Famara Beach

From the sand, the Risco de Famara fills the view to the north: a wall of cliff climbing to 671 m at the Peñas del Chache, about twice the height of the Eiffel Tower. It is what is left of a volcanic caldera some ten kilometres across, centred on the south of La Graciosa.

Below it, two kilometres of golden sand and volcanic pebbles take the Atlantic swell head on. Surfers fill the water off the main stretch by the village, and the surf schools in Caleta de Famara bring beginners here to learn to stand up on a board. Walk further along and the crowd thins out into dunes and volcanic rock, with the waves breaking hard against it. On the coastal plain at the foot of the cliffs grow about ten species of plants found nowhere else, isolated there for more than a million years.

Large sandy beaches are scarce on Lanzarote. That is a good part of why this one pulls people in.

• There are no toilets at the beach and none nearby, and no drinking water. Plan breaks around the cafés and restaurants in Caleta de Famara.
• The sand has no shade and no facilities. For a long stay, bring food, water and some cover of your own.
• The wind is strong. Bring a windproof layer and expect sand on the move across the open beach.
• The main stretch by the village gets busy with surfers and families. Walk further along for quieter dunes and rock.
• Currents from the west carry rubbish from the North Atlantic garbage patch, and it washes up on this shore.

Famara Beach sits on the edge of Caleta de Famara, a small fishing and surfing village in the municipality of Teguise. Most people drive. Cars and camper vans park along the beach road beside the sand, with car parks about 60 m and 120 m away in a straight line, so there is no walk in to speak of.

The nearest bus stop, Caleta de Famara, is about 750 m away in a straight line.

Once you are on the sand, the beach runs on for two kilometres. The quieter dunes and the volcanic rock lie further along, on foot.

Best: late afternoon into the evening, and after dark on a clear night. The beach faces the open Atlantic to the west, so the light changes over the water as the sun drops, and with little light pollution around the village the stars come out sharp.

Avoid: the middle of a hot day if you plan to stay long. The sand is bare, with no shade anywhere along it, and the wind keeps working on you.