Walking on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura

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.

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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
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
North Lanzarote
Introduction
Getting there
Getting around
Accommodation
Food and drink
Tourist information offices
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
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
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
North Fuerteventura
Introduction
Getting there
Getting around
Accommodation
Food and drink
Tourist information offices
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
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

Updates

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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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