Friends visiting Lanzarote in December told us of the magnificent wild-flowers there. A check on the internet indicated that February was the best time for flowers. What we didn’t know, until we got there, was that there had been no rain since Christmas, and most of the flowers had died off. We persevered, using the bus routes and footpaths, and eventually managed to photograph over 100 species. The bird-watching was good too, but butterflies were hard to find.
Puerto del Carmen to Playa Quemada
The book described it as “Easy rather than spectacular, this route provides a good introduction to the island’s countryside, and is ideal as a stroll out taking a drink at the new marina then continuing to Playa Quemada for a relaxed lunch, Repeat the procedure on the way back for a laid back day’s walking.” It sounded ideal for our first full day on the island.
Of course, it didn’t quite go to plan. We should have left by 9am. By the time we had sorted out what to take, what to wear, what to leave in the safe, etc, etc, it was nearer 10:30.
Then there were two parakeets to photograph in a nearby garden, and a brief stop at the tourist information centre to ask about bus times – no printed timetable available, but you can check the times on the screen, or photograph the timetable with your phone (at the time, I didn’t have a smart phone).
The walk starts from the old port at the eastern end of Puerto del Carmen, we had checked where this was the previous afternoon, but had failed to factor in this extra 3km from our hotel to the port – a mistake I would pay for later.
We take a leisurely stroll through the harbour, stopping to watch the large fish and the ducks and little egret watching them. A broad, rope-handled, zig-zagging stairway leads to the start of the coastal walkway.
The photo shows the view back over Puerto del Carmen.
At the top of the stairway, there is a broad pavement, which continues beyond the residential area as a broad dirt path, heading out into the countryside. It’s well-worn enough to be easy to follow, though the white-painted posts are reassurance that we’re on the right track as the path swings inland to cross a rocky inlet – a small barranco.
We find the odd wild plant here and there, photographed some, identified fewer, and kept walking. As is our habit, we took twice as long to do sections of the walk as the book suggests – it would have been even slower if there had been more flowers. And from time to time, a bird hangs around for a photo too.
Ahead is the new village of Puerto Calero: a marina full of expensive-looking boats, the Paseo Maritima – a promenade with shops for tourists, and hotels overlooking the sea. Midday is long-past, and we find a café for a late lunch – a rather expensive menu del dia – and a reminder that the first course is usually larger than the second, which is unlikely to include vegetables.
Canary palms Phoenix canariensis provide welcome shade in the otherwise treeless landscape.
Continuing westwards, we track through an almost barren landscape. It looks like it hasn’t rained here for months (we learn later that it hasn’t rained for two months), and plants with flowers are few and far between.
The dusty track takes us into a more undulating landscape. The tracks seem more complicated, the area being popular with quad-bikers. White markers are less frequent, and on occasion, the instructions in the book are more than a little helpful in keeping us on the right path. Basically, we are following the coast via a series of gentle ascents and descents to head westwards, eventually leading to Playa Quemada, a tiny coastal hamlet of a few houses and a couple of small cafés.
Here, things liven up as linnets, trumpeter finches and Spanish sparrows (above) feed on the seeds of scrubby plants between the houses. There are bees on some of the few remaining flowers, but they are no easier to photograph than the birds – and will be more difficult to identify.
It’s already 4pm, so a stop at the café for a drink and cake is welcome.
Monumento Natural de Los Ajaches
Behind and beyond Playa Quemada is an ancient volcanic landscape. Some geologists think these hills were probably around 4,000m high, but 11 million years of erosion have reduced them to mounds of around 500m. There are fossils here dating back to the Lower Pleistocene (up to 2.5 million years ago).
As well as being a Natural Monument for its geological and paleontological features, lost Ajaches has been declared a special protection area for birds ( ZEPA ), in accordance with the provisions of European Directive 79/409 / EEC on the conservation of wild birds. There is a network of trails for hiking/biking/running, more information on the alltrails website, though roads for cars are fortunately few and far between.
Los Ajaches covers some 30 sq km of the western end of Lanzarote, and we did explore other parts – around Yaiza and across to the salt flats of Janubio – on other days. If you stay in one of the south coast resorts, such as Playa Blanca or Playa Mujeres, you have Los Ajaches on your doorstep.
The journey back
Then it’s time to return, following the same tracks, but now with the sun behind us. (There is a bus service if you time your arrival correctly, but it wasn’t a consideration for us this time).
On the edge of Puerto Calera, I stop to photograph a few plants – I’d ignored them earlier, to make sure we had time to finish the whole walk. By the time we leave Puerto Calero, it is 6:30 and the sun is sinking behind the western hills. The walk becomes a route march to get back to the streetlights of Puerto del Carmen while we can still see where we are going.
The sixteen-kilometre round trip route from the port to Playa Quemada and back, with the additional 3km to and from our hotel is now taking its toll on my feet. I am already looking forward to an easier day tomorrow!
Bookshop
Books about the natural history of Lanzarote were hard to come by. The standard flora is out of print – but was only any good if you were already familiar with all other Mediterranean species.
Click on the covers for more information.
Buying books through these links earns a small commission (at no extra cost to you) which helps with maintaining this website.
More about the Atlantic Islands
Parque Nacional del Teide
Mount Teide National Park, on the Canary Island of Tenerife, is the highest volcano in Spain, and in the Atlantic. Here’s how to get to the top.
Madeira – The Laurel Forest at Ribeiro Frio
If you are visiting Madeira via a cruise ship and have limited time on the island, a visit to Ribeiro Frio will give you a good flavour of the place.
Nature-watching in Europe 
How lovely to still discover so much even if it is more arid than it should be. I would also get lost in time admiring nature.
LikeLike
Ah, lost in time admiring nature . . . I like that. Decades ago, I remember watching a sparrowhawk as it circled and soared overhead. After a few minutes, a nearby birdwatcher questioned why I was still watching it, when I knew it was just a sparrowhawk. Like the rest of nature, it was a thing of beauty, and well worth watching for its own sake, and for as long as I wanted to watch (or in this case, for as long as it stayed within binocular range)
LikeLike
So often when traveling things don’t go as planned! That’s especially true for me too when photography and nature are involved.
LikeLike
Nature goes at its own pace, human planning isn’t taken into account!
LikeLike