Walking Los Lobos GR131, Fuerteventura

If you love the whole thing about walking routes - not just the act of walking or trekking - then you'll probably realise that the GR131 is not just on La Palma but it also meanders off to El Hierro, Tenerife, Fuerteventura and even the small island of Los Lobos just off Fuerteventura. That's 651kkm of walking trail and surely enough for even the most enthusiastic walker. So rather fittingly, although I was disappointed to miss the Transvulcania Ultramarathon on the La Palma GR131 this weekend, at least we were walking the GR131 albeit on the island of Los Lobos.

On the ferry from Fuerteventura to Los Lobos

The island of Los Lobos is a tiny scrap of land with a coastline of 13.7km and a 15-minute ferry ride away from Fuerteventura. From the sea, it looks potentially boring with a long flat bit, a big lump on one end and lots of pimples scattered all over it. In fact, it's a nature reserve with beaches to swoon over, a lighthouse and a peak of 127m, the Montaña la Caldera - in my opinion, it's a 'must do' if you find yourself on holiday in Fuerteventura.

Our aim was to climb the Montaña and have a swim, so nothing too energetic. Right by the jetty, the GR131 sign enticed us towards the first beach of La Calera. 

GR131 sign

But no, the swim was to be the reward after climbing the Montaña which we could see in the distance. Surely it's higher than 127m - it certain looks it! But with a good flatish path, it was fun to stride out especially as most of the walks on La Palma involve some sort of incline or decline.

Striding out on the GR131 Los Lobos

Actually, the path was ascending but only gradually so we hardly noticed and just 30 minutes from the start, we were at the foothills of the Montaña where a sign asked us to maintain silence due to the nesting season of the birds - Shearwaters, Petrels Ospreys and Gulls. Nobody had told the birds to be quiet of course so there was plenty of screeching going on!

Be aware of birds nesting on Los Lobos between February and July

The 'up' part treated us very gently at the start and in fact the whole way. In less than an hour from the start of the walk we were at the top where there is a trig point and then a short walk along the ridge - it's a case of views and more views. 

From the top of the Montaña la Caldera

After a good old photo shoot, we were on our way back down again and at the bottom 20 minutes later. That part I know, the part I'm not sure of is when we decided to walk around the whole island. OK, so we decided we would head off in the general direction of the Faro, the lighthouse, which is at the far end of the island and because we were having well, FUN, we just kept going!

Lighthouse on Los Lobos

We did decide that we wouldn't fully investigate the lighthouse because we had to catch the last ferry at 16.00hrs and we still had our swim to go. So at the junction, we swung a right and headed down the west side of the island. This side was rather more sandy than the rockier east but still fascinating. I must admit though we could have done with an extra sign or two to help us choose the way!

But we did eventually get to the 'Lagunas,' a natural area of marshland which is not something you expect on such an arid island. It's a great habitat for the birds and a place where you might want to spend sometime bird-watching. Just not swimming. 

The surprise though is perhaps in the heather which had just finished being in blossom. Apparently if you go in March/April, it's a really beautiful sight.

Heather on Los Lobos and Las Lagunas in the distance

But when we did get to the beach which is in fact called El Puertito, I don't think we could quite believe it - it's straight out of the Bahamas! This is also where the restaurant is, a few houses and small boats tied up to moorings in the clear, azure waters.

El Puertito

But this is not the beach we were heading to although in fact it is just 7 minutes to El Muelle, the harbour, where we had docked earlier in the day. Instead we carried on walking in the direction of the harbour and onto Playa la Concha, just six minutes the other side of the port. 

When it comes to beaches, Fuerteventura and of course Lanzarote have any number of fabulous beaches. This is just one of them! 

Playa la Concha, Los Lobos

So where next on the GR131? Having arrived back on Fuerteventura on the ferry, we didn't really have far to look before bumping into the GR131 trail. I'm not 100% sure I'll be signing up for those walks though as they look very hot and exposed. And after all, we've still got to the finish the La Palma GR131 between El Pilar and Mirador Los Andenes. 

One day, one day. 

For more information on Fuerteventura, you might like to check out www.relocatecanaries.com

Walking the Transvulcania

Did you know that the La Palma Transvulcania is not just about Sky running an ultra marathon, (how did the word 'just' creep in ... ) but for most of us who are not quite up to running 83km and much of it at altitude, you can still join in.
You see, the great thing is that the Transvulcania is an event with many facets.
First and foremost for the elite athletes there is the aforementioned Ultra marathon. There is also a marathon, a half marathon and a junior marathon.

Plus several fun runs. And new for 2014, the Vertical Kilometre which is a race over a distance of 6.6km but with a gain in height of 1km - i.e. it's steep. Oh dear, what will they think of next.
But walkers - or senderistas as they are called here - are not forgotten.
Last year the route took the walkers from the Refugio El Pilar down to San Nicolas and Las Manchas and then along the GR130 Camino Real route into Los Llanos. At little more than 15km and much of it downhill, it really is within the grasp of the average walker.  And the great thing is that the senderistas get to cross the Transvulcania finishing line. It's got to be worth it for that alone!
You can read more about the Transvulcania here - http://www.holiday-lapalma.com/transvulcania.html

Walking Los Tilos, Marcos y Cordero

Funny how you find things out. For years and years there has been a system for those who want to walk the Marcos y Cordero route through the tunnels. It was simple enough in that the people transporter 4 x 4 taxis wait by the plaza in Los Sauces and when there are a few people ready to go up, off they set.

That way at least, walkers get to share the cost of the taxi which otherwise would charge around 60€ for the trip up to Casa del Monte, which is the start of the walk.

The only downside is that it's still quite a long walk back to Los Sauces after you have arrived at Los Tilos at the end of the walk.
However, now this system has been greatly improved you'll be pleased to hear. And I only heard about it thanks to Anne and Giles ;) who walked it just this week.
What happens now is that you take your car to the point just before the Visitor's Centre at Los Tilos and take the taxi there.

The first taxi leaves at 09.00 hrs or when it's full, or nearly full. (I've got to thank Diana and Marta for this bit of information as they walked it today along with Teresa and Alan :). The next taxi leaves around 10.00 hrs or when it's full. The last taxi leaves no later than 11.00 hrs after which it's rather too late to start the walk anyway.
The cost is 15.00€ per person with a minimum number of 4 people, or 60€. When the taxi is full, it's still 15€ per person - but well worth the money!
So now you can enjoy the walk through the tunnels that lead to the source of the spring water - La Fuente of Marcos y Cordero and walk back knowing that your car will be right there at the end of the walk.
Enjoy!

Walking the Cumbrecita

A couple of days ago, we were in the West of La Palma with some time to spare - quite a rare thing as normally our expeditions south are a whirlwind affair with a whole list of jobs to do, friends to see and shops to visit. But this time, we decided to award ourselves a little treat by staying the night at an apartment in Tazacorte.

Located right by the beach, a swim was the obvious thing to do. But I had a whole myriad of other fun things I wanted to do as well - the salt pans at Fuencaliente, the banana museum at Tazacorte and walking the Cumbrecita. To name but a few. It was certainly tricky to decide but with such a beautiful day, we decided that it would be a shame to be in a museum or in the car longer than necessary and so the Cumbrecita walk won the vote. 

The Cumbrecita is not a long walk by any means at around one and a half hours, but it's a walk that packs a punch with amazing views virtually all the way. And the other great thing is that for those who are not dedicated walkers, it's not a long walk to get there and nor is it a steep walk although admittedly there are a couple of fairly narrow sections which some might be too fond of. But what you can also look forward to is a warm welcome from the resident ravens. 

The start of the Cumbrecita walk is just over 6km from the main road and it takes around 15 minutes to drive up there. But before you set off, you'll need to pop into the nearby Visitor Centre to get your pass. It's free but you will need to show your driving licence or passport as proof of identity. 

Once at the top, you can walk to one of the Miradores (look out points), either the Lomo de las Chozas which takes about 20 minutes from the car park or the Mirador de los Roques just 15 minutes from the car park. 

Or you can do the 1.5 hour circular walk which takes in both look out points. 

From here, I'll let the photos do the talking. Hope you get to enjoy walking the Cumbrecita while you're on La Palma!

You might be interested to know that detailed route notes for our walks on La Palma are now for sale, including walking the GR130, the Volcano Route, the Caldera, Los Tilos and more. Please contact us for details ann@holiday-lapalma.com