off-trail on lava flows is not recommended, as thin rock crusts may conceal deep holes
Despite the scarcity of water on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, agriculture is important. Extensive areas have been farmed in the past, but many of these parts have been abandoned, with efforts concentrated elsewhere. Most walkers prefer the hillier regions with their extensive views, rather than the lowlands, and most of the walks in this book enjoy some measure of elevation. In recent years many of the old paths in the hills, often linking villages together, have been cleared, restored, signposted and waymarked. Also, a long distance trail, designated as the GR 131, stretches along the length of both islands, as well as crossing other islands further west. Walks on Lanzarote are described in the first half of this book, with walks on Fuerteventura described in the second half.
What to take
If planning to use one or two bases to explore, then a simple day pack is all you need, containing items you would normally take for a day walk. Waterproofs can be lightweight and might not even be used. Footwear is a personal preference, but wear what you would normally wear for rocky, stony slopes, remembering that hot feet are more likely to be a problem than wet feet. Lightweight, light-coloured clothing is best in bright sunshine, along with a sun hat and frequent applications of sunscreen.
If planning to backpack around the islands, bear in mind that there are some very basic camp-grounds but permits have to be negotiated in order to use them. This can be confusing and time-consuming for a visitor, as it requires negotiations with municipal authorities and collection of paperwork. Wild camping is technically illegal but surprisingly popular. Lightweight kit should be carried, as a heavy pack is a cruel burden in hot weather. Water can be difficult to find, so try and anticipate your needs and carry enough to last until you reach a village, houses or bar where you can obtain a refill.
Waymarking and access
A sandy track runs along a broad crest across the desert-like expanse of El Jable (Walk 39, Fuerteventura)
Lanzarote and Fuerteventura only recently adopted a system for signposting and waymarking routes using standard European codes. The islands have networks of short PR (pequeño recorrido ) routes, which are marked with yellow and white paint flashes, and numbered to keep them separate. Signposts will read ‘PR LZ…’ or ‘PR FV…’ with a number following the letters. These codes are quoted in the route descriptions so that walkers will always be able to check they are going the right way. There are also GR (gran recorrido ) routes traversing both islands; these are intended as long-distance walks but can also serve as simple one-day linear walks. Some short links are marked as SL (sendero local – literally ‘local walk’).
Apart from signposts, routes are marked by occasional paint marks, parallel yellow and white stripes for the PR routes, with red and white stripes for the GR routes and green and white stripes for the SL routes. These confirm that walkers are still on course, and usually appear at junctions. Left and right turns are indicated with right-angled flashes, but if the paint marks form an ‘X’, this indicates that a wrong turn has been made.
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.
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
