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 tel. 928 845 398
Puerto del Carmen tel. 928 510 542
Costa Teguise tel. 928 592 542
The main tourism website for Lanzarote is www.turismolanzarote.com
SOUTH LANZAROTE
The Ruta de Termesana in the Parque Nacional de Timanfaya is only available to pre-booked walkers
Most visitors stay in the southern half of Lanzarote, between Arrecife and Playa Blanca. Large areas of this region are protected, including the striking arid mountains of the Monumento Natural Los Ajaches.
The inter-linked Walks 1 to 4 explore the area, including parts of the coastline between Puerto Calero and Playa Blanca. More of the coast is explored on Walks 5 and 6, from Playa Blanca to Tinajo. Access to the Parque Nacional de Timanfaya is restricted, and the popular, short, guided Ruta de Termesana has to be booked through the national park visitor centre. (See www.reservasparquesnacionales.es, and choose ‘Timanfaya’.)
Walk 7 runs from village to village through the Paisaje Protegido de La Geria, which is a notable wine-growing region covered in black volcanic ash. Walk 8 offers further access to the area, but also visits the Monumento Natural Cueva de los Naturalistas among awesome lava flows. Walk 9 wanders through the interesting Parque Natural de los Volcanes, where old volcanic cones stand as islands in extensive, rugged lava flows dating only from the 1730s. Note that it is easy to visit neighbouring Fuerteventura by ferry from Playa Blanca.
WALK 1
Femés and Barranco de la Casita
| Start/Finish | Roundabout, Femés |
| Distance | 8km (5 miles) |
| Total Ascent/Descent | 430m (1410ft) |
| Time | 2hrs 30min |
| Terrain | Mostly clear paths, but often on steep, stony and rocky slopes. Some stretches are unsuitable for vertigo sufferers. |
| Refreshment | Bar restaurants at Femés. |
| Transport | Occasional buses serve Femés on weekdays from Arrecife, Playa Honda and Tías. |
This short, popular circular walk is also rough and stony, crossing steep, rocky slopes. Most walkers find it spectacular, but some might be unnerved by the exposure and steepness. The route cuts across rocky slopes, traversing barren barrancos where there are no signs of habitation, before returning to Femés.
Route
