La Graciosa, a hidden paradise

In the Canary Island archipelago, more specifically off the island of Lanzarote, quite close to Africa, is a treasure formed by a small group of islands located in this wonderful part of the world.

This is the Chinijo Archipelago, formed by the islands of Montaña Clara, Roque del Este, Roque del Oeste, Alegranza and La Graciosa.

This final island, La Graciosa, is located north to the island of Lanzarote. The two islands are separated by a stretch of sea that is barely one kilometre wide, known by the locals as El Río.

This island does not even cover 29 square kilometres and it is pretty unknown to many people.

This is why, on DescubreLanzarote.com, we are going to talk to you in detail about La Graciosa, a hidden treasure among the various wonders near Lanzarote, and offer you some tips and options for sightseeing in this beautiful jewel.

Main ways to get to La Graciosa

There are two options to get to this island just off Lanzarote, depending on your budget and how much time you want to spend on your visit:

Ferry:

The cheapest way to get there is to cross the distance that separates the island of Lanzarote from La Graciosa by ferry. Sailings are on large boats that cannot transport vehicles. This journey takes around half an hour and there are ferries travelling in both directions daily. The ticket costs €26 return per person.

Organised tour:

These tours include transfers from the hotel in Lanzarote to the port of Órzola, the ferry ticket and a boat trip along the southern beaches of La Graciosa, where you can enjoy its fantastic coastline of golden sand and crystal-clear waters.

This option is ideal if you don’t have a lot of free time, allowing you to enjoy your time on the island to the full without having to worry about anything.

The best beaches in La Graciosa

The island of La Graciosa offers a number of extraordinary beaches and below we tell you about the best ones on this beautiful island:

Playa La Francesa

Its white sand makes it one of the most impressive beaches on the island. It is a semi-circular shape, so the sea is always calm thanks to the fact that the ends function as breakwaters.

From here you can admire the Famara cliff or enjoy the lagoon that forms on the beach at high tide.

Playa del Salado

This beautiful seaside location is quite close to Caleta de Sebo, the only inhabited town on the island of La Graciosa, and is just a 15-minute walk from it.

The beach is very unspoilt and its waters are really calm. This beach is known by locals for its camping area.

Playa de la Cocina

This charming beach is located at the base of Montaña Amarilla and its waters with their beautiful aquamarine tones invite you to swim as soon as you see them.

This beach is quiet enough for you to spend a day there with your family and children, so that they can enjoy its waters.

Playa de las Conchas

This beach can be reached by hiking or cycling. There is also a 4×4 service that can bring you to this beach from Caleta del Sebo.

Its yellow sand and electric blue waters are very different from the dunes and reddish mountains nearby.

Playa de Lambra

Known as Lambra beach, located near the Los Caletones arches, it is well over half a kilometre long with amber-coloured sand and rocks of volcanic origin.

This is a somewhat secluded beach throughout the year, making it the ideal experience for those who do not want to be surrounded by lots of people.

Playa Baja del Ganado

This is an unspoilt beach full of contrasts and with views of Montaña Clara, an uninhabited islet near La Graciosa.

The contrasts in this area of ​​the coast are incredible. The warm colours of its white sand are stunning next to the deep black volcanic rocks found on its shores.

Hiking trails in La Graciosa

La Graciosa is a fairly small island, making it easy to visit by foot, walking along its paths and discovering its wonders through them.

Given this huge attraction for beginners and experts alike, we have shared some of the most popular hiking trails in La Graciosa:

Trail to Playa de la Cocina and Montaña Amarilla

This hiking trail goes south, towards the beaches of Salado, La Francesa and La Cocina, until it reaches Montaña Amarilla, which is usually a favourite with tourists.

It is a trail that runs near the coast. Coming from Caleta de Sebo, you reach Bahía del Salado first and then go along La Francesa beach. If you wish, you can continue walking towards La Cocina beach or even climb Montaña Amarilla.

Trail from El Corral to Punta del Pobre

This trail offers two options to those walking it. The first is to go from Baja del Corral to Llano de la Mareta and return in a circular pattern through Llano del Corral to the starting point of the trail.

There is a second option, with the option of walking to Punta del Pobre, which is on the northeast coast of the island. On this alternative trail, you reach the base of Montaña Amarilla from where there is a fantastic view of Playa de la Cocina.

Mountain bike routes in La Graciosa

La Graciosa is basically a flat island with no steep slopes or high mountains, except for its four volcanic peaks. This means that its mountain bike routes are not too difficult.

The occasional climb, with its respective descent, and some parts where the sand builds up are the only difficulties that we will find when touring the island of La Graciosa by bicycle.

All mountain bike routes on the island of La Graciosa follow signposted dirt tracks and you are not allowed to leave these tracks at any time. This is because it is quite a delicate ecosystem and it is the responsibility of all those who visit to protect it and look after it.

Route towards Playa de la Francesa

This route is the shortest on the island, covering a total distance of 5 kilometres. Before you reach La Francesa beach there is a car park, which is where you must stop cycling and walk until you reach the coast.

There is one minor problem with this route which may increase its difficulty, namely that the sand that builds up on some parts of the path may force you to push your bicycle hard for a few dozen metres.

As with the walking route, on the mountain bike route you follow a line parallel to the coast, eventually reaching La Lagunita and La Baja de la Peña. From there, the route heads inland to avoid the water pools created with the flow of the tides.

Route towards Playa de las Conchas

This route starts from the capital of La Graciosa and goes in the direction of the La Mareta plain, where you will find a turn off between Montaña el Mojón, to the south, and Las Agujas, to the north. This first part of the route is relatively difficult due to the steep slope from the moment you leave Caleta de Sebo until you reach the turn off.

Taking this route brings you to Las Conchas beach, going down through Playa de la Baja del Ganado.

Arriving at Las Conchas beach, we reach a junction with another mountain bike route, very close to Montaña Bermeja. If you turn right, you will end up at Playa de Lambra, but if you go left, you will end up at Las Conchas beach.

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