Isla La Graciosa, Lanzarote

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Where is Isla La Graciosa?

Isla La Graciosa may not be one of the Canary islands that you have heard of. But that’s just because it’s a particularly small island just off the Northern tip of Lanzarote. Isla Graciosa is inhabited by around 700 people with the main industries being fishing and tourism. It also has average temperatures of 22 degrees Celsius, so it makes it the perfect place to visit year round.

It’s another volcanic island formed by the same Canary hotspot as the other Canary Islands. You can easily see the volcanic landscape of the island when you visit.

The island can also be viewed from the Mirador Del Rio viewpoint on the North West of Lanzarote. From here you can look out to the amazing view of the island below, watching tiny little boats going into and out of the harbour.

How To Get To Isla Graciosa

Getting to the Isla La Graciosa is easy. It’s just a 25 minute ferry ride from the Port of Orzola in the North of Lanzarote. There are two ferry options to get you to Caleta de Sebo on La Graciosa. Both ticket offices in Orzola are right beside each other at the quayside and they both dock in the same position at different times of the day.

There are the Lineas Romero and the Biosfera Express Line ferries. The Biosfera Express charge 26 Euros for an adult and 13 Euros for a child’s round trip to La Graciosa. Although Biosfera will give a discount if you book tickets in advance (24.62 Euros adult and 12 Euros for children). You can book online or at the ticket office.

Lineas Romero is the same cost at 26 Euros round trip for adults and 13 Euros for children. They also run a catamaran service which includes paella, water activities and an open bar. This visits the main town for an hour and then stops at Playa Francesca along the coast allowing you to enjoy the beach and water activities. This cost is 59 Euros for adults and 35 Euros for children and lasts around 6 hours.

You can also book a boat trip with other companies that have private tours to the island, rather than via the ferry.

Ferry Times

The times for the ferries leaving Orzola are below, LR stands for Lineas Romero and BE for Biosfera Express. Please note that these times are correct at time of writing, but please do check the ferry is running before travelling. Times may be changed or ferry routes can be cancelled during bad weather. Hopefully this useful information will help you plan your trip.

BE 8:00

LR 8:30

BE 9:00

LR 10:00

BE 10:30

LR 11:00

BE 11:30

LR 12:00

BE 13:00

LR 13:30

LR 16:00

BE 16:30

LR 17:00

BE 17:30

LR 18:00

BE 18:30

Lineas Romero has additional ferries at 19:00 and 20:00 during certain spring and summer months.

Some resorts can also sell tickets in advance at a discount. Ask at your reception if this is available. Bikes can be taken on the ferry for free, although cars must be left in Orzola. Once you have your ticket booked you can ask to be shown the ferry parking areas, which are free of charge for customers.

Accommodation on Isla Graciosa

It’s even possible to stay on the island of La Graciosa. Perfect to enjoy the island when most of the day tourists are away home! The main town is Caleta del Sebo, where you will find the majority of the accommodation. There’s around 20-25 different properties to stay in the town. Although there are no hotels there are lots of apartments to rent.

The other settlement of Pedro Barba is only a small village of around 20 houses. You can find a handful of apartments to rent within the village, just a stones throw from the beach. The only way to access the village is by foot, bike or calling a 4×4 taxi. There are no services aside water and electricity in the village. You will need to travel to Caleta del Sebo for the mini market, cafe’s and other services.

Alternatively you can camp at the only campsite on the island (camping elsewhere on the island is not permitted). This is just outside Caleta del Sebo at El Salado beach. Only services are toilets and showers by the beach.

Beautiful Places to Stay

Looking online at reviews and pictures of the places to stay, I can say that these are my favourite choices to stay.

In Pedro Barba the beautiful Casa Lajares is a typical white washed traditional building. The beautifully decorated building is just a stones throw from the beach, which you can guarantee will be rather quiet being away from the busier Caleta del Sebo.

In Caleta del Sebo you can find Casa El Salao, a 4 minute walk from the beach. It’s in the main town, so it’s easy to get supplies or go out for dinner. It will be busier with tourists, but you can easily leave early to get to the beach before anyone else does! The unpaved streets are lovely to walk around as you head out for an excellent meal for dinner.

Where to Eat on Isla La Graciosa

The only place to eat is in the main village of Caleta de Sebo. So if you are out exploring you will need to take food and water with you. Whilst in the village you will find plenty of cafes and restaurants to visit.

Some restaurants open for dinner only later in the day, but there are several cafes nearer the front of the village that will be open for lunch too. Have a wander around and choose your favourite! Those with good reviews include Casa Enriqueta, Cafe El Veril (the fish here is amazing!) and Pizzaria La Korrikkia (only open in the evenings).

What To Do On Isla La Graciosa

Isla La Graciosa is a small island, so there isn’t lots of attractions to see. However it does have beautiful beaches, a sandy path or two to the turquoise sea. It’s definitely a place to explore nature!

Hire Bikes

When you get off the ferry in Caleta del Sebo you can see the main bike rental point straight ahead. If it’s already busy then there are other bike rental areas in the village, just head round the back of the main line of bikes at the port and find the other shops. It’s around 10 Euros per bike per day, so an inexpensive way to get around the island.

The people at the bike rental shops can tell you where to cycle and at the moment it’s mostly to the other settlement or to Playa de las Conchas in the North. For closer and more chance to be able to swim in the sea, you will need to walk to the Southern beaches.

Take a Jeep Safari

Using the same routes as the bikes is the 4×4 taxi tours. They can take you along the roads, which are sandy and bumpy, don’t expect an easy ride! It’s possible to just take a 4×4 taxi to one of the beaches or to take a 1-2 hour tour of the island.

Personally I’d recommend a taxi to one of the further away beaches and then back to the beaches by Caleta de Sebo to swim in the sea.

Hiking Routes

Isla La Graciosa is fairly flat, although it may not seem that way walking to Playa de Las Conchas! If you look at the image above, taken from the mainland at Mirador del Rio you can see how compact and easy walking can be.

I’d suggest to bring a couple of thin layers and wear sandals for walking on the sandy paths. Make sure you have plenty of water as there’s nowhere to buy more until you get back to Caleta de Sebo. My tip would be to grab a snack and extra bottle of water from the bakers near the front on the way out. There’s other shops too, including a mini market if you would like more choice.

You can walk on any path or road on the island. But if you are looking for beaches to swim in head South along the coast. Or volcanoes to climb up head across to the North. You can also walk along to the other little village on the island, although there are no services there.

Best Beaches

We chose to cycle out to the golden sand of Playa de Las Conchas beach. However, if we were to go again I think we would walk along to Playa Francesca instead. Although Playa de Las Conchas is stunningly beautiful, the chances of swimming in the water are slim. The red flag is there as the currents are incredibly strong. Playa Francesca on the Southern side of the island, a half hour walk from the main town is much more sheltered with calm water. Perfect for a dip in the turquoise waters!

Just round the corner from La Francesa beach is Play La Cocina, which may be a little quieter. For younger kids the beach by the cafes in Caleta de Sebo, or Playa La Laja (with the white sand) would be fine, or the first beach just below the campsite, Playa del Salado, would be easiest.

If you would like to see Playa Las Conchas then perhaps a 4×4 taxi to visit it first. Then head back to town to walk out to one of the other beaches for a swim.

Diving

It’s also possible to dive in the waters off Isla La Graciosa. In fact La Graciosa is part of the largest marine reserve of Europe, so the perfect destination for diving! It’s a great place to spot fish, from the black moray eel to the endemic Canarian lobsters.

There is only one diving centre on La Graciosa. It’s just by the docks when you arrive, although it’s recommended to book your diving trip before you arrive to guarantee a space.

Prices vary depending how many dives you choose to do, whether you would like accommodation too and what level of diver you are. There’s some great packages of 7 nights accommodation with 10 dives during your stay!

Isla La Graciosa, Lanzarote

Where is Isla La Graciosa?