Land-trip to the Canaries From Fuerteventura to Lanzarote (2/2)

This article is the second part of a land-trip, from the Canary Islands from west to east:

In the first article, I describe my discovery of Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

We now continue our journey to Fuerteventura before finishing on Lanzarote.

I also wrote an insightful article on the dual nature of tourism in the Canary Islands.

Our land-trip to the Canaries

Tenerife

• Day 1: Paris – Tenerife Nord via Madrid by plane and accommodation in Taganana (4 nights)
• Days 2 to 4: Visit the north-east of the island
• Day 5: Crossing the island via Teide Park and accommodation in Masca (5 nights)
• Days 6 to 9: Visit to the west of the island

Gran Canaria

• Day 10: Transfer to Gran Canaria by plane and accommodation in Maspalomas (7 nights)
• Days 10 to 16: Alternating island excursions and rest days

Fuerteventura

• Day 17: Transfer to Fuerteventura by ferry, visit to Playa de Cofete and accommodation at Sotavento (2 nights)
• Day 18: Sotavento
• Day 19: Sotavento to Morro Jable via the FV-30 and accommodation in Morro Jable (2 nights)
• Day 20: Morro Jable

Lanzarote

• Day 21: Transfer to Lanzarote by ferry and accommodation near Haría (5 nights)
• Days 22 to 25: Discovering Lanzarote
• Day 26: Lanzarote Paris by plane via Madrid

I also give you my practical tips for organizing your own trip.

All texts in color coral indicate an internal or external link.

Fuerteventura: the arid, windy island

We embark in the huge port of Las Palmas on a rusty old Navieras Armas ferry, “Volcán de Tamasite”, which gives it a vintage charm. It will take us to Fuerteventura in three and a half hours.

We could have taken Fred Olsen’s ultra-modern fast ferry, which made the trip in two hours. But we prefer the old boat, with its many outdoor passageways.

The fast ferry experience is too similar to air travel. You sit back in your armchair and wait! Unfortunately, it now seems that only fast ferries operate on this route. Progress isn’t always all good…

In Fuerteventura, we disembark at a tiny port in the south of the island near Morro Jable. A rental car is waiting for us.

Fuerteventura is a long island. We are going to drive up it from the south to the north. We’ll spend two nights in Sotavento, in the south, and two nights in Corralejo, in the north.

The Innside Hotel in Sotavento

Leaving the ferry, we head for our first accommodation in Fuerteventura: the Melia Innside hotel.

This was our only experience of a large hotel for tourists in the Canaries, as the rest of the time we opted for holiday cottages or homestays.

We chose it because the hotel itself is a small structure on a Canarian scale. Room rates are relatively high, at around 150 to 200 euros a night, but the high level of service is renowned.

The view from our room over the vastness of the beach is spectacular.

The immense Sotavento beach

To the south of the hotel, we take a long walk along Sotavento beach, which is immense. It extends for some ten kilometers and, at low tide, is several hundred meters wide.

However, we can’t lay out our towels as the wind is blowing hard. It’s a good opportunity to take a long walk along the beach to watch the kitesurfers.

Playa de Cofete and its mysterious mansion

On the second day of our stay in Fuerteventura, we decided to return to the southern end of the island, towards the Playa de Cofete.

Access is difficult, via a bad track, about an hour’s journey from the port. Luckily we have a 4×4.

After crossing a pass, we plunge, literally, towards Playa de Cofete, where there is also a small hamlet. It’s the most famous spot on Fuerteventura, thanks to its spectacular setting. But we’re not spoiled by the weather, which is very gray, and the photos don’t quite capture the majesty of the site.

We discover an immense, austere, and windswept coastline. It lends itself more to a long stroll along the sea than to swimming, which we find dangerous.

A strange mansion overlooks the beach in a rather sinister fashion: the casa Winter. It was built by a German, Gustav Winter, and its use remains a mystery: Nazi hideout? Place of torture? Or just a vacation home? None of these rumors could be confirmed.

The seaside resort of Morro Jable:

After our stroll along Cofete beach, we retrace our steps and stop off en route to visit the seaside town of Morro Jable, which has a bad reputation. Our opinion is more nuanced. Although many hotel residences have been built along the beach, the village of Morro Jable is quite pleasant.

After Playa de Cofete, it even seems quite cheerful and pleasant!

Its size is still reasonable and it should be a good place to stay for a few days. Its southern location protects it well from the wind. It’s the only place in Fuerteventura where we could enjoy staying on the beach.

An interesting little detail! The English love Tenerife, but Fuerteventura is Germany’s favorite island! And why is that? Perhaps because of its immense beaches, reminiscent of those on the Baltic? I don’t know.

Then we go back to the Innside Hotel for a second night.

The FV-30 scenic route to the north

The next day we continue our journey to the north of the island along a mountainous road, the FV-30. Crossing the island is only 120 km. But we will take a full day to fully enjoy our stops because we will make detours towards the coast to visit some fishing villages.

The first village we stop at is La Pared. Its black sand beach and rocky coast give it a stern appearance.

On the FV-30, during our ride, the weather is unfortunately rather cloudy, which doesn’t show off the island to its best advantage. As Fuerteventura is very arid, the atmosphere inland is rather sad.

The second seaside village we visit is Ajuy , which is the most interesting of the day.

It is famous for its caves to the north of the village. These owe their origin to the island’s volcanic activity. More recently, the site has been used to extract lime. The old industrial facilities are still visible.

Fuerteventura’s west coast is rough with little vegetation. It’s easy to understand why developers haven’t invested in hotel complexes. In return, these fishing villages have remained authentic.

After Ajuy we return inland to visit the famous village of Betancuria, considered the most beautiful on the island.

Small, with just two streets around the pretty church of Santa Maria, it didn’t charm us. Teror in Gran Canaria or Masca in Tenerife are far more interesting.

The last fishing village we visit on our way north is Puertito de los Molinos. The Las Bohemias del Amor restaurant is folkloric and straight out of the hippie era!

Visit the north of Fuerteventura

Before leaving Fuerteventura, we take advantage of one last day to drive around Corralejo.

We start in the village of El Cotillo. The fishermen’s houses are gradually giving way to small hotels, but tourism is still underdeveloped.

Right next door is the beautiful, little-visited del Castillo beach, which is very windy.

Then we push on to the Tóston lighthouse, lost in an arid immensity. As is often the case in Fuerteventura, however, the environment seems harsh.

Before reaching the famous Corralejo dunes, we stop off in the village of La Oliva, once the island’s capital.

We were very interested in visiting the colonels’ house. It’s a beautiful 18th-century mansion at the foot of an ancient volcano, once inhabited by the colonels who were the real masters of the island, far from Spain.

A coastal road runs along the dunes to Corralejo. They are similar to those of Maspalomas, but the presence of the road and two huge hotels breaks the grace of the place.

What’s more, when we were there, the wind was blowing very hard and it was impossible to lie on the beach with the sand whipping our faces. the video below speaks for itself!

Fuerteventura: An island that doesn’t reveal itself at first glance.

Its charm doesn’t captivate as easily as with the other islands of the Canaries. During our stay, the wind was particularly strong, and the weather, especially inland, rather cloudy.

Nevertheless, we recommend a visit, as it gives a better understanding of the diversity of the archipelago. Perhaps if we’d stayed longer, we’d have learned to appreciate it better?

The next day we set off for Lanzarote, an exceptional island that will bring our Canary Islands tour to a fitting end!

Lanzarote: the island of 100 volcanoes

Several daily ferries link Corralejo, in Fuerteventura, to Playas Blancas, on the island of Lanzarote, in just 30 minutes. We choose to take the “Don Juan” from Lineas Romero, because it’s the smallest boat!

Approaching from the sea gives us a rather sympathetic view of Lanzarote and Playas Blancas, as the buildings are all low-rise and of a uniform white color.

A small island easy to discover

Lanzarote is a small island, with fairly flat terrain and little road traffic. From one end to the other, it barely takes an hour.

So it’s perfectly possible to select just one accommodation for your entire stay. That’s what we do.

There’s a huge range of hotels and rentals to choose from, and the choice is not easy. We select accommodation not far from Haria, in the north of the island, which is reputed to be wilder. Our rental car is right at the ferry landing, so we head straight there.

Our accommodation at the foot of Corona volcano

It was by chance that we chose this stone house at the foot of the Corona volcano. It’s isolated and accessible only by a dirt track. That’s what attracted us to its description!

When you arrive, it’s love at first sight! The view is superb and the interior is beautifully decorated, with a splendid grand piano. It was the home of the Anglo-Spanish owner’s mother, who was an opera singer. We immediately feel at home here.

Discovering Lanzarote

The island is not very big and flatter than Tenerife or Gran Canaria. Everything is easily accessible by car. No need to define a tour in advance.

As for us, we will explore it region by region: first the north, then the center, and finally the south. The Timanfaya National Park will be the highlight of our discovery of Lanzarote and will be the subject of a separate excursion.

The wild north of Lanzarote

Our accommodation is in the north of the island, so this is the logical place to start our discovery.

We’re right next to the pretty village of Haria, with its whitewashed houses so typical of Lanzarote and its mountain backdrop. The luminous green of the vegetation stands out beautifully against the black volcanic soil.

To the north, we head for the mirador del Rio. From here, a beautiful road leads to an overhanging view of the island of La Graciosa. This is certainly the most spectacular part of the island. A path leads to playa del Risca. We took the upper section to enjoy the scenery.

The road to Maguez is a succession of pretty coastal viewpoints and starting points for numerous walks.

In the north, we also discover the impressive lava tunnels.

Cueva de los Verdes is the wildest. It can be visited in groups with a guide. As the lava cooled in several stages, it created furrows, sometimes several kilometers long, right down to the sea.

Right next to Cueva de los Verdes is Jameos del Agua.

Jameos del Agua is both a swimming pool and a restaurant magnificently revisited by César Manrique in lava tunnels.

César Manrique played a key role for Lanzarote. He is a painter-sculptor who succeeded in imposing architectural rules on the whole island of Lanzarote. He successfully fought to keep mass tourism to a minimum in Lanzarote. A tall, authoritative man whose presence can be seen all over the island.

In the north of the island, on the east coast, lies a surprising place: Charco del Palo, a naturist village created in the 60s by a German.

Today, it has fallen into disuse, but the original spirit remains. In other words, you can walk around naked, or not, as you wish and with the utmost respect for each other. Nothing to do with naturist resorts as they exist in France, which are more exclusive towards non-nudists.

At Charco del Palo, the rocky coastline is wild and beautiful, and there are several coves with natural swimming pools where you can swim while protected from the swell.

As it’s relatively close to where we live, this is where we go for a swim after our walks.

Lanzarote wine center

Teguise, the city’s former capital, is located right in the center. It’s like a village on the Spanish mainland that’s lost its way on an African island. We stroll along the pretty cobbled streets around the church. Guidebooks recommend going during the Sunday market. I don’t necessarily agree, as this one has become very touristy and the village is losing the authenticity it still has the rest of the week.

A little further on, the beach of Caleta de Famara is famous with kitesurfers. The beach is beautiful, immense, but also austere.

Lanzarote is famous for its wine!

To the south of Teguise, the land is highly conducive to vine cultivation, but the wind necessitates protection with small stone walls. As a result, farming remains very small-scale, but the vineyards are aesthetically pleasing.

The seaside south of Lanzarote

During our stay we returned to Playas Blancas, where we had disembarked from Fuerteventura. Although the seaside town has expanded considerably, its center remains a pleasant place to stroll. The restaurants, which are more touristy, are more suited to drinks than food.

Not far away, we went to Papagayo beach, at the southern tip of Lanzarote. It’s the most beautiful on the island, in a protected area: the Los Ajaches natural monument. Access is via a toll road. Because it’s so scenic, it’s quite busy.

Fortunately, on both sides of the peninsula we find other vast, deserted beaches. As in Fuerteventura, the wind is strong we need to be careful when swimming.

In the south, we also went to El Golfo, a pretty little fishing village. On the way, we discover some lovely salt flats.

A hiking trail heads north through a lava field that borders Timanfaya National Park. We take it for a short stretch.

We did, however, skip Puerto del Carmen, the island’s main seaside resort. Although, it remains much calmer compared to the south of Tenerife, but we were not tempted to find a tourist atmosphere in Lanzarote.

The spectacular Parque Nacional Timanfaya

“Last but not least. One of the attractions of Lanzarote is the opportunity to better understand the volcanism of the Canaries with a visit to the Parque Nacional Timanfaya.

Three quarters of Lanzarote is covered by lava produced by over 100 volcanoes and 300 craters. Impressive!

The island’s last major eruption dates back to 1730 and lasted 6 years. It’s one of the most important of previous centuries. Imagine 8 million cubic meters of lava spilled! The Canaries decided to preserve the eruption site as a national park. It’s a unique place, with absolutely extraordinary scenery.

However, access is highly regulated. The LZ-67 is the only road that crosses the park, and it’s difficult to stop, let alone walk, as it’s forbidden to do so in order to protect a very fragile environment.

To see the volcanoes up close, most tourists head for the El Diablo restaurant. From here, buses regularly depart for a 45′ tour. We didn’t, as the prospect of a typical Disneyland attraction didn’t really appeal to us. If you’re interested, go early to avoid the crowds, as this is by far the most popular tourist attraction on the island.

We opted for a far more appealing alternative: a 3-hour hike from the village of Yaiza. This is a guided tour, in English or Spanish, with groups limited to 8 people. It’s a fantastic feeling to walk through these early-world landscapes. However, you need to book as early as possible on the national parks website, as tours fill up quickly.

A visit to Lanzarote gives you an idea of what it’s like to live close to volcanoes. From one day to the next, residents can lose everything. This is what some of them experienced in 2021 on the island of La Palma.

Lanzarote: the design island

Lanzarote was the fourth and final island on our Canarian tour.

Like Fuerteventura, its austere landscape is the result of numerous volcanic eruptions over the course of its history. And yet.., we’ve rarely seen such a harmonious place on our travels. So much so, in fact, that Lanzarote can be described as a “design” island!

We found that the white houses, with their blue or green shutters, blend in perfectly with the island’s rugged volcanic landscape. Even in the very touristy south of the island, hotels and hotel residences remain at a reasonable level. It’s a feast for the eyes everywhere! We fell in love with the island at first sight.

End of the Canarian journey: time for an assesment!

The land-trip is coming to an end. Now all we have to do is return to France and do an assesment of this trip.

In my life, I’ve made more exotic and extraordinary journeys, such as the crossing from Dushanbe to Almaty. I would have thought that the Canaries would be bland by comparison. My travels in the archipelago have convinced me otherwise. They’re worth a visit!

The trip I’ve described lasts almost a month. It’s a great approach that I recommend. If you have less time, you can visit just one or two islands.

In relation to the proposed tour, we’d recommend staying three or four days longer in Tenerife to explore Teide and the area around Puerto de la Cruz. And if you have even more time, each of the islands on offer is worth a longer stay than we were able to have.

As for us, we still have some islands to discover: La Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera. What’s more, we’re also sure to return to Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote at some point, as we really enjoyed these islands!

We’re looking forward to some great trips!