Risco de las Penas Viewpoint

Sit down on a rock near the lookout, keep still, and the ground squirrels come to you, sometimes close enough to climb onto your lap. They are Barbary ground squirrels, brought to Fuerteventura from North Africa in the 1960s and now spread through the island's dry hills. Here they have learned that people stop.

The view is the other reason. On a clear day the ridges and ravines of the interior run on for miles, brown and folded, with almost nothing green between them. It makes an easy stop on the drive to or from Betancuria. For more height, a rough trail climbs the hilltop nearby.

• There are no toilets and no drinking water at the viewpoint or nearby. Bring water with you.
• The road up is narrow in parts, and big coaches use it.
• The view depends on the weather: on a hazy day the distance disappears.
• The trail to the nearby hilltop is rough underfoot. Wear shoes with grip if you plan to take it.

You come by car. A winding asphalt road climbs through the hills, and the drive itself is a good part of the visit. Watch for large coaches on the narrow stretches.

The car park sits right beside the lookout, about 36 m from the viewpoint, so what remains on foot is a few steps. A second parking area lies about 390 m away. The rough trail to the nearby hilltop starts from the viewpoint area. Without a car, the nearest bus stop is about 2.2 km away in a straight line.

Best: a clear, dry day, when the view runs far across the interior.

Avoid: days of calima, when Saharan dust hazes the distance and flattens the ridges.

The lookout never closes, so the weather and the light set the timing: low morning and evening sun brings out the relief of the hills, while at midday the bare interior offers little shade.