Walking on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Paddy Dillon

can be ordered in advance from British suppliers such as: Stanfords (12–14 Long Acre, London, WC2E 9LP, tel. [phone], www.stanfords.co.uk), The Map Shop (15 High Street, Upton-upon-Severn, WR8 0HJ, tel. [phone], 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. [phone], www.bintercanarias.com, and Canaryfly, tel. [phone], 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. [phone], www.fredolsen.es; and Naviera Armas, tel. [phone], 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. [phone]. 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. [phone]; Airport, Playa Honda and San Bartolomé tel. [phone]; Playa Blanca and Yaiza tel. [phone]; Puerto del Carmen and Tías tel. [phone]; Tinajo and La Santa tel. [phone]; Teguise and Costa Teguise tel. [phone]; Haría and Órzola tel. [phone]. 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. [phone]

      Ferryport tel. [phone]

      Airport tel. [phone]

      Playa Blanca tel. [phone]

      Teguise