La Graciosa Day Trip from Lanzarote: Canary Island Paradise

Visiting La Graciosa island puts an extra piece of paradise into a Canary Islands trip.

La Graciosa is situated just north of Lanzarote, yet is a world away from its heavily touristic neighbour. With purely sandy roads, unspoilt white sand beaches, turquoise waters, few accommodation options and an overall lack of people, a slice of natural serenity is presented.

The island is only 8km long and 4km wide, yet boasts 4 volcanoes standing out among the desert landscape.

La Graciosa stays so paradisiacal thanks to its remoteness, the reason why not so many people visit. But I can assure you it is well worth making the trip. I visited on a solo trip for a day of walking and exploring and can highly recommend going whether alone, with family or friends. Just don’t go if you want super lively scenes like you find in the tourist areas of the more well known Canary Islands…

So, I’ll show you how easy and doable a trip to La Graciosa is, and give you an insight into exploring the island. Hopefully visiting La Graciosa will soon become a part of your Lanzarote itinerary!

How to get to La Graciosa

Visiting La Graciosa has to be combined with a Lanzarote trip, because it is only reachable from there. This is great though because it means you get to visit two Canary Islands!

Flights ✈️: For the best, cheapest flight options to Lanzarote, check out Skyscanner, or for flights with cashback, WayAway.

Ferry ⛴️: Lanzarote can be reached by ferry from other Canary Islands. If you want to travel to Lanzarote by ferry, head over to Ferryscanner to book your travel.

• Accessible from the town of Órzola, in the north of Lanzarote
  • Take the public bus from Arrecife to Órzola – €3.60 one way, around 1 hour. (Buses to/from Orzola are not very frequent so do check the timetable)
  • If renting a car on Lanzarote, simply drive to Órzola where you will find free parking available. Renting a car would make travelling much quicker and mean you could easily visit La Graciosa from anywhere on Lanzarote in one day, without having to stay over in the north. This is perfect if you have other accommodation already organised before realising you should add La Graciosa to your itinerary. You can search below for rental cars:

• 25 minute ferry ride from the port of Orzola to La Graciosa
  • Ferries run frequently during the day until early evening (be sure to check the ferry time for returning to Orzola)

Alternatively, you can reach La Graciosa directly on the water from other towns in Lanzarote, such as Playa Blanca, Puerto Calero, Puerto del Carmen, Arrecife and Costa Teguise if you wish to take an island cruise or go on a sailing day trip.

– La Graciosa: Island Cruise with Lunch and Water Activities

From Lanzarote: Sailing Day Trip Around La Graciosa

Where to stay for visiting La Graciosa?

Visiting La Graciosa is best done by basing yourself in Órzola, or you can even stay on La Graciosa itself if you want more time there. As mentioned previously if travelling by car, then you can for sure just make it a one day trip, leaving from and returning to your accommodation elsewhere on the island. But it is super nice to stay up north if you can!

Accommodation 🛌: Booking.com and Agoda are my preferred sites for booking accommodation, they have a range of options on La Graciosa and Lanzarote to suit all types of traveler.

• Órzola is best for solo travellers, or even two travellers together, especially those on a budget. Accommodation is very affordable here. Although if two of you are travelling and want to spend more than one day on the island, it may work out around the same to stay on La Graciosa.

• La Graciosa accommodation is rather limited, only being available in the small village of Caleta del Sebo. This is generally in the form of apartments/homes, so more suited to families or small groups than individuals (depending on your budget!).

As a budget solo traveller, I stayed at Mirador Del Muelle House, Órzola. I highly recommend this accommodation. You can very easily do a day trip to La Graciosa from here, or even two if you have another day and want to go back again. This would still be cheaper than staying on the island, as a solo traveler at least.

Lets take a closer look and see if I can convince you to stay there (honestly there’s no question of it, it is the place to stay for vising La Graciosa – I spoke to others who had either stayed here, or were going to, and also bumped into someone who had been on my flight a week prior in this accommodation!)

Mirador Del Muelle House

• Excellent location – less than 100m from the bus stop and ferry port – not even a minute of walking away.
• SO cheap – essentially hostel prices for your own room. I paid €32 per night for a double room (the double was available on the dates I wanted so I took that over the single, because it was still so cheap). The single room can be available for as low as €25 – SO good.
• Easy check in – check in online through a form they send you on the day. You then receive a code to the front door and your room – you don’t even need to see or speak to anyone. You can head there as soon as you get these – I was able to check in two hours early.
• Single/double/twin rooms available.
• Shared kitchen – own room but a kitchen to use gets bonus points from me (better than a hotel I’d say!). Each room is provided with their own plates/cutlery etc, in a cupboard in the kitchen. Allocated shelf in the fridge too for each room. Kitchen has your basic pots/pans/microwave/stove for cooking so you can make a meal no problem.
• Shared bathrooms – two bathrooms in the building, one on each floor. Bathrooms were always clean when I was there and I had no issues with there being just two bathrooms, never having to wait for a shower or so.
• Shared roof terrace area – my favorite little area. You can take in the view of the ferry port from here, laze on the sun-loungers, eat at one of the little tables or even hang some washing to dry. It is a lovely little addition to this property, especially at the price you are paying to stay.
• Shared lounge area – there is a little shared lounge area as you enter the building, where you can relax indoors.
• Strong wifi – good if wanting to figure out your travel plans and/or get some work done.

Booking.com

How to get around?

La Graciosa can be explored on two feet, two wheels or four wheels. Two feet or two wheels are the best options – you do need to take a sense of adventure with you when visiting La Graciosa.

Walking La Graciosa

• The island is made for walking thanks to the network of paths and trails covering the island. The paths are great, and relatively flat (until you climb up a volcano on the island that is).
• You won’t have time to cover the whole island in one day if walking however, but you can still cover a fair amount.

Cycling La Graciosa

• Bikes are available to hire on the island, from the town of Caleta del Sebo. Head to one of the bike hire shops (there are a few) on arrival and get set up with a bike.
• Only €10 for the day.
• Cycling is great because of course you can get further than walking in a short amount of time. However do note that it could become a little tough at times on some of the more sandy parts. You can *potentially* hire an electric bike though (don’t fully trust me on that though!).
• You can only cycle so far on certain routes – bike racks are available (pictured below) to leave bikes for the areas where bikes cannot be taken, from there you must walk.
• If you hire a bike be sure to get any extra tips on the routes for cycling from the rental shops. Since I didn’t cycle I don’t want to say too much!

I personally did not feel the need to hire a bike but had I come back for another day I reckon I would have!

4×4 taxi

• There exist three companies in Caleta del Sebo which provide taxis to take you to certain points on the island.
• Great for those who can’t walk/cycle so far for certain reasons, or are on a very strict time scale.

Now we know how you can get around, so stands the question….

What trails to take on La Graciosa?

The southern part of the island is the most popular area to explore on a day trip. The south-east in particular.

Exploring the south-east of La Graciosa

• The route from Caleta del Sebo, by Jable del Salado heading south past Playa Francesca, to Playa de la Cocina and finally Moñtana Amarilla is an excellent, easy walk full of beautiful sandy beaches. This route also gives the option to climb Moñtana Amarilla for some wonderful views over the island and beyond. It is only from this route you can climb the volcano.
• When you get off the ferry just continue walking left along the coastline and you are on this route.
• Do note that if cycling, you will still have to walk parts. There are bike racks available on this route to leave the bike and walk onto the beaches themselves.
• This is the busiest route (pleasantly busy, not overly so) on the island, for good reason.

Be aware that you cannot do a loop of the south as such. To cover the whole of the south you would need to do it in two sections.

The south-west route

On the south-west coast, the route goes as far as the other side of Moñtana Amarilla, with a view to Playa de la Cocina.

• The south-west of the island also boasts a lovely coastal path, you walk or cycle all the way to the end of this one (no need to leave the bike on a bike rack here). The path begins by walking through Caleta del Sebo, past the bike rental store ‘El Archipielago Chinijo’ (if renting a bike you can head straight here). Continue to the end, turn left and you will see a couple of signs. Just past these the road forks and it’s from here you could head north or take the south-western route by forking to the left.
• There are some nice beach sections but not quite like those on the south-east.
• This path again ends at Moñtana Amarilla, but on the opposite side. You cannot go up it from this side.
• This route is very quiet.

If walking and on a day trip, I would say only do this part if you are a keen walker and don’t want to spend too much time on the beaches of the other side. Remember you have to go all the way back to Caleta del Sebo to then get to them. You don’t want to miss Playa de la Cocina and the chance to hike up Moñtana Amarilla.

Okay you CAN ‘kinda’ cut across the island and do a loop…. I did this but that was because I thought I could loop the south and ‘panicked’ about losing time. But yeah, don’t be like me.

By bike however you can for sure hit up the whole of the south in one day.

Visiting the north of La Graciosa

I did not get to explore the north so I won’t say too much here BUT…

• If you have two days on the island go and explore this area too.
• Cycling the north would be great. I’d say spend one day cycling here and the other walking the south. A good mix!
• You can officially loop the north, unlike the south with the out and back routes. Or if you don’t want to be on the trails that long you can do an out and back.
• Chance to see the other ‘village’ (more a small community with a few houses – a summer settlement), Pedro Barbra. This sits on the north-east. Don’t expect the amenities of Caleta del Sebo here.
• Visit some of the other even more remote beaches than those of the south, such as Playa del Ambor (Lambra) at the north, or Playa de la Conchas on the north-west.
• I *believe* the path is maybe not as scenic great in terms of being fully by the coast like those of the south, there is more inland path.

How to spend a trip to La Graciosa

Lets take a closer look at how I spent my time on La Graciosa, while giving you a little more information about the popular routes of the south.

If you want more visuals – you can take a look at how I spent my time on La Graciosa on my vlog here (skip to around 8 minutes in for the start of my day trip to the island!):

What time to go to La Graciosa?

Take an early ferry

• If you are just going for a day trip especially, get there early to make the most of it.
• I opted for the 9am ferry, which I was so glad I took.
• Taking an early ferry allows you to see the island come to life, I mean as much as it comes to life. It was so quiet when I arrived.
• Going early means you can start walking/cycling while it’s still quite cool in the morning, making it very pleasant before the warmer beach weather arrives.

The ferry arrives into Caleta del Sebo

Caleta del Sebo

• Caleta del Sebo is the hub of the island aka the only proper village (Pedro Barbra is another but is not home to the facilities of Caleta del Sebo).
• Any supplies you might need, get here. There is a little ‘Supermercado’, as pictured below. I do however recommend bringing water and food with you to save doing this on arrival. DO have food on you as you likely won’t be near the town when lunch time hits if you’re off exploring.
• Home to the beach Playa de La Laja. Not the most breathtaking on the island but still lovely and is perfect for those not wanting to go too far, or for chilling at the end of the day before taking the ferry back. It seemed to be one of the more calm (windy/water wise) spots, the day I visited at least.
• Only public toilets on the island are in Caleta del Sebo. They are free to use and are located to the right when you exit the ferry.
• There are some restaurants and cafés here so if you do need a little treat when you arrive this is your chance. Keep in mind where to get some ice cream for later too (pictured below), if you want an end of day treat (or go wild and have one in the morning!).

I’d advise not to spend too long here on arrival – there is an island to see! It is better to go and explore, then take some time at the end to relax in Caleta del Sebo as you will need to head back there to take the ferry back to Lanzarote.

Okay, SO….

After arriving into Caleta del Sebo and having a quick look around there, it’s time to explore. You’ll (hopefully) have decided by this point if that’s going to be by walking the trails, by bike or by taxi. This is your time to get that bike or taxi if you desire!

If you intend to walk around, as I did, then you’re all set to hit the trails on arrival.

After a choppy ferry ride (it can get rough out there), I was glad to make it to land and be ready for my adventure of the day! Using my two feet to explore, I decided to stick to the south of the island.

I hit up the south-western route first. Heading through Caleta del Sebo, past the bike rental shop, turning left at the end of the street and reaching this sign.

I went ahead here, but instead of heading to Pedro Barba however, forked left. This took me directly to the west coast on some straightforward sandy paths (as they all are!).

Going a little further, I could see Moñtana Amarilla to my left in the distance. Ahead of me, the ocean of the opposite is the island came into view.

I reached the ocean of the west and turned left, continuing here along a long stretch of coastal path. It’s lovely but as you can see not really beaches you would go and chill on. It is also generally quite windy on La Graciosa (like Lanzarote). The openness of this stretch makes the water quite wild so don’t swim here.

I continued along here to the bottom of Moñtana Amarilla, where I saw a sign saying you cannot climb the mountain from this side (you have been warned, again – don’t think you perhaps can like I thought!).

I loved the view of the mountain and looking across to Playa de la Cocina, where the south-west trail ends.

The hopes I had that I could loop the south were gone when I got here. But I wasn’t too mad because I really enjoyed this walk and these scenes in front of me at this end point. It was my fault for not looking properly at a map – why I left the trail map on this page above for you!! From here I then thought ok it’s fine just walk quickly back to Caleta del Sebo. Anyway I soon abandoned that as I kind of ‘panicked’, realising it was going to eat up more time than originally anticipated.

This is when I decided to kinda cut across part of the island… which I shouldn’t write about as you shouldn’t do that… So, reminder: You can’t loop the south!!

Anyway, I did make it to my next main point of the island – Montaña Amarilla.

Montaña Amarilla

• One of the mountains (volcanoes) on the island. A ‘popular‘ (as popular as it gets here!) one to climb since it lies on the best day trip route.
• Stands at the end of Playa de la Cocina.
• Only accessible from the popular south-east walking/cycling path.
• When on the path before heading down to Playa de la Cocina, keep going. Continue along it, past the beach below to reach the mountain path. This is the ONLY WAY up and down Montaña Amarilla.
• Relatively short climb, but steep at parts and can feel ‘slippery’ underfoot thanks to the small rocky pebbles. It’s fine but I did keep thinking I was going to fall on the way back down, so just be careful. It’s not long but it’s not the easiest of ways up/down. Take your time though and you’ll be grand!
• It was very very windy when I reached the top. SO WINDY so be aware of that and don’t have any loose belongings that could blow away.
• Beautiful views over the island from the peak – you can see so much and it’s just stunning!!

As I said I kinda cut across part of the island to try to find a way up the mountain without needing to go back to Caleta del Sebo, since I hadn’t factored that in originally, thinking I could loop the south. I then kinda scrambled up Montaña Amarilla not on the official path, please don’t be like me! It is not the safest, obviously. I did also see some guys coming down around where I went up, and another up the mountain who tried to find a way down the western side – I’m not the only one who didn’t realise there is only one way up and down. So again, there is ONE WAY up and down!!

Once I made it to the top I was so glad I went up (but definitely should have taken the real path). The views were amazing! After a short while up there, trying not to be blown off by the wind, I headed back down, the official way! Once down the kinda tricky mountain path, I was back to the straightforward trails.

I had a lovely walk to my next main point, arguably my favourite spot of the day – Playa de la Cocina.

Playa de la Cocina

• A beautiful beach sitting in a bay with Montaña Amarilla towering over it. The colours of the mountain mixed with the sand and the sea are just stunning! Provides such a different scene than the beaches along the rest of the south-east coast.
• If coming from Caleta del Sebo, this is the last beach on the walk of the south-east of the island. DO be sure to go this far. You won’t regret it!

I reached Playa de la Cocina and was in awe of my surroundings. After admiring the view for a little bit I had to head down onto the beach. I made this my lunch spot for the day and what a spot it was! (Even with the sand blowing a bit too much – it was windy here too!).

After Playa de la Cocina I headed back towards Caleta del Sebo getting to see more of the wonderful beaches on the south-east coast. The best beach on this path has to be the one just before (or after whichever way you’re looking at it) Playa de la Cocina – Playa Francesca.

Playa Francesca

• Stunning white sand beach, with the view of Montaña Amarilla a little more in the distance.
• Boats can anchor here, but don’t worry, it’s not super busy. This doesn’t take away from the overall natural, unspoiled landscape, rather adds a bit more welcome life to it!

Heading back to Caleta del Sebo from Playa Francesca

Continuing to head back towards Caleta del Sebo I passed more beautiful white sandy beaches. However Playa Francesca and Playa de la Cocina are in a little paradise world of their own.

There is no questions as to why this is the ‘best’ route to take, at least for a day trip and some beach time. I thoroughly enjoyed walking this route.

Back in Caleta del Sebo

By the afternoon Caleta del Sebo had a whole new life to it in comparison to 9am. There were plenty of people milling in the water and on the main beach of the village – Playa de La Laja. With others strolling around, or in the cafés or restaurants. But even at this, it didn’t feel like some tourist hot spot or take away from the feel of the island.

I had a further little walk through the village and sat by the beach for a little before it was time to head back to Lanzarote. I took the 4:30pm ferry back, I was pretty exhausted by this point to be honest!

During February, when I visited, the last ferry with Biosfera Express, who I travelled with, was 5:30pm (6:30pm from July to October). Most people were therefore leaving by the time I was. Once the last boats leave, the island again goes back to a state of serene tranquility, until the following day.

Visiting La Graciosa really was a highlight of my Lanzarote trip. It was such an added bonus to get to visit another Canary Island, and one which is not a tourist mecca. It always pays off to venture that little further afield where not everyone goes. La Graciosa is a little gem!

For my other favourite walking adventure on my Lanzarote trip which I highly recommend, check out my post here on the Caldera Blanca hike.