Rugged Lanzarote

[John B]

One of the most rugged parts of Lanzarote is the coast between Papagayo and Playa Quemada, where all the barrancos (ravines) from the Ajaches mountains meet the sea.  There are esablished walks down the barrancos to individual beaches, but I decided to walk over all the ridges from beach to beach, following a faint trail part of the time, and picking my own course at other times. It was by far the most strenuous walk I've done on Lanzarote so far, and I was glad to arrive at Quemada.  There are several interesting ruins along the coast, not least the outline of a stome hut with a circular feature outside with a pivot pin in the middle, and a water couse running from it. I have no idea what it might have been, perhaps a mill of some sort. 

The decorated beach is amusing, and relatively easy to reach down a barranco from Femés, although the return trip is a long uphill pull.

My photos and a map can be seen here: http://picasaweb.google.com/Bkfiybis/PapagayoToQuemada23Feb10#

[Mush]

Really enjoyed seeing your photos John, thanks for sharing them x

[Josie]

lovely photos John.

I didn't know there was a decorated beach there - how do the plants get watered?

[✈ Elle ☀]

Lovely photos again, John! I'd like to get to that beach at some point, and leave a message on a stone.

[Mush]

Loved that one, maybe one day I will get there x

[Josie]

Lovely photos again, John! I'd like to get to that beach at some point, and leave a message on a stone.

I'll let you know if we decide to walk down the barranco from the Femes goat farm when we're over.  We've been meaning to do that and then get a cab back to Femes from Playa Quemada (possibly fitting in a restorative rosé and some food at Siete Islas) to avoid the long slog back up the hill.  It will still be a long walk.

[John B]

The alternative, Josie, is to walk there and back from Quemada. It'll be quite tiring because ofthe steep ups and down, but you get to see  more of the coast, and less of walking across a desert! I'm thinking of recceing that for our walking group soon.

[Josie]

We walked from Quemada to the large shingle beach by the fish farm last year.  On the way out we walked quite close to the sea which was very up and down and took a more inland flatter route on the way back.  How far is the decorated beach from the big beach?

[John B]

Josie, to be clear, since you can see the fish farm from a couple of beaches, and I'm not sure which one you mean, the decorations are about 2.22 Km as the crow flies across the water from the centre of Quemada. If you meant the beach which is in the second and third last of my photographs, its about 1Km south of there in a straight line.  I'd reckon on it taking you 2 hours there and back from the first beach to the decorations because it is hard going. So your momento lasts, take something to write indelibly on a stone, or perhaps just leave some of your least liked diamonds!

[Karen13]

what lovely pictures x

[✈ Elle ☀]

Ooh... forgot this thread was on here. Yes, eventually got to do that walk... ... ... with John B, Josie, & Mr Josie. We rewarded ourselves with a glass of something nice at Playa Quemada.

More pics here (87 of the buggers): http://www.lanzaroterelocation.co.uk/walk-4th-april-2010-decorated-beach/

[John B]

I think I have now been to the decorated beach from every direction except vertically down! Still good even though some nasty person stole my Chinook Mk 3 zapper.

[Allan M]

Serves you right for having a helicopter anyway

[John B]

I has 8, but the RAF has them now