Walking on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura

Including sections of the GR131 long-distance trail

By Paddy Dillon

ISBN

9781852846039

Availability

Published

17 Nov 2014

Reprinted

11 Jan 2019

Edition

Second

Pages

240

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.40cm

Weight

270g

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This book offers 45 walks on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, including 14 walks on the long-distance GR131 trail, which crosses both islands. Lanzarote has a fascinating volcanic national park; Fuerteventura has famous golden beaches. Both islands are crossed by new trails.

Seasons

both renowned for being dry and sunny, but with strong winds; often a short wet spell in winter, followed by a rapid greening of the landscape and a wealth of flowers around February/March; summers can be too hot for walking

Centres

Lanzarote: Arrecife, Costa Teguise, Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca; Fuerteventura: Morro Jable, Costa Calma, Puerto del Rosario, Corralejo

Difficulty

many of the routes have been cleared, signposted and waymarked; hill and mountain trails are often fairly easy, but can be steep, stony and rocky in places; coastal walks range from sandy beaches to rugged cliffs of broken lava; always carry water and guard against the sun

Must See

Lanzarote: volcanic national park at Timanfaya; vineyards at La Geria. Fuerteventura: famous beaches; splendid mountain paths, recently cleared, signposted and waymarked. Both: the long-distance GR 131

ISBN

9781852846039

Availability

Published

17 Nov 2014

Reprinted

11 Jan 2019

Edition

Second

Pages

240

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.40cm

Weight

270g

Overview

This guidebook describes 21 walks on Lanzarote, 2 on Isla La Graciosa (off Lanzarote's northern coast) and 22 on Fuerteventura, including 14 walks on the GR131 long distance trail, which traverses all seven of the Canary Islands (including Isla de Lobos at the tip of Fuerteventura). The routes span a wide range of arid, agricultural and natural areas. Walks feature hill and mountain trails, Lanzarote's Timanfaya volcanic national park, coastal walks along Fuerteventura's golden beaches and ancient island villages. Routes are illustrated with the author's own clear, custom-drawn colour maps and inspirational photography. Full contact information is included for public transport and accommodation providers and tourist information offices as well as an extensive topographical glossary and route summary table to help you choose the best walk, or combine a couple of routes, according your requirements. Walking on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura is part of a five-volume series to the whole of the Canary Islands.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Map key

Overview map

Introduction

Location

Geology

Wildlife

National Parks

The Fortunate Isles

Getting there

When to go

Accommodation

Health and safety

Food and drink

Language

Money

Communications

Walking on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura

What to take

Waymarking and access

Maps

Emergencies

Using this guide

Lanzarote

Introduction

Getting there

Getting around

Accommodation

Food and drink

Tourist information offices

South Lanzarote

Walk 1 Femés and Barranco de la Casita

Walk 2 Femés and Pico de las Flores

Walk 3 Femés to Puerto Calero

Walk 4 Femés to Playa Blanca

Walk 5 Playa Blanca to El Golfo

Walk 6 Yaiza to Tinajo

Walk 7 Mozaga to Uga

Walk 8 Cueva de los Naturalistas

Walk 9 Mancha Blanca and Caldera Blanca

North Lanzarote

Walk 10 Tinajo, Sóo and Caleta de Famara

Walk 11 Tiagua, Sóo and Caleta de Famara

Walk 12 Teguise to Caleta de Famara

Walk 13 Costa Teguise and Montaña Tinaguache

Walk 14 Teguise to Guatiza

Walk 15 Arrieta to Caleta de Famara

Walk 16 Ye and Salinas del Río

Isla La Graciosa

Walk 17 Caleta del Sebo and Montaña Amarilla

Walk 18 Caleta del Sebo and Montaña Bermeja

GR 131 – Playa Blanca to Órzola

Walk 19 GR 131 – Playa Blanca to Yaiza

Walk 20 GR 131 – Yaiza to Montaña Blanca

Walk 21 GR 131 – Montaña Blanca to Teguise

Walk 22 GR 131 – Teguise to Haría

Walk 23 GR 131 – Haría to Órzola

Fuerteventura

Introduction

Getting there

Getting around

Accommodation

Food and drink

Tourist information offices

Jandía

Walk 24 El Puertito and Las Talahijas

Walk 25 Gran Valle and Cofete

Walk 26 Pico de la Zarza

Walk 27 Costa Calma and Playa de Sotavento

Mid-Fuerteventura

Walk 28 Cardón and Montaña de Cardón

Walk 29 Vega de Río Palmas to Ajuy

Walk 30 Tiscamanita and Morro Jorjado

Walk 31 Antigua to Betancuria

North Fuerteventura

Walk 32 Casillas del Ángel, Tefía and Tetir

Walk 33 Tindaya, Vallebrón and La Matilla

Walk 34 Lajares, El Cotillo and Playa de Esquinzo

Walk 35 Lajares and Calderón Hondo

Walk 36 Parque Natural de Corralejo

GR 131 – El Puertito to Isla de Lobos

Walk 37 GR 131 – Punta de Jandía to Morro Jable

Walk 38 GR 131 – Morro Jable to Barranco de Pecenescal

Walk 39 GR 131 – Barranco de Pecenescal to La Pared

Walk 40 GR 131 – La Pared to Pájara

Walk 41 GR 131 – Pájara to Betancuria

Walk 42 GR 131 – Betancuria to Tefía

Walk 43 GR 131 – Tefía to La Oliva

Walk 44 GR 131 – La Oliva to Corralejo

Walk 45 GR 131 – Isla de Lobos

Appendix A Route summary table

Appendix B Topographical glossary

Appendix C Useful contacts

Maps

Maps

The Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), www.cnig.es, publishes maps of the Canary Islands at scales of 1:50,000 and 1:25,000. These are part of the Mapa Topográfico Nacional (MTN) series. To avoid disappointment, please check the style and quality of these maps before making a purchase, since they don’t show the sort of details that walkers require.

The best general maps of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are the 1:50,000 Kompass maps. The evolving trail network does not yet fully feature on maps, although routes are often outlined on map-boards around the islands, from which details can be copied and transferred to other maps.

Maps can be ordered in advance from British suppliers such as: Stanfords (12–14 Long Acre, London, WC2E 9LP, tel. 020 7836 1321, www.stanfords.co.uk), The Map Shop (15 High Street, Upton-upon-Severn, WR8 0HJ, tel. 01684 593146, www.themapshop.co.uk) or Cordee (www.cordee.co.uk).

The sketch maps in this guidebook are at a scale of 1:50,000. Routes marked on them can be transferred to other maps if required.

Updates

April 2018

Route updates and corrections

Walk 7, 8, 20 & 21 -

The small bar at Montaña Blanca is usually closed, but occasionally opens for special occasions.

Walks 33 & 43 - Casa Alta, at the top end of Tindaya, contains archaeological information, but rather worryingly also promotes an 'artistic' scheme that would involve quarrying huge cubic holes into the sacred mountain of Montaña Tindaya. Access to the mountain might be affected.

Walks 38 & 39 - A new road is being constructed parallel to the existing main road at the Barranco de Pecenescal. It is not known for certain if pull-in spaces for buses will be incorporated. The Chiringuito Bar has been replaced by a surf school and refreshments are no longer available.

Walks 39 & 40 - There is a fine hotel at La Pared, and they operate a shuttle bus to and from Costa Calma.
Walk 45 - There is a new visitor centre on the island, at El Puertito.

May 2015

Changes to the GR 131

When the guidebook was being researched, only the middle part of the GR 131 was signposted and waymarked. Now, the whole of the route has been waymarked to a high standard, and according to recent visitor Oliver Taylor, there are some differences between the route as it now stands, and the route described in the book.

Walk 19 - Follow the road from Playa Blanca, and a signpost now indicates where to turn left. The route is now very well marked, and no longer 'vague' as described in the book. On reaching Yaiza, the route goes down the flight of stone steps mentioned in the book, then enters the village by road. However, the route described in the book is more scenic and involves less road-walking.

Walk 21 - The final approach to Teguise has been taken off-road. After the instruction - 'Pass a mast and reach a road junction' - continue as follows: 'Walk straight ahead along a tarmac road, but turn left as signposted. Follow a path across Jable del Vuelta Ajai, which twists and turns, reaching a house. Follow its access track to another road. Don't touch the road, but fork right and follow a wide, walled lane up towards Teguise, passing farm buildings. Reach a road and turn left uphill, but before reaching the main road mentioned in the book, turn right along a short, narrow, overgrown, walled path. Turn right along another lane and follow it to another road. Turn left to continue into Teguise.'

Walk 22 - The book describes a route passing west of Peñas del Chache, which is highly recommended and very scenic. However, the 'official' course of the GR 131 passes east of the summit, following a minor road and tracks. In very poor weather, with no hope of views, it may be best to follow the road.

Walk 23 - After the 'short stretch of stone-paved track' mentioned in the book, markers indicate that the GR 131 turns right up to a road. However, the 'official' mapboard at the end of the route in Orzola indicates that the route actually follows the dry riverbed already described in the book, avoiding the road entirely.

March 2015

Walk 10

Owing to a production error, the introduction to Walk 10 - the first route in the North Lanzarote section - was left out of the printed guidebook. (The ePub, Kindle file and route for sale online on this website are correct.) The introduction should read: "This route crosses El Jable to the village of Soo and then heads straight for the coast at Caleta de Famar, starting out on a dirt track with long views out to the islands and finishing down sandy, scrubby slopes to the sea."

January 2015

Walks 24, 25 & 37 - Transport

The book currently says that a 4WD taxi has to be hired from Morro Jable, as normal taxis won't travel along the dirt road to the starting points of these walks. There is now a new 4WD bus service running from Morro Jable to Playa de Cofete and Faro de Jandía, departing Morro Jable at 1000 and 1400, returning from Faro de Jandía at 1200 and 1600, and departing Playa de Cofete at 1245 and 1645. Bear in mind that there are only 21 seats available on this bus, and it is likely to be a popular service.

Reviews

April 2015

"For those after good walking areas and wanting to escape the winter blues at gome, the Canaries are perfect... The walks are varied, covering all the landscapes found on these islands, coastal walks, mountain and hill walks, an exploration of Lanzarote's Volcanic National Park, treks to ancient island villages and strolls along Fuerteventura's golden beaches... The book is well illustrated with photographs, and each walk has an accompanying map (1:50k scale)".

Alan Castle, Strider

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Paddy Dillon

Paddy Dillon is a prolific walker and guidebook writer, with over 100 guidebooks to his name and contributions to 40 other titles. He has written for several outdoor magazines and other publications and has appeared on radio and television.Paddy uses a tablet computer to write as he walks. His descriptions are therefore precise, having been written at the very point at which the reader uses them.Paddy is an indefatigable long-distance walker who has walked all of Britain's National Trails and several European trails. He has also walked in Nepal, Tibet, Korea and the Rocky Mountains of Canada and the US. Paddy is a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild and President of the Backpackers Club.

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