Isla Graciosa & Chinijo Archipelago
Separated from Lanzarote by the straits of El Rio, just 2 km wide, the Isla Graciosa can easily be reached three or four times per day by ferry or modern passenger boats, the journey taking from 15 to 45 minutes depending on the boat and the weather. With an area of just 27 sq. km (10 sq miles) is this the smallest of the inhabited islands of the archipelago and it belongs to the protected area of the Parque Nacional de los Islotes del Norte, which was founded in 1986.
It was the Isla Graciosa, where the Norman Jean de Béthencourt set his foot first when he conquered Lanzarote and it was also the Norman, who gave it the name ‘gracious island’.
Probably one of the most appealing features of this island is that there are no roads, only dirt or sand tracks. This is a paradise for walkers – on a footpath following the coastline, it is possible to walk round the island in a day – and mountain bike lovers, with mountain bikes available for hire at the harbour.
There are also no hotels on La Graciosa but the main settlement, Caleta del Sebo, where visitors get off the boats, has a couple of simple pensiónes (guest houses), some basic bar-restaurants, two supermarkets, a bank, a post office and nowadays even an ATM bank machine and an Internet-café. Most of the around 700 permanent residents on the island – who survive mainly with fishing activities – concentrate here. The other settlement Pedro Barba, which was the former harbour and is linked by a track with Caleta del Sebo, has mainly holiday homes owned by Spaniards. There are no tourist infrastructures and only few people live here all year round.
Isla Graciosa is blessed with plenty of long, deserted beaches of golden sand dunes, of which the most beautiful is Playa de las Conchas on the north-western shore. It takes about one and a half hours to get there by foot. Many consider it one of the most picturesque of all the beaches of the archipelago. From here, you enjoy good views on the uninhabited smaller islands of Montaña Clara, Roque del Este and Alegranza – all belonging to the Chinijo Archipelago. These islands can be reached by fishing boats, but landing is not allowed, as they also form part of the 'National Park of the Northern Islets', home to several endangered bird species. These islets are a paradise for rabbits and partridges.
Away from the shore, the scenery consists largely of dunes, treeless volcanic terrain, with some low shrubs and unique succulents managing to survive on this barren land, and the cones of four extinct volcanoes.
Isla Graciosa… a true escape into a world of relaxation and perfect tranquillity!
You are here: 
