La Graciosa island is located 2km north of Lanzarote and is definitely worth a visit. Here is the perfect itinerary for a 2 day trip to La Graciosa. If you only fancy going for a day, you can also use the information from this blog post to pick your favourite spots and discover everything you need to know about getting to them!
Firstly, from Lanzarote you will need to get the boat. It leaves from the small town of Orzola, located in the North East of the the island. There are 2 boat companies; Lineas Romero and Biosfera Express. Both companies cost the same amount of money and have different timetables throughout the day. Lineas Romero leave on the hour, and Biosfera Express leave 30 min past the hour.
A round-trip ticket for non-residents costs €26 and for residents of Lanzarote there is a 75% discount, making the trip a cheap €6.5!
You can check the ferry times for both companies here:
https://www.lineasromero.com/en
https://biosferaexpress.com/en/index.html
Getting to Orzola
If you have a hire car, drive up to Orzola and park in the designated free parking area for ferry users. There are workers who will show you where to leave your car.
If you need to take the bus, you can find the bus timetable here.
** It’s important to note that the last bus back from Orzola to Arrecife leaves at 6.10pm. You would need to get the boat with Biosfera Express at 5.30pm to get back in time. Make sure you choose the right boat company based on your own journey!**
Where to Stay in La Graciosa
Take a morning Ferry from Orzola to La Graciosa island.
Once you arrive, check into your accomodation and ask if you can leave your belongings. I stayed at La Pension Enriqueta and it cost €35 for 2 people for 1 night. For 3 people it cost €40 for 1 night.
Finding a place to stay on La Graciosa can be quite challenging. Many of the smaller apartments don’t come up on Booking.com so you have to get Googling and then call up the properties in order to make a reservation.
If you are going in summer, make sure to book far in advance as there is very little options.
Here are a few places you can look to stay: La Pension Enriqueta, El Girasol, El Varadero. If you want to stay 2 nights or more; Apartamentos Cuesta del salado.
2 Day Trip to La Graciosa – What to Do
You have two options, either rent a 4×4 or hire a bike. Both are visible from the port.
The 4×4 can be hired for the entire day or you can pay for single/round trip journeys to one location. A single leg costs €5pp. So a round trip to one of the beaches would be €10pp. The 4×4’s come with a driver, you cannot drive them yourself.
If you want to hire a bike, head to El Graciosero’s bike shop, located opposite the church/supermarket. The owner is so friendly and can speak a bit of English too.
Here you will hire a bike for the entire day for just €10! The bikes come with a basket for your belongings and a seat cover. If they are not already on the bike, simply ask for it and he will be happy to help.
TIP! If it makes things easier for you, the word basket in Spanish is ‘cesta’.
Once you have your bike, head to the supermarket opposite, stock up on water for the day and any snacks. If you wish to take a sandwich with you, head to the Pasteleria, located to the right-hand side of the port, near Restaurant Girasol.
Here you can find all different types of fresh sandwiches (french bread) and they only cost €2.
2 Day Trip to La Graciosa – Where to Go
(see day 2 below for more recommendations)
Playa de Las Conchas
Now that you have everything ready for your day trip, you’re going to head to the opposite side of the island to Playa de Las Conchas. This is one of my favourite beaches on the island.
How to Get to Playa de Las Conchas
Face the town, with the sea behind you and head north. You will see the clear road where the 4×4 also drive. Continue straight on this road until you come to a fork in the road.
There is a small sign pointing right which reads ‘playa de las conchas’ – head in that direction.
The bike ride to get there can be a little challenging as there seems to be a constant incline. However, there are also a few big hills that you get to fly down and this is a great opportunity to rest the legs.
The bike ride takes around 35/40 minutes each way.
As you come down the big hill, you will notice that there is a bike rack, and most probably a few bikes parked, to the left hand side. Don’t stop here – keep biking straight towards the red mountain to get to Playa de las Conchas.
Leave your bike in the racks, take off your seat cover and head to the beach.
This place is OUT OF THIS WORLD. The soft white sand, the red mountain in the background, the turquoise waters and the view overlooking the tiny island of Isla de Montaña in the distance. I rate this beach a 10/10.
Take your time to soak in the views and the rays of sunlight. If you don’t like to sit down for too long on the beach, you can hike the red mountain behind you for an epic view of the beach from above. I personally have sore legs from the bike so prefer to chill on the beach.
TIP! Be careful, the current at this side of the island can be crazy!
What’s Next?
After a few hours at Playa de las Conchas make your way back to the main town of Caleta de Sebo.
Once you arrive back into town, leave your bikes and have a slow wander around. This town is so unique, as there are no real roads, simply ones made out of sand, surrounded by white houses. It’s a really cool place to snap some photos.
Then head to one of the sea-front bars or restaurants for a cold drink. This is a beautiful place to sit as the boats come in and children play in the shallow waters of the port.
This small beach is also way safer for swimming if you didn’t brave the crazy waves at the other side of the island. It’s the perfect place to refresh before getting ready for dinner.
Watching the Sunset in La Graciosa
The very best place to watch the sunset would be towards Montaña Amarilla, however it is a bit of a trek to get there in time. I recommend walking towards the south of the island, and watching the sunset infront of the Riscos de Famara, Lanzarote.
If you face towards the sea, head to your right, past the houses and restaurants and out towards the open land. Stick to the coast line and you will find a beautiful beach that overlooks the cliffs.
This is a beautiful place to watch the sunset.
Where to Eat in La Graciosa
There are a number of restaurants to choose from and most are of a similar price range.
I recommend eating at El Girasol or Casa Chano.
We ate a paella at El Girasol which was delicious. We ordered garlic bread and huevos rotos as a starter, Paella to share as a main and 2 drinks each.
It came to a total of €44 which is very affordable. The best part was the restaurant has a big balcony that is overlooking the sea.
It’s a beautiful spot and great food.
La Graciosa can be a great place to star gaze depending on the weather. There is very little light polution on the island so if you enjoy astrology, consider walking up into the open land and admiring the stars.
Day 2 in La Graciosa
If you are up for it, you should wake up early to watch the sunrise. There is something very special about being up earlier than the crowds in La Graciosa. The town in the early morning is tranquil. Things are still. Things are beautiful.
If you want to watch the sunrise, head to the North East of the town, towards the 3 rocks that sit between La Graciosa and Lanzarote.
The sun rises from behind these rocks and lights up the island. You will have a front row SEAt to the sunrise from this spot 😛 It is called ‘Punta del Sordo’
After sunrise, head to El Saladero for breakfast. It is a cute cafe on the seafront which has everything you need.
2 day trip to La Graciosa
Once you’re filled up, make another visit to La Pasteleria to stock up on your sandwiches for the day. Grab a big bottle of water and any other snacks and make your way on foot to Montaña Amarilla.
The walk takes just under 1 hour and is well worth the trip.
Montaña Amarilla & Playa de La Francesa
TIP! Don’t hire a bike to go to Montaña Amarilla – the dirt roads are too sandy and you’ll spend most of the time pushing it.
On your way, you’ll go past Playa de La Francesa. This beach is also beautiful. There are usually a few boats out in the water and lots of families around. However, if you go early enough, you’ll most likely have this place to yourself.
Keep walking past Playa de La Francesa and you’ll eventually end up at Montaña Amarilla. You’ll know you’ve made it once you get there. The crystal clear turquoise waters are below the yellow mountain and it really is a picturesque location!
If you fancy an adventure, you can walk to the other side of the mountain and you’ll find another beautiful spot for a swim.
Relax on the beach for a few hours, or if you are more of an active chap who can’t sit still for too long, maybe you’ll enjoy snorkelling or climbing up to the top of Montaña Amarilla for an awesome view of La Graciosa from above.
Head back to the port with plenty of time to spare. Between October – May the last boat back to Lanzarote is 6pm, and in summer it is 7pm.
Before getting on the boat, take some time to cool down after your walk back and enjoy a drink in one of the bars. You can see your ferry from here so if you’re like me and get a little stressy that you’ll miss your transport, it’s the perfect place to be.
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If you make it La Graciosa, let me know in the comments below what you thought of it! Or send me a message on Instagram by clicking on the grid below 🙂
