Guinate: Landscapes, Trails and Fossils

Guinate on Lanzarote brings together landscapes, natural history and local festival traditions. Specific highlights include the route to Mirador de Guinate, a palaeontological site and the Lourdes celebrations in the first half of February. Agriculture and pastoral activity also shape the area. If you are planning a stay, you can get to know Guinate according to your interests, through its trails, fossil history or local customs.

Landscape and plant life

Mirador de Guinate is in the highest part of the Famara mountain range. The route to it runs along the heights of Risco de Famara, and the Chinijo Archipelago can be seen from the route. The scenery, with its views of the archipelago, is therefore the main feature of this trail. Check current trail conditions before setting out on a hike.

The plant life also offers a specific connection to Guinate: Helianthemum bramwelliorum and Helianthemum gonzalezferreri are endemic to Lanzarote and officially classified as endangered. The Guinate and Famara rockroses grow in very restricted locations, including at Risco de Guinate. For nature-minded travellers, both the plants’ limited distribution and their conservation status are important aspects of the landscape.

Fossils and geological history

The palaeontological site at Guinate is the only known site in the Canary Islands with remains of Calonectris diomedea Cory, the Cory’s shearwater. Finds include fossil bones and eggs of this bird, as well as fossil nests of mining bees and remains of land snails from the Helicidae family. This offers a clearly defined natural-history theme, distinct from the landscape perspective at the Mirador.

The site’s sediment dates from the last interglacial, at the beginning of the Upper Pleistocene, around 135,000 years ago. This approximate timeframe places the site in a distant period of geological history. Those interested in Lanzarote’s natural history will find here a connection to the island’s former wildlife, as well as its present-day plant habitats.

Walking and cycling routes

A municipal description from 2020 places Vereda de Guinate on the Haría Extreme circular route. Guinate is also an interesting point for cycling on the 31-kilometre Recorrido Haría cycling route. These descriptions refer to different ways of exploring the area: the Mirador route focuses on views and mountains, Vereda is part of the Haría Extreme circular route, and Recorrido Haría is a cycling route.

When choosing your activities, you can start by considering the type of route that interests you. For hikes, it is advisable to check current trail conditions. Before cycling, you should also check route conditions and details. This keeps your planning specific to each outing, without treating different routes or modes of transport as interchangeable.

Local character and festival traditions

Agriculture and pastoral activity shape Guinate, adding a rural character to its landscape and natural-history attractions. The patron-saint festivities in honour of Nuestra Señora de Lourdes offer another glimpse of local life. Guinate celebrates them in the first half of February, with activities including traditional island games, folk music and traditional cuisine.

Exact dates and the annual programme may vary. If the celebrations are important to your trip, check the dates for the relevant year. This gives you different options when planning: an outing focused on the landscape, an exploration of fossil history or a stay during the local festival season.

Discover more destinations: Orzola, Tabayesco, Mala, Arrieta, Charco Del Palo, Punta De Mujeres, Ye

Return to the main travel overview: Haria.