How to get to La Graciosa island and enjoy your favourite sport
Can you picture visiting a paradisiacal place with a privileged natural wealth and being able to practice cycling, hiking or water activities? La Graciosa is only 25 minutes by boat from Lanzarote and getting there is very easy.
Although there is a small heliport for emergencies, La Graciosa can only be reached by boat. There is a liner shipping that crosses the strait separating it from Lanzarote, known as El Río. There are boats practically every hour. The first leaves Orzola at 8:30 a.m. and –depending on the month– the last boat leaves at 8:00 p.m. or at 7:00 p.m.
And if you want to travel with your pet, surfboard, and bicycle or carry your luggage, you don’t have to worry, since there are maritime lines with no additional cost to this option.
You can also book an excursion to La Graciosa. A coach will pick you up at your hotel and drop you off at the end of the day. You will have a professional guide and many facilities.
But if diving is your thing, in La Graciosa there is a school centre that offers sea baptisms and many other courses for certified divers, lodging, sale and rental of material… Do you know that La Graciosa is in the most extensive marine protected area of Europe? It seabed hides unique species and there are diving points for all levels and tastes. You’ll love it!
What can you do in La Graciosa?
But in addition to diving through its waters and practicing nautical sports like surfing, La Graciosa offers many other experiences. In this completely flat island stands out 4 volcanic mounds, so it also is ideal for hiking and cycling.
There are different trekking routes and they all offer an amazing landscape. To begin with, we’ll tell you that La Graciosa has no single paved road. Isn’t it fantastic? You can walk surrounded by authentic nature in its purest form.
One of our favourite routes is the one that ascends to the Yellow Mountain. It is an easy journey of about 10 kilometres round trip from Caleta de Sebo. We take the path towards Playa de los Franceses and border the coast. After Baja de la Peña we will arrive at Playa de los Franceses and, later, La Cocina beach, located just at the foot of the Yellow Mountain.
This volcanic mound is 172 meters high. And it’s not the only one. In total, there are four hills in La Graciosa. So crowning the summit is also possible. This is La Montaña de las Agujas (the Mountain of Needles) and measures 266 meters. From there the view is more than impressive.
Go hiking on this small island will allow you to observe a rich birdlife, such as gulls, silverworms, Bulwer petrels and other species. In addition to endemic plants with such special characteristics that allow them to survive in the extreme conditions of salinity and aridity of the area.
You can also ride a bike and explore the various beaches of the small island. A beautiful 5-kilometre road separates Caleta de Sebo from Las Conchas beach, traversing the island diagonally. Las Conchas is one of the most spectacular beaches in Spain and the most famous in La Graciosa. It is extensive, with turquoise waters and golden sand, and from there you can see the volcano Montaña Bermeja and the islet Montaña Clara, which also has reddish soil.
Once in Las Cochas, you can return to Caleta de Sebo on a circular route through the beach of La Lambra and the core of houses of Pedro Barba. In total, there are 15 kilometres of journey by unpaved roads, between an arid and natural landscape.
Remember to wear sun protection and enough water. La Graciosa is an almost desert island with only two small towns, Caleta de Sebo and Pedro Barba. There is only one restaurant-bar in Caleta de Sebo, in the port. So you have to get out of there with everything you need to practice your favourite sport. The wild nature is waiting for you.
