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INTRODUCTION

Walkers leaving the summit of Morro de la Loma del Pozo, heading for the Barranco de la Higuera (Walk 1, Lanzarote)

The seven sub-tropical Canary Islands bask in sunny splendour off the Atlantic coast of north-west Africa. Millions of sun-starved north Europeans flock there for beach holidays, but increasingly visitors are discovering the amazing variety of landscapes throughout the archipelago. Conditions range from semi-deserts to perpetually moist laurisilva ‘cloud forests’, from rugged cliff coasts to high mountains, from fertile cultivation terraces to awesome rocky barrancos carved deep into multi-coloured layers of volcanic bedrock. Some areas are given the highest possible protection as national parks, but there are many more types of protected landscapes, rural parks, natural monuments and nature reserves.

More and more walkers are finding their feet, exploring the Canary Islands using centuries-old mule tracks, rugged cliff paths and forest trails. Paths pick their way between cultivation terraces, squeeze between houses and make their way to rugged coves and hidden beaches. Some paths run from village to village, following old mule tracks once used to transport goods, while other paths are based on pilgrim trails to and from remote churches and ermitas. Many have been cleared, repaired, signposted and waymarked in recent years, ready to be explored and enjoyed.

This guidebook explores the waymarked trail networks on the large islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. They include routes of all types, from easy strolls to steep and rugged slopes; from simple day walks to long-distance trails. As these routes are often fully signposted and waymarked, walkers can follow them with confidence and enjoy the islands to the full. Around 710km (440 miles) of trails are described in this guidebook.

Location

The Canary Islands are more or less enclosed in a rectangular area from 13°30'W to 18°00'W and 27°30'N to 29°30'N. As a group, they stretch west to east over 450km (280 miles). Although administered by Spain, the mother country is 1100km (685 miles) away. The narrowest strait between the Canary Islands and Africa is a mere 110km (70 miles). The total land area is almost 7500km (2900 square miles), but the sea they occupy is 10 times that size.

Geology

La Geria on Lanzarote, where ash pits and semi-circular walls protect vines from the wind

Most of the world’s volcanic landscapes are formed where huge continental or oceanic ‘plates’ collide with each other. When continental plates collide, the Earth’s crust crumples upwards to form mountains, and when plates are torn apart, basaltic rock from deep within the Earth’s mantle erupts to form mountains. The Canary Islands, however, are different, and have a complicated geological history.

The African landmass is the visible part of a continental plate that extends into the Atlantic Ocean, but the Canary Islands lie within the oceanic crust of the eastern Atlantic Ocean, close to the passive junction with the African continental plate. It is thought that the islands now lie directly above a hot-spot, or mantle plume, some 2500km (1550 miles) deep within the Earth. The mantle plume is fixed, but the oceanic and African plates are drifting very slowly eastwards. Every so often a split in the oceanic crust opens above the mantle plume, allowing molten rock to vent onto the ocean floor. As more and more material erupts, it piles higher and higher until it rises from the sea. Each of the Canary Islands was formed this way.

Lanzarote and Fuerteventura were the first Canary Islands to form, and were subsequently pulled eastwards. The next time a rift opened, the islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife were formed, and these were in turn pulled eastwards. A further oceanic rift led to the formation of La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro. Looking forward in geological time more islands will appear as the rift is torn open in the future.

Many recent lava flows display a ‘ropey’ surface, showing exactly how the molten rock solidified

The forces at work deep within the Earth can scarcely be imagined. Every single piece of rock throughout the Canary Islands once existed in a molten state. Consider the energy needed to melt one small stone, and multiply that to imagine the energy required to melt everything in the island chain, as well as the immense amount of rock beneath the sea that supports them all!

Over time huge amounts of volcanic material were piled high, but erosion has led to great instability. During recent geological time, vast chunks of the islands collapsed into the sea, creating features such as El Golfo on El Hierro, the Caldera de Taburiente on La Palma, and the Orotava valley on Tenerife. With each catastrophic collapse, tsunamis devastated places around the Atlantic Ocean. Geologists predict that similar collapses could occur in the future on the Cumbre Nueva on La Palma, or the north face of El Teide on Tenerife.

Wildlife

Plants and flowers

(top to bottom) The squat and spiky cardón de Jandía is endemic to the Jandía peninsula on Fuerteventura; uvilla, looking like a little bunch of grapes, is found along arid coastlines; rubbery-stalked verode is a common sight in scrub on all the islands

While the northern hemisphere was in the grip of an Ice Age, the Canary Islands were sluiced by rainstorms, with powerful rivers carving deep, steep-sided barrancos into unstable layers of ash and lava. As the landmasses emerged from the Ice Age, the Canary Islands dried out and the vegetation had to adapt to survive. Some species are well adapted to semi-desert conditions, while on the highest parts of the islands, laurisilva ‘cloud forests’ are able to trap moisture from the mists and keep themselves well watered. Laurisilva forests once spread all the way round the Mediterranean and tropical regions. Small remnants of this forest survive on the higher northern slopes of most of the Canary Islands, but not on Lanzarote or Fuerteventura.

Canary pines flourish on high, dry mountainsides, sometimes in places where nothing else grows. However, these are very rare on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, where most of the trees are Canary palms. These flourish in dry places, and in the past every part of the tree had a use; today they provide delicious miel de palma, or palm syrup. Every so often you might come across a dragon tree, the last surviving descendants of ancient prehistoric forests. They have been decimated in the wild but prove popular in gardens.

Tagasaste trees are found in dense plantations on the western islands, but not on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. They grow with little water, yet have a high nutritional content and are regularly cut for animal fodder. In recent years they have been exported to Australia. Fruit and nut trees have been established, including oranges, lemons, almonds, figs and vines, but Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are not ideal for growing bananas. Introduced prickly pears are abundant, not so much for their fruit, but for raising cochineal beetles, whose blood provides a vivid red dye.

Bushy scrub is rich and varied, including a host of species that walkers will become familiar with. These include bushy, rubbery tabaibal and tall cardón, or candelabra spurge. Both have milky latex sap, as does aulaga, which looks like a tangled mass of spines and is often found colonising old cultivation terraces in arid areas. Along the coast succulent plants thrive, such as uvilla, which looks like bunches of tiny grapes. The fragrant Canarian lavender usually grows in arid, rocky, stony areas among other scrub species. Of particular importance on Fuerteventura is the cardón de Jandía, which grows only on the Jandía peninsula. Few of the plants have common English names, but all of them feature so often that they should be learned.

Flowers grow all year round, but visitors in spring and early summer will be amazed at the colour and wealth of flowering plants. Many are Canarian endemics, and even trying to compile a shortlist would be pointless. Anyone with a particular interest in flowers and other plants should carry a specific field guide, in English. Try Native Flora of the Canary Islands by Miguel Ángel Cabrera Pérez (Editorial Everest) or Wild Flowers of the Canary Islands by David Bramwell and Zoë Bramwell (Editorial Rueda).

Animals

Waves pound against low cliffs around the Playa de Ojos (Walk 24, Jandía)

As befits remote islands created in relatively recent geological time, the main animal groups to colonise the land were winged creatures, insects and birds. The largest indigenous land mammals were bats. Large and small lizards also arrived, possibly clinging to driftwood.

The laurisilva cloud forest is home to the laurel pigeon, while the rock pigeon prefers cliffs. Buzzards and kestrels can be spotted hunting, while ospreys are struggling. Ravens and choughs are common in some places. There are several varieties of pipits, chaffinches, warblers and chiffchaffs. One of the smallest birds is the kinglet, a relative of the goldcrest. There are canaries, which have nothing to do with the name of the islands, and hoopoes can also be spotted. The islands attract plenty of passage migrants, as well as escapees from aviaries. The coastal fringes are colonised by gulls, but it is best to take a boat trip to spot shearwaters or storm petrels, as they spend most of their time on open water. Boat trips are also the way to spot a variety of dolphins and whales.

Once the Guanche people arrived and colonised the islands over 2000 years ago, the forests suffered as much from clearance as from grazing by voracious sheep and goats. Following the Conquest in the 15th century, the Spanish brought in other domestic animals; of these the cats had a particularly devastating impact on the native wildlife, practically wiping out giant Canarian lizards, which have only recently been rescued from the edge of extinction on El Hierro. The lizards seen on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are much smaller. Rabbits chew their way through the vegetation and appear regularly on Canarian menus. Ground squirrels are often seen on Fuerteventura, but aren’t found on the other islands.

Ground squirrels can now be found on Fuerteventura but are not native to the Canaries

National Parks

The Canary Islands include a handful of national parks and many other protected areas. There is no national park on Fuerteventura, but large parts of the island have been protected in other ways, such as Parque Rural (Rural Park), Parque Natural (Natural Park), Paisaje Protegido (Protected Land), Reserva Natural Especial (Special Nature Reserve), Monumento Natural (Natural Monument), and so on. Lanzarote has the Parque Nacional de Timanfaya, which is so strictly controlled that it is a forbidden to set foot on it! Prominent notices usually tell walkers when they are entering or leaving protected areas. There are visitor centres where more information can be studied, and where interesting literature is on sale.

The Fortunate Isles

Castillo de las Coloradas, in the resort of Playa Blanca (Walk 4, Lanzarote)

Myths and legends speak of ‘The Fortunate Isles’, or ‘Isles of the Blessed’, lying somewhere in the Atlantic, enjoying a wonderful climate and bearing all manner of fruit. The rebel Roman general Sertorius planned to retire there, while Plutarch referred to them many times. Pliny, though, warned ‘these islands, however, are greatly annoyed by the putrefying bodies of monsters, which are constantly thrown up by the sea.’ Maybe these scribes knew of the Canary Islands, or maybe they were drawing on older Phoenician or Carthaginian references. Some would even claim that the islands were the last remnants of Atlantis.

The Gaunches, often described as a ‘stone age’ civilisation, settled on the Canary Islands well over 2000 years ago, and Cro-Magnon man was there as early as 3000BC. No-one knows where the Guanches came from, but it seems likely they arrived from North Africa in fleets of canoes. Although technologically primitive, their society was well-ordered, and they had a special regard for monumental rock-forms in the mountains.

The Guanches fiercely resisted the well-armed Spaniards during the 14th century Conquest of the islands, but one by one each island fell. Tenerife capitulated last of all, with the mighty volcano of El Teide grumbling throughout. Many Guanches were slaughtered or enslaved, but some entered into treaties, converted to Christianity and inter-married. They lost their land and freedom, but their blood flows in the veins of native Canarios.

The Canary Islands were visited by Christopher Columbus on his voyage of discovery in 1492. Subsequently they were used as stepping-stones to the Americas, with many Canarios emigrating. The islands were exposed and not always defended with military might; they were subject to pirate raids, endured disputes with the Portuguese, were attacked by the British and suffered wavering economic fortunes.

There was constant rivalry between Tenerife and Gran Canaria, with the entire island group being governed from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria from 1808, before Santa Cruz de Tenerife became the capital in 1822. In 1927 the Canary Islands were divided into two provinces – Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

The remarkable landmark of Torrecilla, and the jagged crater rim of Monte Corona (Walk 23, Lanzarote)

In the early 20th century the military governor of the islands, General Franco, departed for North Africa to launch a military cou. This led to the creation of the Spanish Republic, marking the onset of the infamous Civil War and a long dictatorship. The islands remained free of the worst strife of the Civil War, but also became something of a backwater; it was largely as a result of Franco’s later policies that they were developed from the 1960s as a major destination for northern Europeans.

Since 1982 the islands have been an autonomous region and there have been calls for complete independence from Spain. The islanders regard themselves as ‘Canarios’ first and ‘Spanish’ second, although they are also fiercely loyal to their own particular islands, towns and villages.

Getting there

There are plenty of options for flying direct to Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, scheduled and charter, from many British and European airports. The hardest part is checking all the ‘deals’ to find an airport, operator, schedules and prices that suit. Both international and domestic flights operate from the airports on both islands.

Frequent, fast and cheap buses link the airports with the main towns and resorts, and the taxi fares are reasonable. Two ferry companies offer rapid and regular services between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura – Lineas Fred Olsen and Naviera Armas.

When to go

Most people visit the Canary Islands in summer, but it is usually too hot for walking. Winter weather is often good, but on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura expect some cloud cover and a little rain at times, as well as near-constant strong winds. Spring weather is sunny and clear, while the vegetation is fresh and features an amazing wealth of flowers. Autumn weather is often good, but the vegetation often seems rather scorched after the summer.

Accommodation

Most visitors to the Canary Islands opt for a package deal, so they are tied to a single accommodation base in a faceless resort. This is far from ideal and a base in the ‘wrong’ place can make it difficult to get to and from walking routes. Out of season, walkers would have no problem little problem turning up unannounced at hotels or pensións, or booking at the last minute on accommodation websites such as www.airbnb.com or www.booking.com.

Wild camping is illegal, but a few campsites are available to permit-holders

Opportunities to camp are limited, and while campsites are entirely free of charge, permits have to be applied for in advance and collected in person before travelling to a campsite. Wild camping is technically illegal but surprisingly popular.

The contact details of all the local tourist information offices are given in the part introductions and in Appendix C.

Health and safety

There are no nasty diseases on the Canary Islands, or at least nothing you couldn’t contract at home. Water on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura is mostly from desalination plants, with some rainfall impounded in reservoirs. Either way, it is clean and safe to drink, although some people don’t like the taste. Bottled water is available if you prefer, but buy it cheaply from supermarkets rather than at considerable expense from bars. There are no snakes and no stinging insects worse than honey-bees. Don’t annoy dogs and they won’t annoy you. Dogs that are likely to bite are nearly always tethered, so keep away.

In case of a medical emergency, dial 112 for an ambulance. In case of a non-emergency, all islands have hospitals, health centres (Centro de Salud ) and chemists (Farmacia ). If treatment is required, EU citizens should present their European Health Insurance Card, while British citizens should check arrangements following Brexit.

Food and drink

Cooking on top of a volcanic vent at the restaurant in the Parque Nacional de Timanfaya on Lanzarote

Every town and most of the villages throughout the Canary Islands have bars. Most bars also double as cafés or restaurants, often serving tapas, which are often in glass cabinets, so you can point to the ones you want to eat. Shops are often available, selling local and imported foodstuffs. Always make the effort to sample local fare, which can be interesting and very tasty. The availability of refreshments is mentioned on every walking trail, but bear in mind that opening hours are variable. Some shops take a very long lunch break, and not all businesses are open every day of the week. Some shops are closed all weekend, or at least half of Saturday and all of Sunday.

Language

Castilian Spanish is spoken throughout the Canary Islands, although in most resorts and large hotels there are English and German speakers. Those who travel to remote rural parts will need at least a few basic phrases of Spanish. Anyone with any proficiency in Spanish will quickly realise that the Canarios have their own accent and colloquialisms; for instance, the letter ‘s’ often vanishes from the middle or end of words, to be replaced by a gentle ‘h’, or even a completely soundless gap. Listen very carefully to distinguish between ‘La Palma ’ (the island) and ‘Las Palmas ’ (the city). The latter becomes ‘Lah Palmah ’. A bus is referred to as an autobus in Spain, but as a guagua throughout the Canary Islands. Some natives may sieze the opportunity to practice their English with you, while others may be puzzled by your accent. No matter how bad you think you sound, you will not be the worst they’ve heard!

A basic glossary of useful topographical words for walkers is provided in Appendix B.

Money

The Euro is the currency of the Canary Islands. Large denomination Euro notes are difficult to use for small purchases, so avoid the €500 and €200 notes altogether, and avoid the €100 notes if you can. The rest are fine: €50, €20, €10 and €5. Coins come in €2 and €1. Small denomination coins come in values of 50c, 20c, 10c, 5c, 2c and 1c. Banks and ATMs are mentioned where they occur, if cash is needed. Many accommodation providers accept major credit and debit cards, as will large supermarkets, but small bars, shops and cafés deal only in cash.

Communications

All the towns and some of the villages have post offices (Correos ) and public telephones. Opening times for large post offices are usually 0830–1430 Monday to Friday, 0930–1300 Saturday, closed on Sunday. Small post offices have more limited opening times. Mobile phone coverage is usually good in towns and villages, but can be completely absent elsewhere, depending on the nature of the terrain. High mountains and deep barrancos block signals. Internet access is usually offered by accommodation providers, but if relying on it please check while making a booking.

Walking on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura

Looking down the path from Montaña de Cardón to Montaña Redondo (Walk 28, Fuerteventura)

Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are the two easternmost Canary Islands, closest to the west coast of Africa and the Sahara Desert. Rather oddly, these two islands lie closer together than any of the other islands, but at the same time lie further from their neighbours than any of the other islands. They also lie lower than the more mountainous islands further west, and as a result have less rainfall, making them appear particularly arid in many places and even quite desert-like at times. With little shade, walkers need to protect themselves from the sun as much as possible. These islands are often windier than their western counterparts, and occasionally lie in the path of dust storms from the Sahara Desert.

Walking 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)