Walking on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Paddy Dillon
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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.
Emergencies
The pan-European emergency telephone number 112 is used to call for assistance throughout the Canary Islands, linking with the police, fire or ambulance service, for a response on land or at sea. The Guardia Civil telephone number is 062, and it is likely they would be involved in a response involving mountain rescue, as they generally patrol rural areas.
Using this guide
The walks are spread around the islands, and where they lie side-by-side, links between routes are often possible. Day walks are described around Lanzarote, exploring hill, coast and village-to-village trails, generally working from south to north, ending on the small island of La Graciosa. The long-distance GR 131 is then followed from south to north through the island. More day walks are described on Fuerteventura, again working from south to north, followed by another, longer stretch of the GR 131 through the island, ending on the little island of Lobos.
A summary table of all the key information about the routes described in this guide is provided as Appendix A.
On arrival on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, visit a tourist information office (see Appendix C) as soon as possible and ask for an up-to-date bus timetable along with any information about walking opportunities that they stock. Remember to pick up leaflets about any visitor attractions that seem interesting, as they usually give full contact details, opening times and admission charges. For up-to-date bus timetables go to intercitybuslanzarote.es (Lanzarote) and www.maxoratabus.com (Fuerteventura). After that, you should have all the information you need to enjoy the walks to the maximum.
Evening light near Montaña de la Fuente, looking towards the villages of Pájara and Toto (Walk 40, Fuerteventura)
LANZAROTE
A rocky, sand-blown coastline finally leads to the surfing village of Caleta de Famara (Walk 11)
INTRODUCTION
Hacha Chica, rising above barren, stony slopes near Papagayo, on the lower parts of Walk 4
Lanzarote is the fourth largest Canary Island, and while many of its areas are under cultivation, or swathed in rugged lava, there is plenty of scope for interesting and varied walks. Three weeks of walking are covered on Lanzarote, with another two days on the island of La Graciosa. The main town, Arrecife, is flanked by three resorts on the east coast, while there are only a couple of villages on the rugged west coast. The former capital, Teguise, lies in the centre of the island – a safe location when piracy was rife.
The day walks on the island may be circular or linear, and either way there are good bus services for joining and leaving routes. The long-distance GR 131, from Playa Blanca to Órzola, is very well served by buses. The Parque Nacional de Timanfaya has very limited access for walkers: a rugged coastal path, Walk 6, is available any time, but it is long and difficult, while the short Ruta de Termesana is only available by advance booking through the national park visitor centre. (See www.reservasparquesnacionales.es and select ‘Timanfaya’.) Other guided walks are also available.
There are about 355km (220 miles) of walking on Lanzarote described in this book.
Getting there
By Air
Flights to Lanzarote from Gran Canaria and Tenerife are operated by Binter Canarias, tel. 902 391 392, www.bintercanarias.com, and Canaryfly, tel. 902 808 065, www.canaryfly.es. Buses meet incoming flights, offering links with Arrecife and the three resorts of Costa Teguise, Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca. Taxis are also available at the airport.
By Ferry
Looking from Fuerteventura to Lanzarote – barely half an hour’s ferry journey connects them
Two ferry companies operate regular services between Playa Blanca on Lanzarote and Corralejo on Fuerteventura: Lineas Fred Olsen, tel. 902 100 107, www.fredolsen.es; and Naviera Armas, tel. 902 456 500, www.navieraarmas.com. Less regular ferries link Arrecife with Las Palmas on Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz on Tenerife.
Getting around
By Bus
Lanzarote has a good network of bus services operated by IntercityBus, tel. 928 811 522. The website, www.arrecifebus.com, contains full timetable details and route maps. Printed timetables can be obtained from the bus station. Tickets are for single journeys and fares are paid on boarding the bus. Alternatively, buy a travel card, load it with funds and enjoy a ten per cent discount on fares. Buses are referred to as guaguas, although bus stops, or paradas, may be marked as ‘bus’. All the towns and most villages have bus services, while the Sunday market at Teguise has special services.
By Taxi
Long taxi rides are expensive, but short journeys are worth considering. The following numbers link with taxis around the island: Arrecife tel. 928 800 806; Airport, Playa Honda and San Bartolomé tel. 928 520 176; Playa Blanca and Yaiza tel. 9928 524 222; Puerto del Carmen and Tías tel. 928 524 220; Tinajo and La Santa tel. 928 840 049; Teguise and Costa Teguise tel. 928 524 223; Haría and Órzola tel. 620 315 350. Fares are fixed by the municipalities and can be inspected on demand, although negotiation might be possible.
Accommodation
Accommodation is abundant on Lanzarote, although it is concentrated in the resorts of Playa Blanca, Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise, as well as the capital Arrecife. Elsewhere, small hotels and rural properties are widely spread. Many places that were once reserved for package tourists now cheerfully offer rooms and services to people who book at short notice or via the internet.
Food and drink
Lanzarote produces much of its own fruit, vegetables and fish. Some restaurants are cosmopolitan, while others offer good local fare. Specialities include goats’ cheese. Wrinkly potatoes (papas arrugadas ) cooked in salt are surprisingly refreshing in hot weather, served with hot mojo roja sauce or the gentler mojo verde. The fish used in most local fish dishes is vieja. If any dishes such as soups or stews need thickening, reach for the roasted flour gofio, which doubles as a breakfast cereal. Lanzarote also produces an abundance of wine. Never pass up an opportunity to indulge in local fare!
Tourist information offices
Arrecife tel. 9928 802 884
Ferryport tel. 928 844 690
Airport tel. 928 820 704
Playa Blanca tel. 928 518 150
Teguise