Las Grietas: A Hidden Corner On Lanzarote.

I’ve been living in Lanzarote since 1993, and I like to think I know the island pretty well. Its landscapes, moods, and quieter corners have all become familiar over the years. But Lanzarote has a way of surprising you. Just a few years ago, I discovered LAS GRIETAS, and it instantly became one of my little favorite spots.

Even though it’s more known now thanks to social media, it’s still one of those places where you feel close to Lanzarote’s volcanic heart quiet, raw, and endlessly fascinating.

Las Grietas are natural volcanic fissures, formed when lava moved under the surface and cooled, slowly splitting the basalt rock. Walking through them, you don’t need a geology lesson  the place explains itself. The layers of rock, the colours, the textures, all whisper the story of Lanzarote’s CREATION.

What I love most is how accessible it is. There’s no long hike, no entrance fee, no visitor center.  You just arrive, step inside, and suddenly you’re standing inside the history of the ISLAND.

After visiting the fissures, I always suggest taking a few extra minutes to cross the road and walk up the small mountain opposite. It’s an easy walk, and from the top you get stunning views over the city`s of Arrecife and Tías. There’s something MAGICAL about moving from the intimate, shadowed cracks of Las Grietas to seeing the island open up around you.

Inside Las Grietas, the sunlight changes constantly, casting deep shadows and strong contrasts. The walls shelter you from the wind, and there’s often an unexpected sense of calm. It’s one of those places where you can simply slow down, take a breath, and let Lanzarote speak for itself.

What I love about living here is that even after decades, I can still discover new places. My good friends SHELDON & MARIE, who visit Lanzarote more than five times a year, are a perfect example. Every visit, I manage to show them a different corner of the island  from hidden beaches to volcanic trails, there’s always something unexpected to explore.

And it’s easy to see why: even though Lanzarote is only 80 km long, it offers a surprising variety of landscapes, moods, and experiences. That’s one of the things I love most about this island is it always has more to reveal.

A gentle reminder here: Places like Las Grietas are fragile. Wear good shoes, don’t climb the walls, and leave it exactly as you found it. That’s all it takes to make sure these corners remain peaceful for everyone who comes after.

Even after years of living here, Las Grietas reminded me that Lanzarote never stops revealing itself. If you want to understand Lanzarote  not just see it  this little fissure in the volcanic rock has a lot to TEACH.

TO GET TO LAS GRIETAS FOLLOW THIS ROUTE:

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1. Take the LZ-35 road. This is the main asphalt road connecting Tías and San Bartolomé.

2. If you are coming from Tías, head north/northeast on LZ-35 toward San Bartolomé.

3. The access point / roadside parking is a small unmarked spot along this same LZ-35.

4. From the parking area, you’ll walk a few minutes across a pedestrian tunnel under the road and up a short path to the fissures. 

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It was such a beautiful day. The sky had the right colour of blue, and the fields where green due to a few days with hours of soft rain. Its amazing the difference the rain brings to the landscape of LANZAROTE. Most of the year our surroundings are totally black and brown. So when it finally rains, and we get some green grass on our fields and volcanos it’s HAPPY times.

Me and my friend Digna decided that we would do a long Day Walk. A walk without having to look at the watch. Just enjoying the green fields and Lanzarote`s nature during winter. And so we did!!

We parked our cars down at the harbour of Puerto Calero and continued by foot on the Avenida, towards the local village of PLAYA QUEMADA. Within less than half an hour walking reaching the green field we meet a shepherd with at least a 100 pregnant sheep. How adorable. The shepherd noticed my enthusiasm and asked me if I wanted a photo with one of the sheep. Of course. I couldnt say no. It was my first time scratching a sheep behind the ear. She must have liked it, because she didn’t want to turn around and follow the herd when I left.

Digna and I continued our walk along the seaside, while we enjoyed the view of the deep blue Atlantic Ocean next to the slopes of the green fields. We passed by the BEACH of Playa Quemada, which mostly consists of small stones all the way through. The village of Playa Quemada itself is very small and very much Canarian. There we met this very relaxed looking fisherman, who seemed to not have a care in the world.

When passing the village of PLAYA QUEMADA the walk started to get pretty tough going up and down the fields all the time on a hard slippery terrain. So we really had to concentrate and focus on where to step to avoid slipping down the cliff.  We reached our first stop ,which was a tiny stone beach. That beach is called PLAYA DEL POZO. Right in the center of the beach someone has constructed a what looks like a water well, only with no water in it.

And also a bus stop look-a-like   construction of stones and rocks.

Lanzarote has several of those sorts of constructions scattered around the island. No one seems to know who build them.

When standing right there looking up to the field I saw a huge drawing, at least 50 by 5 meters,  of what looked to me as an ANCHOR.. It was the first time I saw it that close up. I have only seen it from the seaside from a boat, when sailing by. There are many stories to that “drawing”, and it has been there for many years!! One day I will definitely tell some of those stories!

After a well deserved break on the Beach of Playa del Pozo and having sipped a half liter of water we continued our walk along the fields. The high temperature started be noticeably. That is why everyone, who lives here permanently knows that when exercising, early morning is the best option.

Our next and last stop that day was the arrival to what is called “The Secret Garden Of Playa Quemada”. It’s a very special place I have to say. I wonder if such a garden  exists elsewhere in the world? It’s situated close to the sea and as you can imagine the access to it is difficult, because of it’s location and watering those plants in the secret garden is anything but easy.

There is a huge gap in the cliff, where children’s toys from many different countries are used as decoration, as well as all sorts of lost buoys from passing boats.

However, it’s obvious that the plants growing there are being well taken care of by someone and so is the “decoration”. Everything looks so tidy and clean. And inside the cliff we even found a Visitors book! When I opened it I was amazed to see the different comments from other visitors from all around the world. Funnily, I noticed that the book itself was just about 3 years old. I took the time to write a comment, in which I promised that my next blog post would be about this walk to The Secret Garden of Playa Quemada!