One of the most beautiful trips that can be done starting from Lanzarote is definitely the one atisola La Graciosa. The latter is a small island located north of Lanzarote, from which it is separated by a strip of sea called The river. La Graciosa is part of the Chinijo archipelago together with isolotti di Montaña Clara, Roque del Este, Roque del Oeste and Alegranza, and it is the only one that can be visited by tourists. Since 2018 it has become the eighth island of the Canary archipelago and, with its 29 km² and 658 inhabitants, it is the smallest inhabited island of the Canaries. There are only two urban centers on the island: La Caleta del Sebo, where the ferries arrive and where the tourist services are located, e Pedro Barba houses where there are only private homes. The island is car free and it has no asphalted roads: all roads are in fact dirt or sand and motor vehicles are prohibited (with very few exceptions). If you want to visit it all and enjoy a minimum of relaxation in one of its beautiful beaches, my advice is to dedicate 2 days to it, sleeping 1 night on the island. Visiting it during the day, even starting with the first ferry in the morning and returning with the last one, you will necessarily have to choose what to see because you will not have the material time to see it all (in the paragraph on How to get around you will understand why!).
How to reach La Graciosa from Lanzarote
La Graciosa can be reached from Lanzarote with a ferry that leaves from Orzola, in the extreme north of the island (to reach Orzola it takes about 1 hour from Playa Blanca by car). There are two shipping companies that operate the service, Rosemary lines e Naviera Armas; depart approximately every 30 '(alternating) between 8 and 19. The navigation lasts 30 minutes and the return ticket costs 26 euro. If you want to book it in advance, to be sure to get on the ferry you are interested in, you can buy it at no extra charge from this site.
How to get around La Graciosa
As I said above, the island is car free so there are only two ways to get around: the bicycle and your legs. On the island, however, there are no cycle paths and most of the paths are sandy so, paradoxically, you risk taking more time with your bicycle than walking. To reach, for example, the beaches of Playa Francesa and Playa de la Montaña Amarilla, you will still have to leave your bike in La Caleta del Sebo and proceed on foot. I took the bike with the conviction of being able to do the whole tour of the island but I was very wrong !! Wanting to see Playa Francesa too, I only managed to reach Playa de las Conchas by bike. In hindsight it would have been better to go directly on foot (stopping on the island for 2 days). If you go there in the day choose whether to dedicate it to visiting the north-east area (Playa de las Conchas, Pedro Barba, etc., and in this case you can rent a bike, preferably with assisted pedaling) leaving out the relaxation / bath in the sea, or reach the heavenly beaches of the south -east (Playa Francesa and Playa de la Montaña Amarilla) directly on foot. If you stop for 2 days and you like to walk, I highly recommend you explore it directly on foot, or rent one of the few pedal assisted bicycles on the island. Find the store that rent bikes right in front of the arrival of the ferry e the cost is 10 euros for the whole day.
What to see in La Graciosa: the most beautiful beaches
With its 70.700 hectares, La Graziosa is also the largest marine reserve in Europe and it is an area of outstanding natural beauty characterized by beautiful white sand beaches and extinct volcanoes. The beaches that are located on the north coast (both east and west) are very beautiful in terms of landscape, but are not suitable for bathing. Those to the south-east, on the other hand, are sheltered and are perfect for enjoying the sun and the sea. La Graziosa is also very popular for surfing and many guys come here even just for this. Among the things not to be missed in La Graciosa there are certainly:
- Caleta del Sebo: the town where you arrive by ferry. A cluster of low white houses practically resting on the sand. Here you will find bars and a few restaurants, bike rental and other tourist services. The view of the Famara cliff from here is absolutely magnificent! Even the small "city" beach is not bad at all (you will see it immediately, as soon as you land, it is the one on the cover of this article).
- French Beach: walking south from Caleta del Sebo for 2,8 km, in about 35-40 'you will reach this beautiful beach of fine white sand sheltered from the wind. The water is crystal clear and is perfect for swimming.
- Yellow Mountain Beach: continuing 10-15 ', on the slopes of Montaña Amarilla (an ocher-colored volcano that you cannot miss) you will reach the most beautiful beach on the island. Here, too, fine sand and an exceptional setting, with the yellow volcano behind and the Famara cliff in front.
- Las Conchas beach: moving inside, towards the opposite side of the island from the port of Caleta del Sebo (by bike or on foot), there is this beautiful dirt road that passes between 2 volcanoes and offers beautiful views of the island until you reach , after about 5 km, Conchas beach. This is also a magnificent beach, very large and with fine white sand. Here you will want to swim (also because you have struggled a bit on your bike to get there) but don't do it because the sea here is dangerous, there are strong waves and currents. Opposite you will have the small Isla de la Montaña Clara.
- Bermeja Mountain: Behind Playa de las Conchas you will see this small volcano 157 meters high on which you can climb to enjoy spectacular 360 degree views of the island.
- Caleton of Los Arcos: a natural arch on the north coast of La Graziosa. To reach it you will have to continue for 1,5 km along the road that brought you to Playa de las Conchas.
- Pedro Barba: the second, microscopic, inhabited center of La Graciosa overlooking a bay with turquoise water.
Dove will sleep in La Graciosa
Tourist facilities are located a la Caleta del Sebo that Pedro Barba houses, and they are just apartments. However, calculate that in Casas de Pedro Barba there are no bars or restaurants and that you will have to reach it on foot or by bike (it's 6,6 km). Among the nice structures of Caleta del Sebo I point out the Graciosamar Apartments.
You may also be interested in these other articles I wrote about Lanzarote and the Canary Islands:
- What to see in Lanzarote: all the places not to be missed
- How to organize a trip to Lanzarote
- The most beautiful treks in Lanzarote (Canary Islands)
- Lanzarote: the most beautiful beaches and natural pools
- Smartworking from the Canary Islands: info and useful tips for digital nomads
- What to see in La Palma: the 'isla bonita' of the Canaries
- Fuerteventura: what to see and where to go
