.30, 16.00
11.00, 13.00, 19.00, 21.00 Celia Cruz; dep 09.45; ret 14.20 or 17.00
= goes on to Ye as Line 26 9 16: Bocayna Express (Fred Olsen Line;
7: Arrecife–Teguise* (Los Valles bus, Line 10); to www.fredolsen.es) from Playa Blanca to Corralejo
Teguise about 15-20min on Fuerteventura; 15min
Dep Arrecife Mon–Fri: only (except holidays) 06.30, Dep Playa Blanca daily: 07.10 (Mon–Fri only), 08.00,
10.00=, 14.00=, 16.00=, 20.40= 10.00, 14.00, 16.00, 18.00
Dep Teguise Mon–Fri: only (except holidays) 07.05, Dep Corralejo daily: 07.45+, 09.00, 11.00, 15.00,
10.35=, 14.35=, 16.35=, 21.15= 17.00, 19.00
*Lines 11, 12, 13 serve Teguise (market) on Sundays only; check 9 17: Volcán de Tindaya (Armas Line;
the website; = Line 26; www.naviera-armas.com) from Playa Blanca to
8: Arrecife–Orzola (Line 9); 45min Corralejo on Fuerteventura; 40min
Dep Arrecife Mon–Fri: 07.40, 10.30, 12.00, 15.30, Dep Playa Blanca daily: 07.00, 09.00, 11.00, 15.00,
17.00; Sat/Sun/hols: 07.40, 15.30, 17.00 17.00, 19.00
Dep Orzola Mon–Fri: 08.30, 11.30, 13.10, 16.40, Dep Corralejo daily: 08.00, 10.00, 14.00, 16.00,
18.10; Sat/Sun/hols: 08.30, 16.40, 18.10 18.00, 20.00
9: Pto Carmen–Costa Teguise (Line 03); 20min 9 18: Graciosa Ferry (from Orzola); (www.lineas
Dep Puerto del Carmen Mon–Fri: approx every 20 romero.com); 25min
min from 07.00 until 21.40; Sat/Sun/hols: approx every Dep Orzola daily: 10.00, 11.00, 12.00, 13.30, 16.00,
30 min from 10.00 until 21.00 17.00, 18.00 (and 19.00 from 1 July to 1 October)
Dep Costa Teguise Mon–Fri: approx every 20 min Dep Caleta del Sebo (Graciosa) daily: 08.00, 10.00,
from 07.00 until 21.20; Sat/Sun/hols: approx every 20 11.00, 12.30, 15.00, 16.00, 17.00 (and 18.00 from 1
min from 09.00 until 22.00 July to 1 October)
10: Arrecife–Pto Calero (Line 24); 25min 9 19: Graciosa Ferry (from Orzola);
Dep Arrecife Mon–Fri: 07.00, 09.00, 11.20, 15.00, (www.biosfera express.com); 25min
19.40, 23.20; Sat/Sun/hols:07.20, 10.20, 11.50, 14.50, Dep Orzola daily: 07.00, 09.30, 10.30*, 11.30, 15.30,
19.50, 23.20 16.30*, 17.30, 18.30*
Dep Puerto Calero Mon–Fri: 07.30, 09.30, 11.50, Dep Caleta del Sebo (Graciosa) daily: 08.00, 10.00,
15.30, 20.10, 24.00; Sat/Sun/hols:07.50, 10.50, 12.20, 11.30*, 13.00, 16.30, 17.30*, 18.30, 19.30*
15.20, 20.20, 24.00 *summer only (1 July to 25 October)
135
Index
Geographical names comprise the only entries in this index; for other entries see Contents, page 3. Bold-face
type indicates a photograph; italic type indicates a map reference. Both may be in addition to a text reference
on the same page.
Arrecife Puerto del Rosario 127 Orzola 11, 19, 22, 36, 41, 42, 53,
town plan 8-9 Tindaya 130, 135 122, 123, 135
Arrieta 19, 20, 21, 46-7, 73, 75, 76 Tiscamanita 128 Parque Eólico 21, 25, 68-9
Atalaya de Femés 15, 34, 89, 91, Tuineje 128 Peñas del Chache 24, 60, 65, 68
92, 93, 94-5, 97, 101 Valles de Ortega 128 Pico see also Montaña
Barranco/Valle Vega de Río Palmas 129 de la Aceituna 96
de Chafariz 21, 46-7, 61, 68-9, Guatiza 19, 20, 67, 122, 123 Redondo 94-5, 96, 97, 98, 105
73 Guinate 19, 24, 46-7, 54, 56, 57, 59 Playa
de la Casita 97 Hacha Grande 15, 94-5, 97, 102 de Janubio 15, 108, 109, 110,
de la Higuera 94-5, 96, 98, 100, Haría 1, 13, 18, 19, 46-7, 60, 61, 110-1, 112, 113
101, 105 62-3, 64, 65, 67, 68-9, 73, de Papagayo 14, 15, 27, 34,
de los Castillejos 13, 18, 46-7, 74 93, 94-5, 96, 101, 102, 103,
60, 61, 62, 64, 68-9 Islote de Hilario 30 104, 133
de los Dises 15, 94-5, 97, 101 Jameos del Agua 19, 21, 22, 120 del Paso 30
de Malpaso 46-7, 60, 61, 68-9 Jardín de Cactus 20, cover del Pozo 94-5, 101, 103
del Cuchillo 46-7, 61, 68-9, 73 La Asomada 85 del Risco 46-7, 50
del Palomo 66, 68-9, 73, 74, La Geria 14, 19, 27, 28-9, 35, 77, de la Madera 31, 32, 76-7, 78,
75, 76 80, 82, 83, 85, 87, 88, 92 79, 116, 123
del Quiquere 84, 84-5, 86, 123 La Graciosa 11, 12, 13, 23, 41, de las Coloradas 103
del Rincón 60, 61, 64, 68-9 43, 44, 49, 57, 79, 85 Mujeres 103
Parrado 94-5, 102, 105 Caleta del Sebo 41, 44, 135 Playa Blanca 15, 17, 19, 27, 33,
Caleta del Congrio 15, 34, 94-5, Pedro Barba 41, 42, 44 36, 37, 93, 94-5, 100, 102,
104 Playa de las Conchas 44 103, 110-1, 123, 126, 135
Costa Teguise 17, 19, 20, 27, 37, Playa del Ambar 41, 44 town plan 8-9
114, 115, 122, 123, 135 La Hoya 33, 108, 109, 110-1, 113, Playa Quemada 94-5, 100, 101,
Cueva de los Verdes 19, 22 123 122
Degollada del Portugués 15, 93, La Santa 27, 29, 135 Puerto Calero 37, 84-5, 88, 122
94-5, 96, 101, 102, 105 Las Breñas 27, 32, 94-5, 110-1 Puerto del Carmen 17,19, 26, 27,
El Bosquecillo 10, 19, 24, 50, 68 Lobos 15, 33, 34, 87, 92, 104, 35, 37, 82, 84, 84-5, 86, 88,
El Golfo 10-1, 15, 27, 31, 34, 108, 121, 125, 126, 132, 133, 92, 97, 100, 122, 123, 135
116, 123, 124 134, 135 town plan 6-7
Charco de los Clicos 10-1, 31, Los Ajaches 32, 83, 100, 103 Punta de Pechiguera 15, 96-7,
32, 34 Los Helechos 13, 46-7, 54, 56, 58 107, 110-1, 122
El Rubicón 33, 34, 92, 94-5, 96, Los Hervideros 32, 33 Risco de Famara 11, 23, 24, 45,
101, 105, 106-7, 110 Los Valles 26, 68-9, 71, 72, 135 46-7, 48, 50, 63, 68-9, 74,
Ermita Mácher 6, 35, 82, 84-5 79
de las Nieves 13, 24, 60, 61, Máguez 12, 18, 24, 45, 46-7, 49, Salinas de Janubio 15, 32, 108,
64, 65, 66, 68-9, 72, 75 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 110-1, 112, 118
de San José 13, 26, 68-9, 71 59, 61, 114, 135 Salinas del Río 45, 46-7, 49
Famara Mala 21, 66, 67, 68-9, 73, 76 San Bartolomé 26, 27, 28, 35
cliffs see Risco de Famara Mancha Blanca 29, 30, 76-7, 78, Sóo 26, 63, 124
La Caleta de — 19, 26, 50, 68- 80, 81, 116 Tabayesco 21, 46-7, 61, 68-9, 73,
9, 124 Masdache 35 75, 76
Playa de Famara 50, 68-9 Mirador del Río 12, 19, 23, 45, 46- Tahiche 19, 20, 121
urbanización 26, 50, 68-9, 124 7, 48 Tao 28
Femés 15, 27, 34, 89, 93, 94-5, Montaña see also Monte, Pico Teguise 13, 19, 25, 26, 65, 66, 68-
97, 99, 100, 101, 101, 102, Bermeja (near El Golfo) 33 9, 70-1, 72, 135
103, 105, 135 Blanca 29, 76-7, 78, 79, 4, 81, Tiagua 19, 26, 28
Fuerteventura 125-34 81 Tías 27, 28, 105
Ajuy 128, 129 Corona (Costa Teguise) 114, Timanfaya National Park 2, 16-7,
Antigua 127 115, 115 19, 27, 29, 36, 42, 44, 48,
Betancuria 128, 129, 130 de Guardilama 14, 82, 83, 84-5, 78, 80, 82, 83, 90, 92, 116-7,
Corralejo 86, 87 118-9, 120-1
town plan on touring map Roja 15, 106-7, 107, 110-1 Tinajo 27, 29, 76-7, 79, 80, 135
Dunes Natural Park 126, 127 Tinasoria 84-5, 87 Uga 14, 35, 82, 84-5, 87, 88, 91,
El Cotillo 131 Montañas del Fuego see 92
Lajares 131 Timanfaya Valle see Barranco/Valle
La Oliva 128, 130, 131 Monte Corona (Máguez) 12, 18, Yaiza 19, 27, 29, 30, 31, 77, 80,
Pájara 128, 129, 131 21, 46-7, 51, 52-3, 54, 55, 85, 87, 89, 90-1, 91, 92, 118,
Presa de las Peñitas 129 56, 120 121
Puerto de la Peña 129 Mozaga 19, 26, 28, 87 Ye 23, 46-7, 51, 54, 55, 135
136
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NB Destination frame on spine will need adjusting for optical centering for each title depending on whether the

word/s contain/s descenders

El Río for all

Los Helechos 203

Ermita de las Nieves 2 r

Arrecife Costa Teguise

ISBN 978-1-85691-460-4 Timanfaya camel train

Important note to the reader

Cover photograph: In the Geria Valley (Car tour 2)

PUERTO DEL CARMEN

Los Afre Rein 2 a n Princesa Ico

Infa Teide Tin guato n

PUERTO DEL CARMEN

6 Art gallery (Castillo de San José)

Ave 4 Waterside promenade with shops

Taxi within Playa Blanca, calling at the most

if so, a photograph reference follows the map reference.

2 RISCO DE FAMARA (map pages 46-

El Golfo is a fine spot for a picnic. While there

6 LOS HELECHOS (map pages 46-47, photograph page 56) ●

17 ATALAYA DE FEMES (map page 91, photos pages 89, 101) ●

18 DEGOLLADA DEL PORTUGUES (map pages 94-95,

20 PLAYA DE PAPAGAYO (map pages 94-95,

21 MONTAÑA ROJA (map page 107, photo pages 106-107) ●

22 JANUBIO (map pages 110-111, photos pages 109, 110) ●

A country code for walkers and motorists

part from the Timanfaya National Park and the Geria

wind generators that were a ‘pilot project’ for the larger

ridges that trail off the northern hills. Mala (32km r;

seven kilometres of this vast complex of tunnels is open

Vineyards in La Geria lead the eye to the Fire

and another world

crossing, turn left.

Guides, waymarking, maps

W eatherWith an average annual temperature of 21°C and

Spanish for walkers and motorists

in Spanish. First, memorise the few short key questions

Organisation of the walks

P picnic spot (see

Caleta del Sebo π

Continuing around the island, you head towards

your left, and Montaña Clara reappears, seemingly joined

his is a truly spectacular walk. You descend into the

The glowing ponds of the Salinas del Río

c X 562 581 Helechos

cFilo Bco o de Chafariz

del Cuchillo Barranc

Walk 2: Risco de Famara 47

203 π π πstunning panorama slowly

del J unravels, as you near the

π yet quite beautiful in the

π π ππ eyes of many beholders. The

Clara is the blade of rock

π π π π πthat bursts up out of the sea

los Verdes π Alegranza.

golden sand and shallow

times orange) ponds of

abandoned salt pans — the

ne of my favourite walks has always been the descent