Puerto Calero to Playa Quemada
Walking from Puerto Calero to Playa Quemada is an excellent way to spend a day in Lanzarote. Leaving from the high-end marina of Puerto Calero, the walk transports you across the cliffs and into the small, quiet fishing village of Playa Quemada. Here, you get to experience the ‘real’ Lanzarote, not the tourist version.
This walking path is quiet, and feels quite remote as you leave Puerto Calero behind. Look at this in a good way – you get the beautiful coastline to yourself at times, despite Puerto Calero and the tourist hub of Puerto del Carmen not being so far away.
Puerto Calero to Playa Quemada coastal walk route information
Distance: Puerto Calero to Playa Quemada is around 4 km.
Difficulty: Relatively easy, route is mainly flat.
Terrain: The terrain changes from the promenade in Puerto Calero to coastal trails and dirt roads. You do feel quite on the cliff edge here. On reaching Playa Quemada, a paved road awaits.
Route type: Out-and-back. There is no option to take a bus or boat back to Puerto Calero (unlike if you walk from Puerto del Carmen to Puerto Calero). Do keep in mind you will have to walk both ways.
Start point: Simply begin the walk from anywhere in Puerto Calero. Head towards the end of the town, but to do so you will have to go up from the marina. I took some stairs after the restaurant Pappardella, but you can take any stairs/incline that takes you up from sea level – remember you are going on a cliff-side walk. From there, continue to follow the coast. On reaching the end of the town, the path turns into more of a dirt track trail. This is the official coastal cliff walk route.
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How to get to Puerto Calero
Unless you are staying in Puerto Calero, you may be wondering what the options are for getting there to begin this walk. Lets take a look…
- Car
- Reach Puerto Calero hassle free by driving there.
- Free parking is available by the marina.
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- Public bus
- Puerto Calero has a bus stop which is served by Lanzarote’s public bus service.
- Depending on where you are coming from, you may need to switch buses in Puerto del Carmen. Alternatively, you can choose to walk or take a boat from Puerto del Carmen – note the next points.
- Walk from Puerto del Carmen
- Extend your walk and take the coastal walking route from Puerto del Carmen to Puerto Calero, before continuing on to Playa Quemada.
- This will take you along the cliffside from Puerto del Carmen, down to the marina of Puerto Calero, then back up to the cliff-side to Playa Quemada.
- It is well worth walking both sections – they do have a different vibe to them. Walking from Puerto Calero to Playa Quemada feels like the more adventurous section. This is in part due to the terrain, but also due to the lack of people. It really is more remote, with the end point not being a modern marina or tourist centered town, instead a typical, quiet, Canarian fishing village.
- For more details on this section of coastal walk, check out my post: Puerto del Carmen to Puerto Calero Coastal Walk, Lanzarote.
- Boat from Puerto del Carmen
- Mix up the day and see the coastline from a different viewpoint en route to Puerto Calero by taking a boat from Puerto del Carmen.
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Walking from Puerto Calero to Playa Quemada
My coastal walk began in Puerto del Carmen (I did the ‘extended’ walk), with a stop in Puerto Calero to eat lunch and have a little explore around. So, after a stop here, it was time for this next section of coastal walk. Beginning from Puerto Calero marina, I just kept walking and actually reached a dead end. I needed to go up to get back to the cliff-side. After a quick little turn around, I took some stairs near the restaurant Pappardella.
From here, the walk was pleasant, on paved pathways and still in Puerto Calero itself for a little bit. I went along the coast past some accommodation such as Royal Marina Suites Boutique Hotel. This is a good hotel to use for reference on where to head to from the marina. However, you want to stay on the coastal side of it, passing by the pool. (Google Maps won’t lead you along the coastal path!). Not too far past here, I reached the end of Puerto Calero. The cliffs now opened out in front of me, with a change in terrain.
Simple natural beauty lay before me.
The walking path was quiet, VERY quiet. I passed only a few people. I thought the coastal walk from Puerto del Carmen to Puerto Calero was quiet, and it was, in comparison to the bustle of Puerto del Carmen itself. This section of coastal walk, however, was really beginning to give more of a remote feeling. I LOVED it. I love to explore further than (what it seems like) most others do. The beauty is there, just the crowds of people are not.
The trail is easy to follow – just straight along the coastline. It is super scenic the whole way.
The pictures below are the view looking back in the direction of Puerto Calero. This is the view you’ll have on the return walk!
After a much shorter period of walking than I anticipated, I soon found myself arriving into Playa Quemada. I was glad I had made it, but also didn’t want the walk to end. However, I knew I got to walk it back again to repeat the coastal beauty!
Playa Quemada
On arrival into Playa Quemada, it is clear how much of a contrast it is here from the likes of Puerto del Carmen or Puerto Calero. This small fishing village remains unspoiled. Playa Quemada gives off more of a true ‘island life’ vibe in its quiet, laid-back atmosphere.
There are only a few restaurants in town, sitting on the waters edge by the black sand, rocky beach.
Do be sure to walk from one end of town to the other, it doesn’t take long. This is because the best part (in my opinion) lies at the far end of Playa Quemada.
I spied some people up a small hill at the far end of the village, so, of course, had to check it out. It’s a short and easy climb, and well worth doing.
From here, you get the best views over Playa Quemada and beyond. Puerto Calero and Puerto del Carmen can be seen in the distance from up there.
On the other side, you can see down to the beach Playa de la Arena. If you do wish for some beach time in Playa Quemada, and like a remote, secluded beach, this is for you! That being said, the main beach is still pretty remote – you will not see crowds of tourists here. I wished I had more time (sunlight hours!) to make my way down to Playa de la Arena and enjoy it!
In this direction you can also see the continuation of the coastline and cliff-side trails. Not only did I wish for time to go down to the beach, but that I could keep going along the trails for an even more remote experience! So your walk doesn’t have to end here – the trails do keep going. Just remember, you do need to get back again (on two feet!). There is no option of taking the bus or a boat back from Playa Quemada.
After going up the hill and having some great views, I was SO satisfied. Nothing beats a good (unexpected) viewpoint, so this really topped off the end (turn around point) of this walk.
It was time to head back to Puerto del Carmen (since I did the extended walk version), and I really enjoyed the walk back too. I was even treated to some beautiful sunset scenes.
Exploring the coastline along from Puerto Calero (well, Puerto del Carmen if you want a longer walk!) is something I highly recommend doing for an active day in Lanzarote!
If you want another awesome walking adventure in Lanzarote, this time focused on the volcanic landscape, be sure to do the Caldera Blanca hike.
