One of the best excursions from Lanzarote is to explore the island of La Graciosa.
After a beautiful ferry ride along the Famara cliffs, you can discover pristine beaches, red volcanoes and lava cliffs.
Here’s our guide to help you plan your exploration: things to do in La Graciosa, map, photos and tips.
This opinion is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Our favorite car rental platform: DiscoverCars
Why visit the island of La Graciosa?
Is the island of La Graciosa worth it?
Yes. Absolutely. This is one of the most magnificent places to see from Lanzarote. The island is much wilder, with sandy beaches, colorful volcanoes and an end-of-the-world atmosphere!
This is one of the best things to do on Lanzarote.
Book your ferry – how to get to La Graciosa
La Graciosa is just 2 km north of Lanzarote.
- If you have your own car, drive to Orzola and board one of the pedestrian ferries. 2 companies run ferries to La Graciosa several times a day. It takes 25 minutes to cross.
View ferry options and book your ferry - If you don’t have a car but want to make your own visit – you can book a ferry tour with transfers from the main resorts.
Find out more and book
The island of La Graciosa in figures
And now a few facts to give you a better idea of the island of La Graciosa:
- The island is very arid with dry soil – only sand, volcanic rocks and volcanic cones.
- It is about 8 km long and 4 km wide.
- The highest point is Agujas Grande at 266m.
- There are only 2 small villages: Caleta del Sebo, where the ferry arrives, and Pedro Barba, the original village.
Things to do on the island of La Graciosa
If you’re looking for a little paradise for the day, La Graciosa should be your excursion from Lanzarote:
- Enjoy the beaches
In our opinion, La Graciosa offers the most beautiful beaches on Lanzarote (even though it’s not technically Lanzarote…) – fine sand, turquoise waters and volcanic craters in the background… You’ll see from the photos below that they look just like heaven. - Explore the rest of the island in one of our 4WD cabs
There are no roads and only a few authorized vehicles. Don’t miss the arch made of volcanic rock.
Book your 4WD tour in advance! - Hiking
For example, walk to the most famous beach, Playa Francesa, and enjoy the lagoon along the way. - Enjoy fresh seafood in Caleta del Sebo
Photos of all the wonderful places to see after the practical info.
OUR ADVICE FOR RENTING A CAR IN Lanzarote
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- A small car is all you need.
- But you can also choose a larger one if you wish, as the parking spaces are rather large.
- Demand is high, so book early.
1. Enjoy the ferry trip to La Graciosa
There are 2 companies making several round trips during the day. They are equivalent and take turns.
The boats are fairly large and stable, with large windows.
It takes 25 minutes to cross to La Graciosa. The La Graciosa ferry departs from Orzola, a small fishing village on the north coast of Lanzarote.
During the ferry crossing, you can admire Lanzarote’s north coast with its impressive cliffs. We have to turn around the northernmost point which is Punta Fariones and, as you can see from the photo below, you can appreciate the cliffs on both sides.
Then you sail on the El Rio canal between the two islands (which you can see very well from Mirador del Rio).
And then you approach La Graciosa. Golden sand and red volcanoes contrast with the deep blue of the water. Fascinating.
The La Graciosa ferry arrives at Caleton del Sebo, the main tourist area and fishing port.
2. Caleta del Sebo – the town of La Graciosa
Caleta del Sebo is the largest village on the island of La Graciosa, and is therefore considered its “capital”. This is where the ferry arrives, facing the Famara cliffs. Its main activities are tourism and fishing.
You’ll find plenty of restaurants, accommodation, a small supermarket, first aid…
The streets are not paved. And as in Lanzarote, the houses are white with colored accents.
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3. Playa del Puerto
If you walk a few minutes west from the ferry landing stage, you’ll find the town’s small beach: Playa del Puerto (the harbor beach).
It’s the easiest to reach on foot.
The slope is gentle, the water transparent and the views of the Lanzarote cliffs superb.
4. Playa Francesa: La Graciosa beach
La Graciosa’s most famous beach is Playa Francesa, because it’s the most accessible wild beach from the port.
It lies to the west, facing the Famara cliffs.
As you can see below, the sand is golden, the water turquoise and in the background, the red side of Montana Amarilla. We really like the color combination.
Below is a close-up of Montana Amarilla. It’s famous for its yellow side, which we’ll see on the next beach. But we’ve already appreciated its color and shape from here. It reaches an altitude of 178 m and was created by eruptions between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago.
Its name means ‘Yellow Mountain’ because from Lanzarote everything you see is yellow.
You can reach the beach from Caleta del Sebo either by walking (mainly on sand) from 45 minutes to 1 hour, or by using one of the 4WD cabs (less than 10 minutes).
And then you can walk up to our next stop Playa Amarilla, but don’t forget to look back to see Playa Francesa beach from above.
CHOOSING A HOTEL IN Lanzarote
Choosing where to stay:
Select by hotel type:
- 5-star hotels
- Best boutique-hotels
- Best adults-only hotels
- Best all-inclusive hotels
- Best hotels for families
Our favorite: Hotel Cala Lanzarote – See prices, photos and availability
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5. Playa Amarilla
Our next stop is another La Graciosa beach: Playa Amarilla.
It can only be reached on foot, an additional 15min walk from Playa Francesa.
At the end of the first beach, you can see a sandy path leading uphill. Secondly, the promenade is largely flat.
You arrive above Playa Amarilla, which lies in a tiny bay (Bahia de la Cocina) protected by the yellow side of the volcano.
Why is it yellow? Because thousands of years of erosion by wind and water have removed the scarlet layer of lava and exposed the ochre tuff rocks. The colors are so vivid, it’s mesmerizing!
Be careful, the descent is a little slippery. But the combination of colors and shapes on the beach makes it a unique spot in the Canary Islands.
Or, instead of going down to the beach, you can walk south through the rocks. This way, you’ll have a magnificent view of the yellow side of the mountain.
6. Playa del Salado
Between Playa Francesa and Caleta del Sebo lies Playa del Salado along the runway.
It’s not a dream like other beaches, but there’s a sort of lagoon, so it’s safe with children.
Note: some people try to cut through the middle for a quicker return to town, but this can be quite deep in some areas, so it’s best to stay closer to the beach.
7. Playa de Las Conchas and Isla de Montana Clara
La Graciosa’s other famous beach is Playa de la Conchas.
It is located further from the port on the island’s northwest coast.
It offers a large area of golden sand and small sand dunes, views of the Isla de Montana Clara and its own volcanic cone: Montana Bermeja, which rises to 154m.
It takes less than 15 minutes by 4WD cab and probably 1h15 to 1h30 to reach the sand dunes on foot. There are 5.5 km of sand and dirt tracks. Websites saying it takes 45min to walk must be written by people who do ironmen-type competitions…
This is one of the largest stretches of sand around Lanzarote – 400m long and 100m wide. Tempting, isn’t it?
However, it’s not the safest for swimming…
Book your 4WD tour in advance!
The other reason it’s famous is its breathtaking view of the small island: isla de Montana Clara. It is located 1.6 km north of La Graciosa. It’s actually a 256 m-high volcanic crater with steep slopes plunging into the water.
If you look north, you can make out the shape of another small island: isla de Alegranza, another volcano.
8. Caleton de los Arcos, Lava Arch
But La Graciosa doesn’t just offer beaches. You can also find stunning cliffs where the lava flow met the ocean. This created basalt columns and fascinating shapes, including the famous arches that give Caleton de los Arcos its name.
It is located on the north coast of the island. Book your 4WD tour in advance!
Once again, we love the colors and contrast with the black volcanic rock, golden sand, blue sky and red volcano (on the other side of the same with the saw on Playa de la Conchas) : Montana Bermeja.
In the photo below, you can see 2 people. This can give you an idea of the scale of things:
We could have spent hours photographing the volcanic coastline… but the driver was in a hurry. We understand that he wants more races and we were willing to pay more to stay longer, but he wasn’t listening at all…
9. Playa Lambra
To the east of Los Arcos lies La Lambra beach. Few people come here.
Small white sand dunes and rocks contrast with the sand of this delicate round bay.
10. Pedro Barba, isolated village
To the north-east of the port lies Pedro Barba’s home village.
Today, only a few houses make up the village. And most of them are rentals for those who want to get away from civilization.
It’s so quiet, facing the cliffs of Famara de Lanzarote:
It has a small beach and is protected from the west wind.
HAVE FUN WITH THESE Lanzarote activities
- Dolphin watching
- Buggy / Quad
- Kayak excursion
- But also: Diving at the Museum of the Atlantic, Catamaran outings, Paddle excursions, Parasailing
Catamaran alternative
If you don’t want to take the bus or drive, there are also catamaran tours departing from Puerto del Carmen.
Enjoy a crossing on a magnificent catamaran, complete the island tour by boat and take advantage of activities such as snorkeling or taxi-boating to the island.
However, you won’t be able to explore the whole island, just one beach.
Find out more and book
Practical advice
Getting around La Graciosa
Getting around La Graciosa isn’t exactly easy. The island is small, but still large enough to walk: 8 km long and 4 km wide, with no shade or water sources. There are no paved roads.
3 options:
1 – Walk to a single spot such as Playa Francesa
2 – Use one of the 4WD cabs to go somewhere and arrange a pick-up later for the return journey.
3 – Choose an island tour with one of the 4WD cabs – they include Playa Francesa, Playa La Conchas, Caleton de los Arcos, Pedra Barba
Book your 4WD tour in advance!
Where to sleep – Accommodation in La Graciosa
If you want to experience the island a little longer, or if you want to cut yourself off from the world a bit (although there is 4G on the island!), you can also stay for a few nights at either Caleton del Sebo or Pedro Barba. There are a few rentals, stores and restaurants on the island.
See accommodation on the island of La Graciosa.
Where to eat in La Graciosa
If you haven’t brought your own picnic, you’ll find a few restaurants in the village of Caleta del Sebo.
Ideal for tapas or seafood. But be aware that the offer is limited
For example:
- Enriqueta restaurant
- La cafeteria Rosa`s la lía
- K’ Alegranza Bar
La Graciosa on Video
And to complete your pre-trip visualization, here’s a short video featuring different landscapes on the island:
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO Lanzarote
- Best of
Most beautiful landscapes
Best things to do in Lanzarote
Most beautiful beaches
Most beautiful villages
Best boat tours
César Manrique’s attractions
Secret places, off the beaten track
Most beautiful hikes
- Practical advice
25 tips for a successful trip to Lanzarote
How to get around
How to rent a car in Lanzarote
Driving tips
Where to stay in Lanzarote
Best hotels in Lanzarote
Best excursions
Itineraries: 3 days – 4 days – 5 days – 1 week – 10 days
