Welcome to this full guide to the island of La Graciosa
La Graciosa is a great place to relax and explore its wilderness and beaches. With 29 km2 it is the smallest inhabited island of the 8 Canary Islands and it can only be accessed by ferry from the north of Lanzarote or by private boat.
In this article, we will cover everything from what’s On The Way to La Graciosa, How to Get There, the 3 different options you have to move around the island, the main attractions to visit in La Graciosa, and finally some tips and accommodation information.
The Way to La Graciosa Ferry & How To Get to Orzola
To get to La Graciosa you will need to get to the town of Orzola located in north Lanzarote. In the small town, you can get free parking for your car.
The Distance and driving times to the harbor are:
- From Arrecife: 30-35 min | 36Km (22miles)
- From The Airport: 37 min | 42Km (26miles)
- From Playa Blanca: 1 hour | 73Km (45miles)
There are also options to take the public Bus to and from the ferry. The Bus is line number 9 it costs 3,60 Eur each way. According to the public transport page, it takes between 50 minutes and an hour to get from Arrecife to Orzola, and the bus generally follows this schedule:
Arrecife ➔ Órzola
The ferry ticket prices to La Graciosa.
As we mentioned before the most common way to get to La Graciosa is by taking the ferry from Orzola. Although there are two ferry companies the pricing and benefits are the same the only differences are the timetables
General Pricing
One Way Trip
Roundtrip
Pricing For Canary Islands Residents
One Way Trip
Roundtrip
Alternatively to the ferry, there is a catamaran trip which includes hotel pickup, paella and sangria for lunch and swim, snorkel, or kayak at the French Beach. It can be booked here
Ferry timetables from and to la Graciosa.
Each Ferry company has a different timetable, and both of them sell open tickets, which means that even if there is a time on your ticket you can take a different one (only within the company that you buy tickets with). It is also worth knowing that ferries hardly ever get full, so if you are not sure of which time you will arrive you can just get tickets at their office (this way you have more options as you can choose any company).
If you arrive very close to the departure of a ferry you can also leave your ID or passport with one of the crew members and pay for the tickets at La Graciosa ticket office.
Here are the timetables for both companies and links to buy online.
Lineas Romero Ferry
Órzola ➔ La Graciosa
8:30
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:30
16:00
17:00
18:00
— March 19 – October 29 —
19:00
— July 1 – October 28 —
20:00
La Graciosa ➔ Órzola
8:00
8:40
10:00
11:00
12:30
15:00
16:00
17:00
— March 19 – October 29 —
18:00
— July 1 – October 28 —
19:00
Bioesfera Express
Órzola ➔ La Graciosa
8:00
9:00
10:30
11:30
13:00
16:30
17:30
18:30
La Graciosa ➔ Órzola
07:00
8:30
9:30
10:30
12:00
15:30
16:30
17:30
Moving Around. Transportation methods and rentals at La Graciosa.
There is no option to take your car rental to La Graciosa and there isn’t a single paved road on the island. There are no car rentals available so the only options are: The 4×4 Taxis, electric or normal bike rentals, or walking.
The best option will depend on your budget, physical form, the freedom you want to have to see the island at your own pace, how long you will stay in La Graciosa, and how many of the top attractions you want to visit.
We have created a map that includes the main attractions and where they are located with pictures. The paths that are accessed with the different transportation methods, and distances between the main routes. If you want to check the time and distance for a specific route, Google Maps works just as in any other place, offering info about estimated times, elevation, and length between two points.
If you want to download the full-resolution map click here:
Moving Around. 4x4 Taxis at La Graciosa.
4 X4 taxis are the fastest option although they are meant just to be left or picked up from a destination. For example, if you want to just do a roundtrip to a certain beach. Most taxi companies only offer roundtrips, but you can arrange a different drop-off and pick-up and you can call and ask them to pick you up anywhere, so it is a good option in case you think you won’t make it back on time for the ferry.
If you are looking for a more complete experience, there are also 4×4 tours, where you can arrange multiple stops.
We didn’t use this option so we can’t recommend any company, but there is a picture on the image slider showing a map with both taxi fares and tour prices. You can check the full image here.
*Attention solo travelers* There is a minimum of 2 people per trip on both tours and taxis.
Moving Around. Bike Rentals at La Graciosa.
Biking is probably the best option to see La Graciosa as you have total freedom. There are quite a few rental companies to choose from and most have electric bikes, we highly recommend calling and making a reservation as there is a high demand for bikes on the island.
Pricing and rentals are for the full day and most rentals include a helmet, map, and a basket. They will also offer a complimentary pick-up in case you have any problem with your bike. You can expect to pay 10-15 EUR for a normal bike and 30-40 EUR for an electric.
We also suggest that if you don’t have enough reasons to take an early ferry (the main reason being that it is hard to check out the entire island if you don’t wake up early) you should also know that companies will only make a reservation for a specific type of bike (electric, MTB, Fat Bikes…), so the first to arrive will choose the newest bikes from those categories.
The company that we chose had old bikes (although we arrived a bit late) so we recommend checking out La Molina instead as they are the best-rated company on the island.
If you get to the island early enough it is possible to see all the main attractions biking in one full day.
Moving Around. Walking around La Graciosa.
Finally, you are always welcome to walk although you will only be able to check a few destinations. In case you decide to walk make sure to bring hiking shoes as there are sharp rocks in some areas.
As we will mention in the next section it is advised to pack plenty of water and a hat as there are barely any shades around the island.
Good To Know. Tips for visiting La Graciosa.
- It is highly recommended to bring a map (you can download ours) as there are few indications of attractions along the road, so make sure to get a good map, as we missed the Caletón de los Arcos and Lambra beach because there was no indication.
- You can leave bikes anywhere without fear of them being stolen and there are specific bike parking spots at every major spot on the island.
- The only places with restaurants, small shops, and bike rentals are in Caleta Del Sebo (where the ferry arrives), therefore is convenient to pack food from Lanzarote if you are just doing a day trip.
- Bring a hat and plenty of water as there are almost no shades around the island.
Attractions. What to see in La Graciosa.
- French Beach: White sand beach. Swimming allowed. Biking for 5 km up to a parking spot and mandatory walking to the beach
- Conchas Beach: Beautiful white sand beach with turquoise waters. Dangerous for swimming
- Caletón De Los Arcos: Arch formation. Swimming not reccomended
- Bermeja Mountain: Old volcano that you can climb in 20- 25 minutes (0.8 km each way) from Las Conchas Beach. Very steep.
In case you have extra time you can add these two other stops to your destination:
- Pedro Barba: Nice small white-housed village. The beach isnt great compared to others.
- La Cocina Beach: This is a very small Beach and a bit far from other locations, but views to Yellow Mountain.
Finally, if that’s not enough you can check the map picture for even more stops!
Accomodation. Stay for a night in La Graciosa.
Although as we mentioned La Graciosa can be checked out in a day if you arrive on an early ferry, when the crowds leave on the last ferry the island becomes a very relaxed environment.
There are only two places, Caleta del Sebo and Pedro Barba where you can stay for the night in La Graciosa and they are both in high demand so it is convenient to book in advance.
Note that if you book a house in Pedro Barbas you will probably need a 4×4 taxi (unless you can carry all your luggage walking or biking) as the main ferry only stops in Caleta the Sebo. There is a very small harbor in Pedro Barbas too so you might be able to arrange a private boat.
Thank you for reading! For any questions before your upcoming trip just comment on this page and we will give you a quick reply.
