- Playa Baja del Ganado, La Graciosa
- Las Conchas
- Caletón de los Arcos
- Playa Lambra
- Pedro Barba village
- Useful tips
- Useful links
La Graciosa, like the rest of the Canary Islands, is a volcanic island that formed due to the Canary hotspot, a mantle plume beneath the Earth’s crust. The Canary Islands began forming millions of years ago through successive underwater volcanic eruptions.
The Canary Islands began to take their present configuration around 4 million years ago. At this time, Fuerteventura was in the south, Lanzarote in the center, and the Chinijo Archipelago to the north. Volcanic activity in this local area lessened as the hotspot migrated westward to create the other, younger Canary Islands. The last volcanic phase on La Graciosa occurred around 2,000 years ago, forming Pico Timão and the surrounding basaltic flows.
La Graciosa is a perfect spot to escape an ordinary life and enjoy crystal-clear turquoise water with big waves, golden beaches and almost car-free (you can’t bring your own car) roads. Well there are almost no roads as I will show you later.
We’ve planned to be in Orzola to board a ferry at 9:00 am and it took us around 45 min to drive from the south (Puerto del Carmen). There was no point going earlier as the bike rental opens at 9:00 am anyway and it can be quite chilly in the early morning at this time of year. Everything went to the plan and we’ve boarded a ferry at exactly 9:00 am. There are two ferry companies Lines Romero and Biosfera Express. You can booked tickets directly on their websites or on the spot in the booth. We chose Biosfera Express just due to more convenient ferry time and one way ticket was €16. We booked one way, as we didn’t know what time we are coming back. Not sure if you can buy open return ticket. Also buying in the booth was much simpler as you don’t need to enter data of your ID and etc, which is required online.
Also, have in mind if you are transporting your own bike, pets you might have to pay extra on your ticket fare.
Interestingly the boarding was to the upper deck via the bridge.
As we moved through the waves we passed the tip of Lanzarote – Punta Fariones.
And soon after we could see the port of La Graciosa. The whole boat ride is only 25-30 min, but in the morning it was quite windy to sit on the upper deck, so I was glad I had my fleece with me.
Once we disembarked we went for a coffee in Bar Caffeteria El Saladero and I got a famous canarian Baraquito and total for Espresso and Barraquito was €3.9. Elsewhere on Lanzarote a Barraquito alone was €4 – €4.5.
Also straight in the port I saw couple of bike rentals points. I inquired in one and regular mountain bike was €15 (~ £13) and e-bike €35 (~ £30), which is very similar price we’ve got via GetYourGuide. Also, there was plenty to choose from, but I guess in a high season it is better to book in advance. I have a feeling that the ones in the port were slightly more expensive, than you can get further away, which I confirmed later on.
I was surprised to see that there streets in Caleta del Sebo were sand with some gravel. No asphalt anywhere. In addition to that, all the bikes were just standing in the streets with no locks.
I remember someone mentioning that this is the island without cars and here a jeep just pass by me. I guess these are the safari tour ones if you don’t feel like walking or cycling.
You can explore La Graciosa on foot if you wish, but that will require more time, so we decided to rent e-bikes.
We pre-booked our e-bikes online via GetYourGuide, as we were afraid it might be sold out, but it is not high season yet, so we probably would have been fine not too pre-book it. It was ~ £30 per person.
You can also rent a normal mountain bike for around £13
It was quite hilly and going on the sandy roads sometimes was not easy, so I was very glad that we took E-bikes, which gave that extra push when we needed it. Also pick-up was really hassle free, just tell your name and pick-up your bike. The company is called Bicis LA GRACIOSA (same as in GetYourGuide) and you can reserve directly as well e-bike for €30 (5 eur less to what we’ve paid).
The guy quickly explained us the ruls, gave as a small map of the island with the highlights on the isalnd and were were ready to go. I also asked if we need to lock the bikes and the guy just said “Nah, it is safe here”. I mean he is right, you are not leaving this island with their bike.
Next we went to the grocery store to buy some snacks and something to drink for the lunch as there are no places to buy water or food except this town. The prices were very similar to the ones on Lanzarote.
I felt a bit uncomfortable to leave the bike just like that next to the store entrance.
The Church of Our Lady Carmen (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen) was in a wider plaza, Plaza Principal, which means the main square. The church was built in 1945 in the style of popular Canarian architecture, which tends to be simple and functional, reflecting the island’s environment and traditions.
When leaving the the town you will see sign, so you should head to Las Conchas as that is mostly downhill and the usual path to take.
Also the speed is 30km/h, so you should not exceed with your bike either and there is a reason for that. The road is really worn out, so it is really easy to encounter the potholes and fall over.
We could see Montaña del Mojón (Cairn Mountain) on the left and La Aguja Grande (Big Needle) on the right, while riding the path.
I’ve also spotted Southern Grey Shrike while going on the road as it was making a very load noise. The Southern Grey Shrike (Lanius meridionalis koenigi), a subspecies of the Great Grey Shrike, is endemic to the Canary Islands, specifically nesting in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife, as well as the islets of Alegranza, La Graciosa, and Lobos.
Did someone say no cars here? We’ve encountered another one on our way to the first beach.
Playa Baja del Ganado, La Graciosa
First stop was Playa Baja del Ganado, which is around 16min cycling from Caleta del Sebo. We saw a bike stand, where we left the bikes and walked to the beach. The road to the beach was not that bad and had asphalt on most parts of it.
Playa Baja del Ganado is an unspoiled and wild beach located on the northern coast of La Graciosa, accessible via a dirt track heading north from Caleta de Sebo, the island’s main settlement. Characterized by its contrasting landscape, the beach features white sand juxtaposed with dramatic black volcanic rocks scattered along the shore. The turquoise waters offer a striking visual against the darker volcanic elements.
This beach is known for being isolated and without any facilities or services, making it ideal for those seeking tranquility and a connection with nature away from more crowded spots. It’s a place to enjoy the sound of the ocean and the breeze, with stunning views of the uninhabited islet of Montaña Clara just offshore.
While perfect for relaxation and enjoying the natural beauty, Playa Baja del Ganado is noted for having strong waves and being windy, so swimming and other water activities might not always be suitable or safe. It’s also a clothing-optional (nudist) beach.
Also while walking on Playa Bajo del Ganado I’ve spotted Eurasian Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), which body reminds a little bit of houbara bustard – is one of the island’s most iconic and endangered species, but beak is different and no neck ornament. They feed on ground insects, snails, and slugs on breeding grounds, and crustaceans, shrimps, and mollusks when migrating and there is plenty of sea snails and mollusks in La Graciosa.
It seems that after yesterday’s storm (there was a yellow alert) all trash from the ocean and also few of Portuguese man o’ war washed out on the shore in La Graciosa. So be careful if walking bare feet as those can sting you even if they are long time dead on the shore. I’ve seen a lot of those in La Palma too.
Probably because of the same storm some seaweed called Sargassum fluitans washed up as well. Sargassum fluitans, a species of floating brown algae and it’s part of the broader Sargassum phenomenon, which involves large amounts of this seaweed washing up on beaches, particularly in the Atlantic and Caribbean regions.
Las Conchas
Next we were heading to Las Conchas beach. The road was worse than before and had to go around those Badens (“ditch” in English) as they call them on the side of the road as it was bumpy and going with some speed it was easy to fall.
Some waves were huge, especially the ones hitting rocks on the far end of the beach.
You should always be careful in this beach (and other beaches in La Graciosa) as two people died (11 and 47 years old) in 26th December 2013 at the beach of Las Conchas, when they were standing on the shore and got swept away by a rotating wave.
I saw some waves as big as 5 meters coming to the shore. I also saw this guy (thanks to my super zoom on Canon Powershot) in the photo below standing in the water, when this massive wave was coming at him and luckily he ran away to the shore.
You can hike up at the far end of the beach to get a really nice view of Las Conchas beach. Just be conscious of the signs that tells you not to walk. It is for two reasons: to protect the habitats of local fauna or flora, to protect you from injuring yourself.
These two guys climbed on the side of Montaña Bermeja against all the signs and when there is a clear path to walk it from the bike stand.
Oh yes and this beach seems clothes optional too.
At the time of us leaving there was much more people when we came. Almost all stands of bikes were taken. Unfortunately we did not hike up Montaña Bermeja as it was already 12:30 pm and we still had half of the island to see and also to have a lunch. If you have time, definitely climb it via the path on the right as seen in the picture below.
Caletón de los Arcos
Caletón de los Arcos (“The Little Bay of the Arches” in English) is a captivating natural formation. This picturesque spot is famous for its distinctive volcanic rock arches. It was formed through a combination of volcanic activity and erosion. Over time, the lava flows from volcanic eruptions solidified, creating the distinctive rock formations. The continuous action of wind and sea water then eroded these rocks, sculpting the natural arches and pools that can be seen today.
It felt like walking in the desert, just with a volcano in the horizon and occasionally turning to you right and seeing the ocean.
First when we walked to the first formation we thought that the Arcos are not present anymore and they collapsed, just like the one in Malta.
However, upon walking a bit further we saw those Arches. Also confusingly it is named plural, because there are few arcs in the same place. Hence, some people were asking us if there are any arches further away, but this the only one. Well… all of them in one place.
First thing we did when we arrived was to eat our sandwiches that we’ve made from bread, sausage and cheese we bought in the store. Few groups of tourists passed us, watching the big Arch and eating our food. Some said “Bon provecho”, which literally means “good appetite”, but actually translates as “enjoy your food” in English.
A really nice view is from the other side of the main Arch with Montaña Bermeja on top of it.
You can also step close to the main Arch to see the other arches aligned. Just be careful and don’t step on the Arch as we wouldn’t want it to collapse.
When leaving the Arches this seagull was posing for the camera.
Playa Lambra
Playa Lambra, also known as Playa del Ámbar, is a secluded and wild beach on the northeastern coast of La Graciosa. It’s known for its contrasting landscape of golden sand mixed with black volcanic rocks, creating a unique and dramatic shoreline. The waters are typically clear and inviting, although it’s worth noting that the beach is exposed to the northern winds, which can sometimes lead to stronger currents and waves, which was the case when we visited.
While walking to the beach from the bike stand, you will notice big flat rocks on the shore, which almost looks like rhyolite volcanic rock, but might be basalt as well.
That plateau had small puddles of water, some filled with stones and some empty, some filled with water and some empty. What was really surprising that most of them with water were teeming with life. Even empty ones had some sea snails. Those stones almost looked like someone placed them in there, like some greater design for life to hide away, but I guess it is just waves in a high tide pushing them in.
Also one of the bigger ponds had
There was so much little fish in that pond! It seems there was.
These are very common inhabitants of rock pools worldwide, and several species are found in the Canary Islands. They are small, often elongated fish that can survive in shallow, fluctuating water levels. It looked that mostly it was Rock-pool Blenny (Parablennius parvicornis) or maybe the Shanny (Lipophrys pholis). Also there was Rockpool Shrimp (Palaemon elegans) and first I thought it was juvenile Soldier striped shrimp (also known as “gambas de la Santa”), which is a delicacy in La Graciosa as one of them was fiercely attacking my camera while it was underwater. However, it is missing the stripes, so most likely Rock-pool Blenny as it is in the pool.
There was some another Rock-pool Blenny looking fish in the same pond too, hiding in the hole of the rock. However, it had those blue dots around the eyes. It turns out their coloration is variable, Rock-pool Blennies, particularly males, can exhibit small, bright blue spots or dots around their eyes and sometimes along their body, especially when displaying or during breeding. So it was just a male one in a pond of females. No wonder he was hiding hahaha.
And finally I saw dead rock crab, which was quite big. Not sure if it died or was it only its exoskeleton here.
The waves were quite high in Playa Lambra too. It was a stormy day yesterday and today still was quite windy. We could quite clearly see Alegranza island (Isla de Alegranza). It is completely uninhabited island as it has a nature reserve status to protect its wildlife, particularly its significant populations of marine birds like the white-faced storm-petrel. Previously it was privately own, but recently got re-acquired by Spanish government.
Pedro Barba village
Pedro Barba village is a small, quaint settlement on La Graciosa. It’s known for its peaceful atmosphere and traditional whitewashed houses. Originally a fishing village, it’s now mostly used for vacation homes and offers a quiet retreat.
Pedro Barba is the second inhabited area on the island, after Caleta de Sebo, but it remains much less developed. The settlement is characterised by its serene environment, beautiful coastal views, and proximity to natural attractions. There are no shops or restaurants, so visitors typically bring their own supplies. It does have couple of accommodations if you would like to stay there and enjoy the serenity.
The settlement gets its name from a Canarian businessman named Pedro Barba. In the early 1900s, he established a fish salting factory in the area. This factory and the houses built around the dock marked the beginning of the settlement, making it the first on the island. While the business eventually went bankrupt, the name Pedro Barba remained and is fondly remembered by the people of La Graciosa as it was a significant part of the island’s early economy.
We stoped at Pedro Barba just for few minutes, to look around. The road to get there was particularly bad. No asphalt and it was undulate.
There is a small beach in Pedro Barba if you would like to cool down and few houses with accommodation to stay. However, no restaurants, cafes or shops will be found here as mentioned before.
The houses were all painted white with blue frames, which looks really charming.
We had to ride a pretty steep hill when we left Pedro Barba and the road was pretty bad. Luckily with e-bikes it was manageable. At some point it was a long strip going down, which I really enjoyed going in high speed, but one must be careful as it is easy to fall in one of those ditches. We’ve got back at 4:00pm. We dropped our bikes at the shop where we picked them up. Since no ones was there we just left them there on the street.
I made a quick stop in the toiled and the art in there made me smile, especially hand written note with a drawing of a tap.
After that we went back to the port, bought the ticket (another €16 per person) and made just in time to board 4:30 pm one.
Useful tips
- Always check the departure tims of the ferry on the ferry website as some departure times might be not available as they are present only in a high season.
- Check your bike very well when renting (chain, breaks, gears and tyres), I saw some guys with a broken bike and the guy from the shop fixing it. You don’t want to waste your time.
- Pack some food and plenty of water. I drank around 2l of water in a day in La Graciosa and it wasn’t very hot.
- Be careful in the ocean or even at the shore, especially when there are big waves. Two people died (11 and 47 years old) in 26th December 2013 at the beach of Las Conchas in La Graciosa, though there are no recent fatalities recorded. There is a monument to mark that date at the entry point of Las Conchas.
- Be careful at the Caletón de los Arcos as the sand close to the edge can be slippery and you can easily fall in. No one would survive those strong waves smashing the rocks down there.
- If you would like to see a sunset in this island, you can stay in one of the accommodations in Caleta del Sebo or Pedro Barba, as last ferry normally leaves before sunset. You can find a double room for two nights for about €80 per night, but do book in advance as i tis quite booked out.
Useful links
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